Having indigestion is a pain, literally. It's uncomfortable to say the very least and in some cases this discomfort can be severe. There are, however, some things you can do to avoid having an attack of indigestion. There are three things in particular that you will need to pay attention to in order that you can remain indigestion free.
Reduce Your Stress Your stomach knows when your body is stressed. It's one of the first warning signs that you may be experiencing stress. You are all no doubt be familiar with the sensation of having "butterflies in your stomach" when you are nervous or anxious over something? Your stomach is like a barometer for your stress levels - the more stressed you are the higher the acid content in your stomach can be.
To remain indigestion free you need to control your stress levels. Stress-reduction is not a new science and there are plenty of techniques available to help you actively control your stress. Meditation, deep-breathing exercises, walking, jogging and even stretching can help. Aromatherapy and Reiki are also especially good for dealing with stress of most kinds. For some people simply becoming immersed in a new hobby is more than enough to keep them stress free.
Your Sleep Patterns
If you are not sleeping properly then you might be leaving yourself open to becoming ill with a variety of ailments - indigestion being no different in this regard. Whilst experts may argue over different results of sleep analysis they are in agreement that a human being needs at least 7 hours of sleep per day. There are some who can function on less than that but the majority of people will suffer from a drop in mental alertness and performance even after just one day of sleep deprivation.
If you have difficulty sleeping at night then you will need to take action to correct this. Some people count sheep, others drink warm milk whilst yet others will read before going to bed. Exercise is always a good way of promoting natural sleep - just make sure you do this several hours before you go to bed and not just beforehand. When I have trouble sleeping I use a deep-breathing technique that involves me focusing on slowing my breathing rate down and taking long, deep breaths and exhaling slowly. This works 99% of of the time.
Nicotine and Alcohol
Smoking tobacco is not good for you. The myth that smoking causes no real harm to the body has been long done away with. Tobacco smoke itself contains over 4,000 harmful compounds and many of these can have a devastating effect on your health. Smokers are more prone to contract hundreds of different diseases than non-smokers - that is just the plain facts. Nicotine itself can and does have a direct effect on the health of your stomach and many smokers suffer from serious indigestion and the smoke they inhale is the cause of this. If you are serious about being healthy then you have to quit smoking - it's that simple.
Alcohol is another culprit. Most people do not realize that when you are drunk you have basically poisoned yourself to a limited extent which is why you feel so bad the following day. Most alcohol has a very high acidic content and this can quite easily cause indigestion and heartburn in those who drink. Drinkers will be familiar with the burning sensation in their stomach during a hangover - especially when they have had several glasses of wine. Always drink in moderation.
