friend's mother (early 70's), after eating/drinking sometimes has a lot of wind (both ends). she eats generally a healthy diet, has recently cut down on milk, ie instead of drinking regular tea has changed that to herbal/fruit teas (perhaps she is developing an intollerance to dairy products). As far as she is aware she isn't eating/drinking anything different to what she has done apart from recently decreasing dairy products (esp milk)
problem not sure if related or something seperate. Been saying about pain near the umbical cord area (when she had a child not recently (it was delivered by ceseran). also mentioned she feels like a leakage in that area (sorry if I am being vague, I am getting the information from to her daughter (my friend) who is concerned. Her mother doesn't like going to the drs as anything she has been its a case of having to see someone new that knows nothing about what medication, etc you are on, etc etc (for example last time she went about something completely different the dr wanted to prescribe something she was allergic to hence why she isn't keen on going to drs)
any ideas what it could be (I have said to my friend if her mother is in a lot of pain she should get it checked out), and from an holistic perspective anything you can recommend as in treatments.
thanks
It can sometimes matter how you eat as well as what you eat. She could try eating slowly and only when she is relaxed. Eating when you feel anxious or rushed can often lead to indigestion and wind. Fennel tea is brilliant for wind and is something she could try. It might also be helpful for her to try taking a probiotic supplement to make sure her intestinal flora are healthy (excess wind can be due to over-fermentation by "bad" bacteria).
If none of that helps then it would probably be worth her seeing a herbalist or naturopath as both work very well for digestive problems.
It is not possible to diagnose 3rd hand and on a forum! From the symptoms, I would suspect lack of digestive enzymes - very common as one gets older. It causes all sorts of digestive problems.
I would suggest however, that she goes to see a [url]registered nutritional therapist [/url]who will assess all her symptoms, diet and lifestyle along with her medical history and suggest possible tests, suitable changes and any supplements. Getting the right advice will make all the difference. This is the most common thing that nutritionists deal with.
The pain in the abdomen might go with the use of enzymes but I would suggest if she has not had it looked at by the doctor to get it investigated. It may not be significant (eg adhesions following caesarian) or might be a problem that needs dealing with.
There are all sorts of things that can be done to support the digestive system and it's best to get proper advice. Hope she feels better soon.
First thought is a gall-bladder matter, but there is also hiatus hernia, ulcers, kidney stones etc etc, all of which can cause similar symptoms. Additionally, there are less serious 'tuning' issues, so the range is quite large.
As CarolineN has pointed out, the important thing is to get assessed in person by a competent practitioner of good reputation. That need not necessarily be a doctor or related profession, but a preliminary visit to the GP in this case would not be the worst thing to do.
Whether or not a visit the the Doctor is on the cards, a nutritional makeover is always a good idea.