Do you frequently have indigestion, diarrhea, or constipation? If so, it might be due to changes in your gut motility. Gastrointestinal motility, or the movement of food, liquids, and waste through the gut after the gut absorbs nutrients from them, is mostly dependent on gut motility. Numerous medical disorders and lifestyle choices can impact intestinal motility. This article explains how lifestyle choices impact gastrointestinal motility. You can contact us by visiting our clinic or visiting our website at https://doralhw.org/.

 

Habits that affect gut motility

These everyday habits can affect your gut motility and increase the risk of motility disorders:

  1. Not having a regular exercise routine or not having any exercise at all:

Regular exercise is the best way to keep your gut healthy because it optimizes the good bacteria in your gut and may even improve your exercise regimen. Shorter workouts with higher-intensity strength training, like HIIT workouts or sprints, can help you keep your GI muscles and nerves working in coordination.

However, overly intense, or extended exercise can also cause diarrhea or other GI issues like leaky gut. In contrast, if you work out too little or are sedentary even for a few days it can cause constipation. So, the key to keeping your gut healthy is to stick with a regular consistent schedule of exercises you enjoy.

 

  1. Daily medications:

Prescription and over-the-counter medications may be the cause of an irregular bowel movement schedule. Here are some of the medications that result in constipation as a side effect, including:

  • NSAIDs like ibuprofen or naproxen are used for pain and inflammation.
  • Antihistamines for allergies
  • Tricyclic antidepressants for depression.
  • Opioids for pain
  • Calcium channel blockers for blood pressure
  • Selective serotonin 5-HT3 antagonists for nausea
  • Ferrous sulfate iron supplements for anemia.

Here are some specific medications that cause diarrhea:

  • Laxatives for constipation
  • Antibiotics for bacterial infections.
  • Metformin for blood sugar control
  • Chemotherapy for cancer.

You should take prescribed medication by the doctor however, to optimize your gut health, you can eat the right foods, and fluids to minimize the irregular side effects.

 

  1. Your sugar intake:

Consuming a diet with high sugar or carbohydrates can cause issues in your gut because sugar causes an osmotic effect in the gut and pulls water from it which leads to diarrhea and dehydration. It can also damage nerves which leads to constipation and diarrhea. People with diabetes should pay extra attention to their sugar intake to support good bowel habits.

Some people who can’t digest fructose (sugar in fruits) can experience bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine. This overgrowth can lead to many issues like gut pH changes and gut muscle motility, which result in diarrhea. So, not only the amount of sugar but also the type of sugar also affects gut motility.

 

  1. Your sleep cycle:

Your daily sleep-wake schedule, exercise routine, and meal timing can regulate your motility patterns. So, to maintain good motility patterns you need to ensure that you’re properly hydrated, eat healthy, move your body, and try to get at least 8 hours of high-quality sleep in 24 hours.

 

  1. Your nightcap drink:

If you drink alcohol, you should be careful how much you drink and the type of alcohol you’re consuming. Excessive alcohol intake can change gut microbial composition and alcohol content can either positively or negatively affect motility. For instance, excessive alcohol consumption leads to GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Most beverages with alcohol at 15% concentration or more can restrict motility, however, some alcohol with lower percentages like other wines and beer can boost GI motility. Acute or chronic consumption also plays a significant role because small or infrequent amounts may not affect much, but big or frequent alcohol amounts can boost GI motility.

 

  1. Stress level:

Stressors of all kinds not only affect gut motility but also the GI tract and its bacterial composition. Gastrointestinal systems use a high amount of energy to maintain cellular integrity. In high-stress times, you burn extra energy and use specific nutrients like amino acids, vitamins, and minerals which affect how the body heals itself.

This way stress directly changes the type & amount of bacteria you have in your gut microbiome which responds through the gut-brain axis. During overstressed situations, your gut bacteria affect you negatively and worsen irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms, inflammatory bowel disease, and ulcers, increasing diarrhea risk.

Luckily, various techniques to fight stress can affect your gut bacteria, positively decrease these undesirable symptoms, and reduce the severity of IBS conditions. Meditation, for instance, can support good gut microbiome change. When combined with the right diet and supplementation for your current microbiome environment, you can notice whole-body effects.

 

If you need help with gut problems, visit our gastroenterology clinic in Brooklyn to get professional medical help. Call us to book your appointment today!!!

You can schedule an appointment with Doral Health and Wellness Gastroenterology Center’s best gastro doctors in Brooklyn. If you are looking for treatments, you can also talk to our specialists and inquire with them. To schedule an appointment, please visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11212 or call 1-347-384-5690.