Causes of Stomach ache
Stomach ache can occur for a number of reasons.
• Overeating and indigestion
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Stomach infection (caused due to bacteria / amoeba etc.)
• Acidity
• Flatulence (gas)
• Stress and anxiety
Stomach Pain Home Remedies
The number of remedies for this ailment are as many as the number of reasons that can lead to stomach ache.
Here are some remedies that are tried and tested over generations. Select one that is appropriate for you.
1. Ginger (adrak): Mix 2 tsp of ginger juice with 1 tsp of lemon juice, a pinch of salt and black pepper and drink it with or without water. Ginger contains compounds gingerol which causes stomach contractions and helps food pass throuh easily. So if indigestion is the major cause of stomach ache, it helps. It also helps relieve anorexia. You can also try Ginger and Lemon Drink.
Ginger Lemon Drink
2. Ajwain (carom seeds): 1 tsp of ajwain combined with 2 pinches of salt should be chewed and swallowed for relief from flatulence. Ajwain Water is another option. It has a nice, appetizing aroma and tingling taste, which you will be able to ingest and digest even when you are feeling too full and not comfortable in the tummy.
Ajwain Water
3. Mint leaves (phudina): The juice of mint leaves combined with honey is one of the age-old remedies for stomach ache and flatulence. Tulsi Mint and Ginger Drink and Pudina Drink is yet another option to sip on 2 to 3 times a day. The phytonutrients eugenol and cineole in tulsi work their magic by acting as anti-inflammatory agents and reducing infection.
Fresh Herbal Tea, Tulsi, Mint and Ginger Drink
4. Ginger powder (soonth) and jaggery (gur): The Jaggery and Dried Ginger Balls is soothing for your stomach and also helps to keep your spirits warm in cold weather. Mountaineers carry this magic portion to keep their strength up in the harsh mountain terrain. The combination of spicy ginger powder with sweet jaggery is a real treat to the taste buds, but more importantly these two magic ingredients activate the digestive enzymes and help to cleanse the intestinal tracts too, which makes the Jaggery and Dried Ginger Balls a great antidote for stomach ache.
Jaggery and Dried Ginger Balls
Foods to be Avoided in Stomach Pain
• Spicy foods : Spicy foods acts as irritants for the diegstive tract.
• Deep-fried foods: These are difficult to digest and put an extra burden on the system.
• Aerated drinks and alcohol: These foods hinder digestion and absorption.
• Fast foods like pizza, burger etc: These are loaded with refined prodcuts and again are difficult to digest.
• Pickles, canned and preserved foods : These are too high in sodium, preservatives and also have a high spice level at times.
Handy Tips to Cure Stomach ache
1. Have plenty of fluids. Water is the most crucial requirement to cure stomach ache due to indigestion as dehudration is sometimes the cause of stomach ache. Further sipping on hot water leads to peristalisis (Movement of bowels). Hot Ginger Tea is flavourful variation to help relieve stomach ache. Fennel Tea is also quite effective in relieving stomach pain due to constipation.
Fennel Tea To Relieve Constipation
For stomach ache due to diarrhea, you can have Strained Orange Juice. It helps to maintain electrolyte balance.
Homemade Strained Orange Juice
2. Have small and frequent freshly cooked meals throughout the day as it aids in digestion. A stomach ache due to diarrhea can be cured with a BRAT (banana, rice, apple and toast) diet. These foods bind stools and help in relieving stomach pain. You can try Banana Puree for Kids and Apple Stew is a remedy.
Banana Puree for kids
3. Eat easily digestible foods. Consume foods that are liquid or semi-liquid in consistency. Light on the stomach and comforting to the taste buds, this Rice Porridge, mildly-flavoured with cumin seeds, is ideal when you are feeling tired or unwell. The cumin seeds used in tempering are also a digestive aid.
Rice Porridge
4. Sip on Coconut Water: Coconut Water has potassium and other minerals which helps to reduce stomach cramps. It is also a good cure to nausea which sometimes accompanies stomach pain.
5. Chew the food slowly and eat in a relaxed environment as sometimes tensions and stress tend to upset the tummy.
6. Avoid eating on roadside in an unhygienic environment.