Most of us have experienced some sort of stomach issue at one time in our lives.
Stomach cramps, pain and feeling nauseous are fairly common. While they might not give much reason for concern when occurring occasionally, if they become regular problems it could be a sign of something serious.
One expert took to social media platform TikTok to warn of three “common” things that could be damaging our stomachs.
Gastroenterologist Doctor Joseph Salhab, better known online as The Stomach Doc, said: “I’ve seen the inside of thousands of stomachs as a gastroenterologist.
“Here are three common things that can hurt your stomach.”
According to Dr Salhab these include:
Smoking and vaping
This habit probably comes as no surprise due to the health implications smoking and vaping are known to have on other areas of the body.
“First is vaping and cigarette smoking,” Dr Salhab said. “These toxic chemicals not only make it to your lungs, but they actually get swallowed into the oesophagus and stomach.
“They cause a chemical injury in the stomach and can cause things like severe gastritis and bleeding ulcers.
“The nicotine content restricts blood flow to the stomach. That means it does not heal as well.
“And smoking raises your risk of oesophageal and stomach cancer.”
If you need support quitting smoking or vaping you should see the NHS website for advice or ask your doctor.
Painkillers
The second thing is taking pain medications like ibuprofen and naproxen over a long period of time, according to Dr Salhab.
He continued: “This is probably one of the most common reasons I see bleeding stomach ulcers in the hospital.
“These medications were not meant to be taken over a long period of time.
“They’re meant for short-term pain relief. You’re supposed to take the lowest effective dose over the shortest duration you can.
“If you have to take it for a little bit longer than that, make sure it’s under the guidance of the doctor.”
Alcohol
Dr Salhab added: “Last is excessive daily alcohol use.
“Just like smoking, alcohol can be toxic to the stomach lining and can produce something called alcohol gastritis and can cause ulcers as well.”
According to the NHS, the most common symptom of a stomach ulcer is a burning or gnawing pain in the centre of the tummy.
“But stomach ulcers aren’t always painful and some people may experience other symptoms, such as indigestion, heartburn and acid reflux and feeling sick,” it adds.
