Wondering how to get rid of stomach cramps? Read on...
Aparna Jadhav
Stomach cramps are common to everyone, as it is a biological condition that occurs when the stomach muscles contract due to certain reasons. Overeating is one of the most prominent reasons for stomach cramps but there are many others which might differ with respect to every individual.
Out of the many causes, indigestion, intolerance to certain foods, food poisoning, abdominal muscle pains, menstruation and very rarely internal infections and bleeding are the main ones.
If you want to get rid of the problem, it is very important to locate the cause of these cramps before you take any medication. The reason being, you have to know which illness are you suffering from, for the medication to be taken in order to reduce it. It is also easier to treat it when you know what caused them.
You can't treat all types of stomach cramps in the same manner. The home remedies completely depend on its cause. There are a few things to avoid when you have any kind of stomach ache. Milk and milk products like milk shakes, cheese, yogurts, milk chocolate lead to intolerance in many people. Thus these foods must be avoided irrespective of the causes.
Indigestion of Food
This is the most common cause for a number of people suffering from stomach cramps. You can experience severe ache either due to overeating, intolerance or allergy towards particular foods or otherwise due to food poisoning.
To get rid of stomach cramps caused by overeating, make sure you eat less and not get carried away with excessive amounts of food.
If you control your eating habits, you will surely not suffer from cramps. Similarly, in case of indigestion and poisoning, make sure you stay away from spicy and heavy foods till you feel better.
To relieve the cramps after eating, you can dissolve one teaspoon sodium bicarbonate in warm water and take small sips gradually.
Carbonated water also helps in relaxing the stomach muscles which are contracted and help you reduce the cramps.
Antacids help in neutralizing the concentration of gastric acids and relieving the pains.
Menstrual Cramps
You can apply heat through heating pads, warm water towels, sauna, and sometimes a hot bath to the stomach area. This does help in reducing the pains to quite an extent.
There are many OTC pain relievers which are very effective in reducing menstruation cramps. They contain aspirin or ibuprofen and work in less than 15 minutes to reduce the pains.
Drinking hot water and herbal tea is also one of the very effective treatments to get rid of these cramps. You can also put an ice pack on your stomach to relax the muscles.
To get rid of cramps while running, run slowly and not vigorously.
During exercising gradually stretch your pelvic muscles and do not jerk them as this might lead to further cramps in the stomach. This can also relieve menstrual cramps on a major level.
If the cramps are very severe, do consult a doctor, as the mentioned tips are simple home remedies to minimize the pain.