Abdominal distension

　　Abdominal distension is caused by factors such as improper diet, exposure to cold, emotional stimulation, etc., which block the Qi movement in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to sudden, severe, and intermittent abdominal or epigastric pain, as well as cold extremities in the patient.

　　Abdominal distension due to Qi can also be accompanied by intestinal obstruction, manifested as epigastric and abdominal hardness, hyperactive bowel sounds, and intermittent severe pain, which should attract great attention from both clinical doctors and patients. Immediate medical treatment should be sought once the condition occurs.

　　The clinical manifestations of abdominal pain have the following characteristics:

　　1. Sudden abdominal or epigastric colicky pain, severe and difficult to bear, cold extremities, or nausea and vomiting, bowel sounds and the desire to defecate, but vomiting and diarrhea are not obvious, pale complexion, cold sweat, which can be naturally relieved, and the pain can recur after a while.

　　2. The abdomen generally likes to be pressed, has no mass, or only feels bloated and firm in the chest and abdomen, without fixed tenderness, and with hyperactive bowel sounds.

　　Abdominal pain is often caused by chronic gastric disease and is also frequently caused by overeating, overeating acidic foods, overeating cold drinks, excessive cooling of the abdomen, and emotional discomfort, or after being angry. When abdominal pain occurs, one should drink warm ginger sugar tea, apply heat to the stomach, and take antispasmodics orally or go to the hospital for intramuscular injection when necessary. One should avoid the above triggering factors in daily life.

　　When diagnosing abdominal pain, in addition to relying on its clinical manifestations, chemical tests are also needed. Patients undergo X-ray and gastrointestinal endoscopy, and no organic lesions are found. Blood, stool, and urine routine tests generally show no special findings.

　　Patients with abdominal pain should have a light diet, eat more vegetables and fruits, and rationally match their diet. In addition, patients should pay attention to avoid eating spicy, greasy, smoked, and cold foods.

　　Treatment can be determined according to the scoring results of intestinal spasm, with mild cases using levels one and two.

　　First-level treatment

　　Apply a hot water bottle to the abdomen. You can take traditional Chinese medicine or dimethyl silicone oil. Some traditional Chinese medicine has antispasmodic effects. Such as chamomile, vervain, licorice, fennel, hyssop, and mint.

　　Second-level treatment

　　Medication. Antispasmodics such as cimetropium bromide can block the muscarinic receptors of smooth muscle and can also directly act on smooth muscle to relieve smooth muscle spasm. For those who are ineffective, dicyclomine hydrochloride can be used. Dicyclomine hydrochloride, as an anticholinergic drug, has antispasmodic effects similar to atropine and has certain central calming effects.

　　Third-level treatment

　　Change your diet. Since medication (such as dicyclomine hydrochloride) has certain side effects and sometimes ineffective treatment, dietary changes may be more suitable than medication.