We’ve all been there. That really painful and uncomfortable sensation in the stomach that leaves you hunched over, nauseated, and without having any appetite. Whether it’s because we ate something bad or because there is another digestive health issue at play. Either way, you need relief and fast.
Before you rush off to the pharmacy for medication, I’d like you to consider these home remedies for stomach ache that can not only take the edge off quickly but help address the reason why you have the stomach ache in the first place.
- Take a “shot” of apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar packs a big and beneficial punch when it comes to our digestion. It helps to balance the acidity of the stomach, which we need a certain level in order to even break down food fully.
Oftentimes we actually lack enough acid in our stomach, despite popular belief that we have too much. This can make digestion quite difficult. Stomach aches are one of the telltale signs of too little acid in the stomach.
Add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to a cup of water and drink it as soon as you can to help boost acid production and begin relieving your stomach ache.
- Drink extra water
Oftentimes stomach pain is due to constipation and cramping of the intestines. A big contributor to that is dehydration.
Water not only helps hydrate the colon and speed up elimination, but it’s also a key nutrient for the mucosal lining, which supports the small intestine bacteria for proper digestion and absorption of nutrients.
Lack of water can cause constipation and acid reflux, among other things, so be sure to take in about 70oz of water per day to stay fully hydrated.
To remind yourself to drink enough water, try any of the free water drinking apps. They make drinking more interesting and keep you healthy.
- Chew on a fresh piece of ginger
Like apple cider vinegar, ginger is another fantastic natural stimulation to digestion.
If you have a piece of fresh ginger in your house, or you can quickly go out to the grocery store to get some, break off about 1cm of it and chew on it for a few minutes. This stimulates digestion and keeps things moving along and relieve your stomach pain.
- Make Lemon tea
Lemon is another go-to for digestive health remedies. Lemon also helps to entice proper digestive secretions to ensure your food is properly broken down and moving along in your system.
If your stomach isn’t feeling so great after a meal, make a hot lemon tea, or simply add 1 tbsp. of lemon juice to a cup of water and sip on it to help relieve the stomach pain.
- Rest
Trying to push through the pain of a stomach ache often only makes it worse. Especially if bloating is accompanying your stomach ache, you’re feeling quite uncomfortable.
It would benefit your body to sit down and relax for a little while. This gives your body time to focus its energy inwards and resolve the issue that caused the stomach pain.
While resting, try to incorporate a few of the tips covered so far, such as deep breathing, doing an abdominal massage, or drinking a soothing tea. Even just a few minutes of this can be quite beneficial.