Abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and heartburn often occur when the digestive system is poorly functioning and warn of many intestinal diseases.
Dr. Vu Truong Khanh, Head of the Department of Gastroenterology, Tam Anh General Hospital in Hanoi, said that a well-functioning digestive system is an important factor in keeping the body healthy and full of energy. Recognizing signs of an unhealthy digestive system helps patients receive timely examination and appropriate treatment.
Stomach-ache
Common abdominal pain caused by indigestion, bloating or muscle tension is not serious. But when the pain lasts for several days or is accompanied by fever, blood in the stool, persistent vomiting or nausea, yellow skin, pain when touched, or abdominal swelling, the patient should see a doctor soon.
Constipation
Inability to have more than three bowel movements per week may be due to chronic constipation. Some common causes of constipation include lack of fiber in the diet, drinking little water, lack of exercise, and tumors in the abdomen and colorectal. If your symptoms do not improve after adjusting your diet and lifestyle, you need to see a doctor soon to receive timely treatment.
Bloating
Bloating is often an uncomfortable feeling of fullness and a belly that looks rounder than usual. This condition that does not go away after passing gas may be a symptom of poor digestion. If bloating is accompanied by too much farting, combined with gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, weight loss… it is a warning of abnormal health.
Diarrhea
Diarrhea lasting more than two weeks is a sign of certain gastrointestinal conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, chronic functional diarrhea, Crohn’s disease, and bleeding ulcerative colitis. Diarrhea with black, bloody stools or abdominal pain or fever is often due to serious digestive problems that require treatment.
Nausea and vomiting
Vomiting or nausea due to food poisoning or possible illness such as intestinal obstruction, pancreatitis… Adults vomit for 48 hours or show signs of dehydration, children vomit a lot for 24 hours, 2- 12 hours for newborns, need to go to a medical facility immediately for examination.
Difficulty sleeping
An unhealthy gut can cause insomnia and poor sleep, leading to fatigue. Most of the serotonin in the body, which affects mood and sleep, is produced in the intestines. When bacteria or inflammation is present in the gut, sleep is affected.
Unintentional weight gain or loss
When the intestines are imbalanced, the body has difficulty absorbing nutrients, storing fat and regulating blood sugar. Weight loss or gain can be caused by bacterial overgrowth or lack of nutrients.
Change in stool color
The color of the stool indicates some problems in the digestive system. Normal stool is yellow. Bright red stools or black stools like coffee grounds can be caused by food coloring or bleeding in the stomach, duodenum, colorectum or hemorrhoids, sometimes small intestinal bleeding. Severely discolored stools called white stools occur when obstructive jaundice is severe.
Dr. Khanh recommends that patients with warning signs of poor digestive health should limit eating processed foods and sweets. You should eat slowly and chew thoroughly, add probiotics to your diet, drink enough water, exercise regularly, get enough sleep, manage stress… If you change your lifestyle and diet but symptoms If the symptoms do not improve, the patient needs to go to a medical facility with a digestive specialist to be examined.