Few people want to suffer from unpleasant symptoms, sometimes undergo painful examinations, swallow a bunch of drugs and avoid goodies for years.
The appearance of digestive diseases entails all these difficulties, so it is better to correct some
aspects of lifestyle in advance than to exhaust from chronic diseases.
So, let's talk about the prevention of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
These simple tips and recommendations will help the reader avoid significant health problems at any age!
Complex of preventive measures
Unfortunately, our compatriots often neglect the elementary rules of a healthy lifestyle:
diet, taking only medications prescribed by a doctor, stopping smoking, etc.
Meanwhile, their observance can save from the development of many diseases, including ailments
of the digestive system.
A set of such preventive measures should include:
- rational nutrition;
- rejection of bad habits;
- caution in medications and some medical procedures;
- mental comfort;
- the fight against excess weight;
- timely visits to doctors.
Rational nutrition
Probably, all readers understand that the health of the gastrointestinal tract is closely related to the nature of nutrition.
All the nuances of the daily diet matter: the mode of meals, the amount of food, the set of products, the culinary processing of dishes.
To prevent possible digestive problems, experts strongly recommend to their wards:
- streamline the diet (regular meals at a set time synchronize the processes of secretion of digestive juices and the motor activity of the organs that make up the digestive tube);
- eat more often and in small portions (at least 4 times a day and so that the volume of a single portion is placed in the palms folded together), while it is desirable that all the daily energy value is distributed as follows: 25% - for breakfast; 15-20% - for the 2nd breakfast or afternoon snack; 30-35%; - for lunch and 20 - 25% - for dinner;
- avoid eating dry (lack of fluid can be an impetus to the appearance of constipation, thick bile, motor disorders of the stomach), it is desirable that the body takes a volume of fluid of at least 1.5 liters per day;
- do not eat too hot or excessively cold food (it irritates the sensitive mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract);
- limit foods with a large number of refractory animal fats (fatty meat, fatty dairy products, confectionery creams, etc.), which relax the valves between the esophagus and stomach, stomach and duodenum, worsen the motor activity of the stomach, weaken the contractions of the gallbladder, enhance intestinal motility, promote fat accumulations in the tissues of the liver and pancreas and when frying become potential carcinogens (substances capable of spra to provoke cancer);
- avoid simple carbohydrates (sweets, muffins, white bread, etc.), which can cause heartburn, constipation, excessive gas formation and even lead to overstrain of the pancreas;
- do not overdo it with products that are rich in essential oils (radish, cabbage, garlic, green and onions, radishes, rutabaga, mustard, horseradish, etc.) and spicy dishes (marinades, etc.), they increase the production of digestive juices and, with constant use, can lead to diseases of the esophagus, stomach, pancreas, duodenum;
- be careful with smoked meats (carcinogens are formed in the process of smoking), products with an abundance of chemical preservatives, dyes, stabilizers (they adversely affect the safety of intestinal microflora, liver cells, mucous membrane of the entire digestive tube);
- apply vegetable oils that enhance bile formation and its secretion, the motor ability of the intestine, the preservation of the membranes of all cells of the digestive tract;
- do not forget about food with a high content of dietary fiber (fruits, berries, grains, vegetables, leafy greens, bran, etc.), which prevents constipation, stimulates the reproduction of useful intestinal flora, improves the chemical composition of bile, normalizes cholesterol metabolism, removes toxins, radioactive compounds, carcinogens, pesticides;
- actively use fermented milk products (yogurt, ayran, kefir, cottage cheese, koumiss, sour cream, acidophilus, etc.), improving the antitoxic ability of the liver, suppressing all putrefactive processes in the intestine, improving intestinal motility (interestingly, fresh kefir eliminates constipation, and the same drink 3 days ago, on the contrary, fixes the stool);
- include in your daily diet non-fish seafood, which is a wonderful source of food iodine, nutritious protein, improving the parameters of fat metabolism (its disorders lead to fatty degeneration of the pancreas, liver, thickening of bile, reflux esophagitis).
Giving up bad habits
It has long been proven that with regular and / or excessive use, the main component of alcoholic beverages - ethyl alcohol and the substances that are formed from it in our body - negatively affect many processes. They:
- are toxins for the liver and pancreas, causing their dystrophic changes, hepatitis, pancreatitis, cirrhosis;
- lead to a chemical change in the juice produced by the pancreas (it becomes very thick, because of this, peculiar plugs arise in the pancreatic ducts, disrupting the outflow of this juice and leading to pancreatitis);
- damage the mucous membrane of the esophagus, stomach, intestines;
- disrupt fat metabolism, exacerbating the fatty degeneration of liver tissue;
- lead to tumor processes.
However, it is not necessary to impose a strict veto on all strong drinks.
World medicine, based on serious statistical calculations, allows weekly consumption by men up to 21 alcoholic units, and women up to 14 alcoholic units.
One such unit equates to 125 ml of wine, 25 ml of vodka or 250 ml of beer.
But this amount can not be drunk in one evening, it should be evenly distributed over a whole week.
No less harmful addiction to tobacco.
It is smoking that can be blamed for persistent gastroesophageal reflux disease, slow healing of ulcers and erosions, the development of cancer of the stomach, pancreas and esophagus, Crohn's disease.
Caution on medications and some medical procedures
Uncontrolled intake of certain medications can lead to serious problems with the digestive tract.
Unfortunately, the availability of medical information does not always contribute to the correct behavior of patients.
Some of them draw conflicting information from popular TV programs and the Internet and begin to be treated without the help of specialists (often even without an elementary examination).
Such an arrogant approach is fraught with serious problems.
Tablets, capsules, powders, enemas, potions and suppositories are not harmless at all.
They can cause:
- acute ulcers and erosion of the stomach and / or duodenum (hormones, painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs), which are sometimes accompanied by bleeding;
- inflammation of the esophagus (calcium and potassium preparations, nitrates, means to lower pressure, antidepressants, antibiotics, etc.);
- medicinal hepatitis (hormonal contraceptives, anabolics, antitumor drugs, sulfonamides, anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, drugs to lower blood pressure, statins, etc.);
- intestinal dysbacteriosis (antibiotics, laxatives, psychotropic, sorbents, etc.);
- formation of gallstones (hormonal contraceptives, drugs used in IVF protocols, etc.);
- pseudomembranous colitis (antibiotics, means of suppressing tumor growth and immunity);
- pancreatitis (antiparasitic agents, hormones, antibiotics, diuretics, cytostatics, etc.);
- constipation (abuse of enemas and laxatives, holinolitiki, psychotropic, etc.);
- diarrhea (psychotropic, magnesium preparations, some choleretic, etc.).
In addition to medicines, some therapeutic or pseudo-therapeutic manipulations can also harm.
Usually this happens with insufficient or unprofessional assessment of the patient's condition and the "bouquet" of his diseases.
We are talking about all sorts of "cleansing", monitor cleaning of the intestines, tubages, starvation.
Mental comfort
Many digestive ailments are directly or indirectly related to the psycho-emotional sphere.
Constant stress, prolonged mental stress, acute psychotraumatic situations (death or illness of loved ones, divorce, loss of work, conflicts, etc.), deep internal contradictions can turn into gastroenterological diseases: functional dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome, peptic ulcer, biliary dyskinesia, etc.
And until these factors are eliminated or the professional work of a psychotherapist (sometimes with a course of special drugs), it is not possible to cope with diseases with traditional medicines.
Patients can wander around doctor's offices for years, harass themselves, others and doctors.
Moreover, some patients initially have a predisposition to diseases of the digestive system.
So, for example, many ulcers from a young age are distinguished by a choleric temperament.
Overweight control
Obesity affects not only the appearance of the patient, but also the structure of the internal organs.
Fatty inclusions appear in the liver and pancreas, squeezing their normal tissue and disrupting the function.
The composition of bile changes, which contributes to the formation of stones in all bile ducts and gallbladder.
The motor ability of all parts of the digestive tube worsens.
Therefore, it is important for such patients to take care of their nutrition and increase physical activity.
Timely visits to doctors
When digestive disorders, abdominal pain, heartburn, etc. appear, it is better to visit a doctor in a timely manner, because philistine knowledge is superficial.
Some ailments are hidden. Different diseases can have exactly the same manifestations.
Some diseases (including oncological) can be confirmed only after a qualified examination.
It is especially necessary for close relatives of patients with cancer, genetic (celiac disease, etc.) and autoimmune diseases (autoimmune hepatitis, ulcerative colitis, etc.).
Which doctor to contact
On the issues of primary prevention of diseases of the digestive system, you should contact a therapist.
If you already have diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, you need to consult a gastroenterologist, nutritionist to prevent exacerbation of the disease.
