Stomach heaviness: all the remedies

One bite too many; a meal swallowed in a hurry and chewed badly; cold carbonated drink from the refrigerator; heavy lunches and dinners; too much coffee on an empty stomach.

All bad habits that result in a sense of heaviness in the stomach, which is often also accompanied by pain, stomach acid, feeling of bloating, excessive gas formation and all other manifestations of difficult digestion.

Causes of stomach heaviness

The feeling of heaviness in the stomach can have several causes, among them are:

• Eating too fast;
• Anxiety and stress;
• Abundant consumption of fatty, over-seasoned or spicy foods;
• Drink carbonated drinks;
• Catch cold during digestion.

The feeling of having a heavy stomach, when it is not related to health problems, can depend on incorrect habits and the intake of foods that are difficult to digest.

This type of food requires the gastric mucosa to produce more gastric juices than normal in a short time, and the other organs involved in the digestive process to quickly release the digestive enzymes necessary to complete digestion.

What diseases are associated with heaviness in the stomach?

Usually, the sense of having a weight on the stomach is a temporary disorder, which disappears immediately after digestion.

However, if the disorders of poor digestion tend to recur after each meal, even if not particularly abundant, at the origin of the malaise there may be some serious pathologies, among which there are:

• Gallbladder stones;
• Hiatal hernia;
• Food allergies and intolerances;
• Gastritis;
• Indigestion;
• Pancreatitis;
• Gastroesophageal reflux;
• Stomach cancer;
• Gastric ulcer;
• Peptic ulcer.

Symptoms of stomach heaviness

The manifestations that usually accompany this type of disorder are:

• Halitosis;
• Belching;
• Heartburn;
• Nausea;
• Acid reflux.

Sense of heaviness in the stomach: what remedies?

To cure this disorder it is first necessary to identify the underlying cause and, subsequently, intervene on this.

Most of the time the feeling of having a heavy stomach disappears by itself, without resorting to any medical treatment: it is sufficient, in fact, to adopt correct lifestyles and eating habits.

When it is necessary to resort to drug therapy (only on the prescription of your doctor), drugs may be useful:

• Antacids;
• Prokinetics.

Stomach heaviness: natural remedies

If behind this disorder there is no serious pathology, the so-called grandmother’s remedies can be very useful to alleviate the symptoms and to make the discomfort of the heavy stomach disappear.

These are simple and natural remedies, many linked to tradition, very effective in counteracting stomach pain and swollen belly.

Here they are:

• Bicarbonate;
• Hot water and lemon;
• Digestive herbal teas, based on mallow, valerian, lemon balm and chamomile;
• Bag of boiling water put on the stomach, to facilitate the relaxation of tense muscles;
• candies and pastilles with natural extracts, which help improve the functionality of the gastro-intestinal system;
• Raw fennel at the end of a meal (also reduces meteorism, flatulence and aerophagia);
• Hot laurel tea.

How to prevent heaviness

Prevention is always an excellent remedy to combat stomach problems. Here are some useful tips to avoid all those annoying sensations associated with slow and difficult digestion.

1. Do not weigh down at the table and make small meals distributed at several times during the day;
2. Dedicate time to meals, chewing well and slowly the ingested foods;
3. Avoid heavy and fatty foods, and too elaborate cooking;
4. Limit, and if possible avoid altogether, the consumption of coffee, citrus fruits, spices, tomatoes, sugary drinks, carbonated water: all foods that increase acid production and slow gastric emptying.
5. Do not combine different proteins in the same meal, because digestion can slow down further;
6. Get up from the table before being completely full;
7. Do moderate physical activity (e.g. a walk) immediately after meals;
8. Bedtime only 2 or 3 hours after finishing eating;
9. Avoid smoking and alcohol, which amplify digestive problems.

Proper nutrition is always the first step to the well-being of the body. But if you suffer from digestion problems and often experience the unpleasant sensation of having a weight on the stomach and stomach ache, a good remedy is to use supplements such as Citrosodine in Sachets. It is a dietary supplement based on calcium: a formula that contributes to the normal functionality of digestive enzymes. It has no particular contraindications, although it is always advisable to read the warnings before use.