Habits that Harm Your Digestive System
We don’t often think about our digestive system and how complex it really is. As one of the biggest systems in your body, it is responsible for breaking down food to absorb nutrients and get rid of the rest. Although it is an intricate system that works tirelessly to bring health and balance to the body, it is also delicate. There are a lot of daily actions that might actually be habits that harm your digestive system.
Habits that Harm Your Digestive System
Learn the habits that harm your digestive system with this quick guide by the best internist Los Angeles specialists and learn how to avoid harmful behaviors.
Too Much Eating
How much eating is too much? Everybody is different, and everybody needs a different amount of food to feel full and satisfied. But eating too much can occur when you put food in your body faster than your digestive system can process it.
If you eat a lot in one sitting, you might start to feel bloated. This is putting a strain on your intestines and digestive tract. This can also cause other digestive issues such as acid reflux, causing you to regurgitate food and stomach acid.
Eating Too Fast
Even if you don’t have a problem eating too much, you might have a problem eating too fast. A Science Alert study showed that eating too fast is unhealthy for many reasons, such as:
- You can accidentally swallow air and bloat your digestive system
- Eating too fast does not give your stomach time to expand to accept the food
- Eating fast may cause irregular heartbeats and breathing patterns
Not to mention, you don’t get the chance to enjoy your food! Slow down and savor each bite. You’ll be doing a favor both to your digestive system and your taste buds.
Taking Too Much Medicine
There is always a time and a place where medication is necessary. But overusing certain over-the-counter painkillers, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, can put your digestive tract in danger of many issues. Too much aspirin is known to cause stomach ulcers, which disrupt the function of your digestive system and can cause you a lot of pain. Avoid this by only taking medication when truly needed.
Drinking Alcohol
It’s no secret that alcohol is unhealthy for your body for many reasons. While there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a cocktail or a glass of wine every so often, drinking too much can do a lot of damage to your digestive system. Drinking too much can either form ulcers or prevent existing ulcers from healing up. It will make other wounds slow to heal as well.
Not to mention, drinking too much can cause your liver and stomach to hurt. You may find yourself hunched over in pain or having problems with diarrhea and vomiting. If this is happening frequently, you need to visit your doctor ASAP.
Using Laxatives
It is important for your bowels and intestines to be cleansed of waste so they can continue functioning properly. In a healthy body, this cleansing happens on its own through the digestive process. The use of external laxatives can put too big of a strain on your digestive tract. This can cause stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation, and other serious digestive issues. You should only consider a cleanse at the recommendation of a doctor, and in the hands of a professional.
Keep Your Digestive Tract Healthy with Preventative Medicine!
The best way to reduce symptoms of digestive tract issues is to prevent them from occurring in the first place. To address issues or concerns about your digestive system, get in touch with our preventative medicine specialist Los Angeles office today. Our staff will be happy to schedule a consultation as quickly as possible.