At some point of time or the other we have all experienced muscle cramps. They can occur anywhere in the body and can cause undue pain and discomfort. Stomach is one such area where you can experience frequent cramps. They can be mistaken for bellyache, indigestion, upset stomach and side stitch. Cramps usually occur when the affected muscles do not get adequate amount of oxygen. Stress, overindulgence and heavy exercise after a big meal can have an impact on the stomach and cause cramps. They can be relieved by using over-the-counter medications but the best long term strategy is to avoid such situations that will affect the stomach.

The following simple tips will help you in preventing and treating stomach cramps:

?Choose over-the-counter drugs: Many drugs available over the counter are excellent treatment for the cramps caused by overindulgence. Antacids and sodium bicarbonate are excellent treatment for cramps caused by heartburn.

?Eat your food properly: Experts recommend that you eat slowly, chew the food well and do not guzzle the drinks with the food. When you chew the food well, it gets mixed with the saliva and thus becomes easy to digest. To change the speed of eating, you can sit down at the table and add candlelight and soft music.

?Do not gorge the food: Stomachs are very sensitive to overeating. A distended stomach can cause sharp pain and thus can be very uncomfortable to some people. If you suffer from stomach cramps frequently, try eating smaller meals and more frequent meals throughout the day.

?Avoid eating when upset: Anxiety and eating do not go well together. If you eat under tension, the blood supply to your stomach is reduced and the food becomes hard to digest. You can follow the method of deep relaxation to ease the tension.

?Choose noncaffeinated drinks: Coffee and colas worsen the condition of the tense stomach. Instead, choose water, fruit juices or herbal teas for drinking.

?Minimize the intake of cold fluids: When you gulp down any icy cold drink very rapidly, your stomach goes into temporary but painful spasms.

?Increase your intake of fiber: Research has shown that eating two high-fiber cookies each day will reduce the instances of stomach pain by half. Fiber helps food in moving the food very quickly through the digestive system and hence may reduce the stomach and the intestinal cramps.

?Let your stomach relax: Take a break of half-hour or more after a big meal before doing any heavy duty activities. Exercise diverts the blood from the digestive system to the arms and legs thereby increasing the chances o intestinal cramps.

?Go for a light walk: If you have had a sumptuous meal and are feeling full, take a light walk. Light exercise especially walking has been shown to increase the rate at which the digested foods move through the bowels. This allows the stomach to empty faster, thus reducing stomach cramps.