How to settle a frequently upset stomach and beat nausea (for everyone)

So you're because because (like millions of people out there) you have a tummy issue. Whether it's from food poisoning, a tummy bug, IBS or an unknown cause there is something out there that can help. This is a hub from my own experiences and problems with an unknown cause of an upset and very tempermental stomach on a regular basis and how to cope and relieve the problems.

What causes an upset tummy?

1. Infection of bacteria passed through the mouth and into the gut either by ingestion of foods e.g. under-cooked chicken, food places on a dirty or contaminated surface (poor food hygiene) or by biting nails, putting hands to or in the mouth when out in public and the hands have not immediately come from a long warm water and soap wash. People refuse to believe it but when you put your fingers in your mouth you are opening your body up to the bacteria and virus particles present from other people who have sneezed, coughed, vomited, had the runs and not washed their hands properly, they have touched your surfaces e.g. bus handle or door and you have just ingested their faeces. One way to stop this from happening is keep the hands out of the mouth and wash them on a regular basis. You cannot catch Salmonella from breathing near raw chicken and you CANNOT get the Norovirus (tummy bug) from inhalation around someone who has been sick. These are things you can only infect yourself with.
2. 1. 1. High acid build-up in your gut. Usually this can happen when someone has been chewing on too much gum often they will find a burning sensation in the esophagus (which feels like a tummy burn) when you chew gum the stomach reacts as if you are eating so it produces more acid to help digest the food, when none comes down it continues to build and will cause high acidity which can give you a sore or bad tummy.
3. IBS, irritable bowel syndrome and can usually be treated by a doctor however it can come and go and many people may not notice they have it. It presents constipation or the runs, a sudden urge to 'poop', stomach pain, bloating, an intolerance to foods. Sudden onset of symptoms on a regular-fairly common basis. However these symptoms could be a cause for concern and may be something else especially in older people so you should get tested if you are worried or see blood.
4. Stress or anxiety. Even just a small amount of stress will affect the hyper-sensitive nerve endings present in your tummy which will activate the nervous pooping, wind, burning, nausea, sometimes vomiting and a feeling of an unsettled tummy. People with anxiety disorders/depression may not realise this is the root cause of their regular tummy troubles. (Well I guess you did now)
5. Allergies/food intolerance. It could be to dairy, certain sugars, vegetables. You can literally be intolerant to anything, I myself and intolerant to chocolate and eggs as the most extreme but also to anything that contains egg such as cake, quiche etc. So bare than in mind when it comes to food, your doctor can run blood tests to see if you have an issue there.
6. Menstrual cycle, ladies we all have at least one problem period and we know that familiar tummy feeling we sometimes get before, during or after a period and it is perfectly normal due to the spasms of the womb, movement inside of you and pressure on the bowels. The same with pregnancy.
7. Unexplained causes. You have the frequent symptoms but for no reason and your doctor can't find anything wrong with you either.

Now onto the issues with your tummy. If you don't know what is causing it you need to take a look at your lifestyle before you can consider treatment. I will get onto that later but if you have scrolled to look for instant remedy I will place several here.

Peppermint tea

Antacid tablets aka anti-acid not to be chewed or swallowed but to be sucked.

Indigestion tablets (nearly the same as antacid)

meditation

crystal therapy can really help too

a walk or sitting in the fresh cool air

doing something to hold your attention e.g. TV where you will feel less alone in the tummy war

Only if deemed safe for you and you have no medical problems Buccal 8mg tablets are insanely powerful but they work, they are available from a reputable and SAFE pharmacy online e.g. through Amazon or from your doctors prescription.

Let's do a quiz with the results at the bottom, I want you to think about your answers and get a piece of paper or something to write them on. Let's begin.

A. I wake up in the night feeling sick or have an upset tummy for no reason.

B. My stomach becomes upset and I am nauseated after eating certain foods or foods containing the same product e.g. cake, egg, quiche, pie. (even up to 8/9 hours after)

C. I wake up feeling agitated with a funny tummy.

D. My stomach is hurting and I have runny bowel movements on a regular basis.

E. None of the above/a mixture of a few.

Next section:

A. I have a lot of stress in my life, I am nervous about doing something, I am ill mostly at night or the morning, I have an anxiety or other psychological disorder.

B. I vomit at least once a month (not counting alcohol or tummy virus/food poisoning)

C. My stomach gets upset for no reason.

D. I have found blood in my vomit or stool.

E. I can't identify a reason for my symptoms.

Next section:

A. I feel shaky a lot too and I avoid eating hours before bed or before noon.

B. I feel nauseated when I see or talk about certain foods or drinks.

C. I do not drink a lot of water/anything considered a drink par alcohol.

D. I am scared I might have a serious condition.

E. I am worried that I might have something wrong with me.

Next section:

A. I am terrified of nausea/vomiting/ diarrhea or having another 'episode' and/or I had a bad or late experience vomiting as a child.

B. I have a diet that consists mostly of the same foods e.g. you eat curry for dinner regularly or you only eat apples for lunch.

C. I feel I might have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)

D. I am often unwell or feel run down.

E. I am female and it gets worse around menstruation. I am male with a family history of this problem.

Last section:

A. I feel attached to antacid tablets or other forms of anti-nausea and I am obsessive with hand washing/ not touching things and how clean my house is. I will not eat what other people cook.

B. I limit my food intake.

C. I am often constipated.

D. I have found something I do not wish to share or tell my doctor about.

E. A combination of A, B and C.

RESULTS:

Mostly A: It sounds like you could have Emetophobia which is quite an extreme fear of vomiting/tummy troubles. This is more common in women than in men but that doesn't mean men can't get it too. You have most probably started vomiting around a later age and found it a great shock, have had explosive or violent vomiting/tummy troubles in your life. There is no treatment for this condition however you can address it and use your natural instincts to calm yourself down. Keep your antacids at hand, your peppermint tea before bed, your fear is upsetting your stomach and your anxiety and stress over it will keep upsetting you. Feeling armed against these things will improve your health drastically but be careful not to take too many or much of anything.

Mostly B: A food allergy/intolerance such as lactose intolerance, an intolerance to wheat, gluten etc. It will be extremely hard to pin point what is causing the issue, if however you normally have cereal for breakfast and have an upset stomach regularly then switch to toast for two weeks and see if it makes a difference, try buying products without wheat or gluten, cut out dairy or reduce the amounts of fruit or vegetables you eat and see if it changes. The only way to know is to go to a doctor or keep a score card for yourself and identify the problem (remember there could be more than one intolerance)

Mostly C: It could be IBS which you need to get tested for if you are unsure as to whether it is the problem. Reducing your stomach acid, exercise and keeping a very balanced diet can help reduce the problems. Like I have said before try antacid or indigestion tablets when you feel it coming on and keep tabs on your poop and diet chart to see if there's anything in particular that makes it worse.

Mostly D: Now this one is a little more serious. Blood in the stool or vomit or changes in bowel movements, a sensation of poisoning, lumps, regular pains and other such things could be a symptom of bowel cancer, an obstruction or severe constipation. I highly recommend you go immediately to your doctor and find out exactly what is going on especially if you are older.

Mostly E: You are unidentified. If you have been to the doctor and they cannot find anything wrong with you and you are otherwise healthy then this could be a mixture of an underlying anxiety problem, IBS, food allergy, stress. Some people's guts are naturally more sensitive and react much worse to seemingly nothing. Clean out the area where you sleep, relax and try to figure out if anything in particular triggers it. If you haven't been to a doctor I suggest you go and every day drink 1-2 cups of peppermint tea, it will help your tummy and knowing you have something there to help you will relax you greatly.

Remember I am not a doctor just someone who has a problem and has done a lot of research on the matter when my doctor could find nothing physically wrong with me. It is important you see a professional if symptoms persist or you are worried.