In autumn and winter, the sudden drop in temperature not only makes the human body feel cold, but also quietly brings considerable pressure to the gastrointestinal tract. Abdominal distension, abdominal pain, belching, indigestion... These symptoms seem to remind us that it's time to pay attention to and take care of our stomach. The stomach, the "transit station" of our daily diet, actually has its own "small emotions" and "taboos". Today, Liu Xiaochuan, Vice President of the Emergency General Hospital and Director of the Gastroenterology Department, as well as Chief Physician, will list the 8 things that the stomach fears the most from you. Through analyzing the reasons and daily maintenance strategies, he will help everyone better protect their stomach health. The stomach is afraid of cold. The stomach is an organ that prefers warmth and dislikes cold. Cold can directly affect the blood circulation in the stomach, causing the contraction of gastric mucosal blood vessels and a decrease in blood flow, which in turn affects the digestive function and defense mechanism of the stomach. Long term stomach cold may also lead to chronic gastritis, gastric ulcers and other diseases. Patients often experience mild stomach pain as soon as they catch a cold, and in severe cases, they may also have diarrhea symptoms. Here are daily maintenance strategies: Keep warm first. In autumn and winter, pay attention to adding clothes to keep warm, especially avoid catching a cold in the abdomen. You can choose to wear high waisted pants or waist cinching jackets to avoid direct cold winds. Drink plenty of warm water and eat less raw and cold food and drinks. It is advisable to increase the intake of warm foods such as ginger, scallions, garlic, lamb, etc., which can help warm the stomach and dispel cold. For people with spleen and stomach deficiency and cold, traditional Chinese medicine can be taken under the guidance of a doctor to regulate their condition, such as Fuzi Lizhong Wan, Wenweishu Granules, etc. The stomach is afraid of alcohol, which is the "number one enemy" of the gastric mucosa. It can not only directly damage the gastric mucosa, causing congestion, edema, erosion, and even bleeding, but also inhibit the protective mechanism of the gastric mucosa, making it more susceptible to other factors. Long term alcohol consumption can also lead to serious diseases such as chronic gastritis and gastric ulcers. Some people may experience symptoms of black stool after excessive drinking, in addition to stomach pain and discomfort. The following is the daily maintenance strategy: Try to avoid excessive drinking in a moderate amount, especially high Baijiu and spirits. If you must drink alcohol, you can choose low alcohol drinks and control the amount consumed. After drinking, you can drink some warm water or diluted salt water to dilute the alcohol concentration in the stomach and reduce the irritation to the gastric mucosa. At the same time, you can also eat some easily digestible food, such as Congee, noodles, etc. to protect the gastric mucosa. Regular physical examination: Long term drinkers should undergo gastroscopy regularly to understand the condition of the gastric mucosa and promptly detect and treat potential stomach diseases. The stomach is afraid that a high salt diet can damage the protective layer of the gastric mucosa, causing damage to the gastric mucosal cells and leading to diseases such as gastritis and gastric ulcers. Over time, symptoms such as bloating, acid reflux, and loss of appetite may occur. The following are daily maintenance strategies: reduce salt intake with a light diet, keep daily salt intake within 6 grams, and use tools such as a salt spoon to help control salt intake. Eating more fruits and vegetables can increase the intake of vegetables and fruits to supplement potassium and fiber, which can help lower blood pressure and reduce salt damage to the stomach. Using natural seasonings can enhance the taste and flavor of food by utilizing natural seasonings such as vinegar, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, etc., thereby reducing the amount of salt used. The stomach is afraid that food that is too hot can damage the mucosal layer of the esophagus and stomach, leading to mucosal congestion, edema, erosion, ulcers, and other lesions. Long term consumption of excessively hot food can also increase the risk of malignant tumors such as esophageal cancer and gastric cancer. Here are daily maintenance strategies: Avoid scalding and try not to eat food that has just been taken out of the pot or heated in the microwave. Wait for the food to cool slightly before consuming. Chew slowly and thoroughly, allowing the food to mix well with saliva, thereby lowering the temperature of the food and reducing irritation to the esophageal and gastric mucosa. Temperature sensing can be achieved by gently touching food with your hands or lips before eating to detect its temperature and avoid consuming excessively hot food. The stomach is afraid of sugar and high sugar diet, which can lead to excessive secretion of gastric acid, thereby damaging the gastric mucosa and causing diseases such as gastritis and gastric ulcers, resulting in discomfort symptoms such as bloating and acid reflux. The following are daily maintenance strategies: control sugar intake and reduce the intake of sweets, and try to choose low sugar or sugar free foods. If you really want to eat sweets, you can eat some natural fruits in moderation as a substitute. A balanced diet maintains a balanced and diverse diet, consuming foods rich in protein, dietary fiber, and vitamins to maintain normal metabolism and immune function in the body. Regular monitoring For people with chronic diseases such as stomach disease or diabetes, blood sugar and stomach health should be monitored regularly so as to find and treat potential diseases in time. The stomach is afraid that irregular eating habits can disrupt its normal physiological functions, leading to disrupted gastric acid secretion and damage to the gastric mucosa. The eating habit of being hungry and full one meal at a time can easily cause symptoms of stomach pain and indigestion. Long term irregular diet can also lead to serious diseases such as chronic gastritis and gastric ulcers. The following are daily maintenance strategies: maintain regular eating habits at regular times and quantities, have three meals a day at regular times and quantities, and avoid overeating or excessive dieting. Reasonably arrange work and rest time as much as possible, ensuring sufficient time for meals and rest. A meal preparation plan can prepare some healthy foods in advance, such as fruits, nuts, yogurt, etc., to be placed in the office or bag, so that they can be consumed at any time during busy times and avoid overeating when hungry. Some drugs such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen) and hormone drugs can stimulate or damage the gastric mucosa. Long term use of these drugs in the wrong way can easily damage the protective layer of the gastric mucosa, leading to serious diseases such as drug-induced gastritis and even gastric bleeding. The following are daily maintenance strategies: follow the doctor's advice and medication strictly according to the doctor's instructions, do not increase or decrease the dosage or stop taking medication on your own. If it is necessary to take drugs that stimulate the gastric mucosa for a long time, one should consult a doctor to see if the medication plan can be adjusted or if gastric mucosal protectants can be used to reduce damage to the gastric mucosa. If the medication has a stimulating effect on the gastric mucosa after meals, it can be taken as much as possible after meals to reduce the stimulation on the gastric mucosa. People who have been taking drugs that irritate the gastric mucosa for a long time should undergo regular gastroscopy examinations to understand the condition of the gastric mucosa and detect and treat potential diseases in a timely manner. Eating too quickly can cause food to enter the stomach without sufficient chewing, increasing the burden on the stomach and affecting its digestive function. At the same time, eating too quickly can also cause discomfort symptoms such as bloating and belching due to swallowing a large amount of air. The following are daily maintenance strategies: Chew slowly and chew each bite of food thoroughly, at least 20 times or more, to ensure that the food is fully mixed with saliva to reduce the burden on the stomach. Concentrate on eating and do not get distracted by other things such as looking at your phone or work to avoid eating too quickly or excessively. You can find a quiet and comfortable environment to focus on enjoying delicious food. Adjust your mindset to maintain a peaceful state of mind and avoid rushing to eat due to time constraints. You can plan ahead and leave enough time to enjoy food and rest. (New Society)