What Could be Causing Slow Digestion?

What Causes Slow Digestion?

In order to deal properly with slow digestion we need to understand and — if possible — remove the underlying causes and risk factors. We need to ask: "What else is going on inside the body that might allow slow digestion to develop?"

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Accurate diagnosis of the factors behind slow digestion consists of three steps:

Step 1: List the Possible Causative Factors

Identify all disease conditions, lifestyle choices and environmental risk factors that can lead to slow digestion. For example, stomach acid deficiency.

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

Identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

severe flatulence

white spots on fingernails

offensive-smelling stool

meal-related bloating

adult acne

frequent meal-related burping

frequent postprandial somnolence

history of eczema

... and so on

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of slow digestion.

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate occasional problems caused by eating, regular problems caused by eating or frequent problems caused by eating, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:

Do you feel as though food remains in your stomach too long? The stomach usually retains food for 3-4 hours before releasing it to the small intestine.

Possible responses:

→ Don't know
→ No / rarely
→ Possibly / a few times a year
→ Frequently
→ Frequently, confirmed by testing

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate absence of delayed gastric emptying, possible delayed gastric emptying, delayed gastric emptying or confirmed delayed gastric emptying, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as Hydrochloric Acid Deficiency.

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™