Diet Care

During my younger years while growing up, I often had an upset stomach. Through trial and error, suggestions by parents and friends, doctor’s suggestions and access to books on herbs, here’s the solutions that often did the trick. Beware using over the counter drugs on a regular basis as the long term use of some can cause problem reactions and dependence. In general, stick with the natural substances like tea, baking soda, or fruit when they work, then move to something over the counter if they don’t work.

When I Feel Queasy and Have Diarrhea after Too Much Sun or Heat

When I was in swim team, swimming a mile twice a day and then playing at mid-summer swim sessions, I suddenly found both of my legs cramping and my stomach roiling. Often, I’d have to run to the restroom because of diarrhea problems. Everyone said eat bananas or drink tomato juice but that didn’t suit my stomach at all. My dad suggested the use of salt tablets which really are a misnomer since they are made of potassium chloride rather than sodium chloride. Potassium chloride is needed to retain the water in your body, otherwise, even with eating lots of salt, the water goes in through and out. Since then, sports drink were developed to provide the potassium chloride that most people need along with a good dose of sugar. You can still buy potassium chloride tablets over the counter, but you have to drink them with warm water and they taste pretty yucky. They do solve a lot of diarrhea, leg cramping, and stomach upset problems. Be sure to check with your doctor before using if you have high blood pressure. A good test for whether you need to use a sports drink or salt tablet is to lick your skin after you’ve been sweating. If you don’t taste salt, it’s a likely sign that you’ve sweated out most of your salt content.

When Your Baby Has Diarrhea

I learned about sports drinks when my nephew was ill with the flu and had diarrhea. My sister had been feeding him fruit juice because it was the only thing he’d drink. When I called my medical insurance’s twenty-four hour emergency nurse, the advice was to feed him Gatorade as he might be dehydrated. He still had to go to the doctor the next day, but it did help prevent having to get an IV. If your baby isn’t eating, try a sports drink, but also get the advice of a medical practitioner.

When I Wake Up with Acid in My Throat—Diluting the Acid

Many people are on doctor prescribed acid absorbing medication to reduce this problem. Both my husband and I have found that we only have this problem if we eat sugar within two or three hours of bed time. I also get a lot of acid from eating too much fat. When younger the doctor prescribed antiacid tablets to be eaten at regular intervals during the day, but I found they caused constipation and then later diarrhea. Diet has helped best, but often eating soda crackers and tea will dilute your stomach acid. I got that particular remedy from first aid for tips on how to handle ingestion of poisonous substances when the advice is to dilute whatever was ingested. I rarely have this problem anymore since I eat my main meal for the day at lunch time and then a light snack early in the evening.

When I Wake Up with Gas in My Stomach

I used to wake up bloated and hear my stomach gurgling and churning with the need to relieve the pressure burp or fart but unable to do so. My first step would be to try black tea since the warmth and the acid of the tea and the fluid helped push the gas through my system. Later I learned teas made from peppermint at least make your stomach taste better, especially if you later lose everything. I also found that if peppermint tea didn’t work, licorice or anise tea. A last resort would be to drink water with a teaspoon of baking soda in it, which helps dilute the acid by adding a basic substance.

When I Wake Up Knowing I’m Going to Puke

Pepto-bismol, although it tastes awful, tastes better than the contents of your stomach if you’re sick to your stomach. If you lose everything after taking pepto-bismol, you’re less likely to have a burning throat and mouth and a mintier flavor to your mouth.

When I Wake with Stomach or Colon Cramps and Queasiness

This feels like someone is squeezing hard on your insides. If your stomach is full, you may feel like you will puke and get hot and sweaty. Pain may range from mild to severe. Often I find that a stool softener, I prefer a product made from calcium docusate, will help collect additional water to the intestines and ease the cramping. A heating pad can also ease off the intensity of the muscle cramps. Eating a high fiber diet can help or hurt. To get extra fiber, I liked to add a tablespoon of ground flax seed to my bread while mixing.

When I Feel Shaky and Sick to My Stomach

Often when younger, I would wake up shaky and feeling ill. Often this is because you need to eat. Taking a drink of orange juice may quickly resolve this situation.

Most of these are easy cures that may have you feeling better almost immediately. If your symptoms persist, or if you have a high fever, or if pain continues, consult a doctor or a twenty-four hour emergency nurse hotline.