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The localization of pain after eating in the stomach is the most common, since it is into this hollow muscular organ of the human digestive system that everything we eat gets into. But you are deeply mistaken if you think that after eating pain cannot arise somewhere else… For example, after eating you may have a headache – with high blood pressure or high blood sugar levels…
But we are studying pain after eating in the stomach, which has the most important function – the hydrolysis of consumed food by various digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid, which are part of the gastric juice. Moreover, the work of the stomach does not end there: chemically processed food must be turned into liquid or semi-liquid contents (chyme) and moved further into the duodenum.
Causes of stomach pain after eating
Among the causes of pain in the stomach are stress, poor-quality food and intolerance to certain food ingredients, heartburn, overeating, taking medications, gastritis and other gastrointestinal pathologies of various etiologies. Depending on the causes, pain in the stomach after eating begins at different times and has different duration and intensity.
Pain in the stomach after eating can be caused by rotavirus, and then stomach flu or otherwise rotavirus gastroenteritis is diagnosed. With this disease, symptoms in the form of diarrhea, pain in the stomach and abdomen, nausea and vomiting appear 4-5 hours after the virus enters the body.
Inflammation of the stomach and small intestine – acute gastroenteritis – is often accompanied by pain after eating. This disease can develop after consuming low-quality foods, due to lack of regular nutrition or long-term dry food.
Lactose intolerance, that is, the sugar contained in milk and dairy products, leads to quite intense pain in the stomach after consuming them, and also causes bloating and flatulence.
Gluten enteropathy or celiac disease, that is, autoimmune disorders when wheat, rye and barley protein (gluten) enters the stomach, provokes not only pain in the stomach after eating and inflammation of the mucous membrane of the small intestine. With this disease (which is not always recognized by doctors), a person experiences weight loss, anemia, chronic fatigue and irritability, possible damage to the mucous membranes in the mouth, as well as joint pain.
Overeating leads to pain in the stomach after eating for a very simple reason: the stomach is full, its normal functioning is disrupted, and the body gives a signal about the excess amount eaten. After all, how else can you force a person to stop digging his own grave with a spoon and fork… Especially if the appetite runs wild before bed, and a person with a full stomach forces him to work “overtime.”
Pain after eating in the stomach, in its upper part, may be a consequence of gastroesophageal reflux disease, that is, heartburn caused by it. This pathology is due to the fact that part of the stomach contents returns to the esophagus, which should not normally happen. And this happens due to a violation of the motor activity of the digestive tract, in which the lower esophageal sphincter (a muscle ring with valve functions) weakens and stops working normally. A complication of this disease is often acute or chronic inflammation of the esophagus (esophagitis).
The cause of pain in the stomach after eating may be irritable stomach syndrome. Experts say that every eight out of ten people encounter it from time to time. The main signs of irritable stomach syndrome include: stomach pain and nausea immediately after eating, belching for an hour after eating, stomach cramps, heartburn (after eating any food). The development of this syndrome is facilitated by difficult-to-digest foods – everything fatty, peppery and salty.
After eating, pain in the stomach can be a symptom of inflammation of the mucous membrane of the lower (pyloric) part of the stomach and duodenum – gastroduodenitis.
Pain in the stomach after eating is a companion to gastritis and gastric ulcers. In the first case, the stomach begins to hurt a few minutes after eating (especially if the food was sour, spicy or rough in consistency). In the second case, a person feels pain in the stomach 30-60 minutes after eating (or on an empty stomach). By the way, until quite recently, doctors considered hydrochloric acid of the gastric juice (which corroded the walls of the stomach) to be to blame for these diseases. However, in the mid-1990s, it became clear that the cause of these pathological conditions is the microbe Helicobacter pylori, which lives inside the stomach of most people (but does not manifest itself in everyone). This microorganism is protected from the effects of hydrochloric acid by special enzymes that damage the mucous membrane and make it accessible to the introduction of the microbe. As a result, inflammatory foci appear on the mucous membrane, and then ulcers.
Another reason for pain in the stomach after eating can be the presence of stones in the gall bladder. This is cholelithiasis or calculous cholecystitis. Stones cause swelling of the mucous membranes and can block the bile duct, which leads to pain in the upper abdomen on the right, especially after fatty foods. Violation of the outflow of bile from the gallbladder leads to its inflammation – cholecystitis. In the acute form of this disease, patients complain of nausea and acute pain in the abdomen on the right, which radiates to all nearby organs, to the right shoulder and scapula.
Severe pain in the stomach after eating occurs with pancreatitis, that is, an inflammatory process in the pancreas. The pain torments a person for several days, during which eating becomes almost impossible.
Even though the thyroid gland is located in the neck, problems associated with it can affect everything below, including the stomach. If the thyroid gland produces too much hormone (hyperthyroidism), it speeds up the gastrointestinal tract; if the secretory function of this gland is reduced (hypothyroidism), then the digestive tract works in a slower mode. Both can cause pain in the stomach after eating, as well as stomach cramps, diarrhea, constipation and flatulence.
There are almost no medications without side effects, and quite often their side effects include stomach pain – after eating and after taking the drug after food. This is the problem with many medications used to prevent osteoporosis, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, hormonal agents, etc.
Finally, aching pain in the stomach after eating can be caused by stress, to which the digestive system reacts along with the hormonal, nervous and vascular systems of our body. It’s not for nothing that the stomach is called a “stress indicator.” When a person finds himself in a stressful situation or is in a state of prolonged psycho-emotional instability, a “failure” occurs in the functioning of his stomach: the innervation of the gastric mucosa is disrupted, which leads to spasm of the pylorus of the stomach (pylorospasm) and severe pain. In addition, the level of hydrochloric acid produced by the stomach – regardless of the amount of food consumed – increases significantly.
Symptoms of stomach pain after eating
In clinical practice, by the nature of the pain in the stomach after eating, as well as by the time of its onset, doctors can presumably determine what disease this pain is a symptom of.
Thus, nagging, pressing or acute pain in the stomach after eating – an hour or two after breakfast, lunch or dinner, and even accompanied by sour belching or heartburn – gives every reason to suspect a gastric ulcer. With a perforated ulcer, the pain in the stomach area is unbearable and can cause painful shock.
And if the stomach begins to ache (more precisely, ache) immediately after eating, then this is most likely gastritis. Aching pain in the stomach after eating is also characteristic of the chronic form of gastritis.
When a dull pain in the stomach after eating begins a couple of hours after eating and is localized just to the right of the middle of the abdominal wall, and then turns into cramping and stabbing pain, then we are talking about a duodenal ulcer.
A rare disease called solaritis manifests itself as burning, pulsating pain in the stomach after eating. Patients suspect that they have gastritis or a stomach ulcer, but a thorough examination by gastroenterologists does not reveal any dysfunctions inherent in the same peptic ulcer. In this case, pain under the ribs and in the navel area can radiate to the thoracic spine and lower abdominal cavity, and an attack of pain can last for several hours. Solaritis is a pathological process in the solar plexus that occurs for many reasons, including inflammation of the peritoneum and inflammation of the tissues surrounding the internal organs of the abdominal cavity (perivisceritis); with recurrent stomach ulcers; for injuries; during repeated surgical interventions; for tuberculosis.
Symptoms of pain in the stomach after eating are also present in the case of malignant tumors of the digestive system, but initially patients with this diagnosis are plagued by a feeling of discomfort in the stomach, heartburn, weakness, causeless weight loss and loss of appetite.
Diagnosis of pain in the stomach after eating
To determine the cause of pain in the stomach after eating, you need to contact a specialist – a gastroenterologist. Diagnosis of pain in the stomach after eating begins with examining the patient (with palpation of the abdominal cavity), collecting anamnesis and finding out a detailed list of complaints.
A general blood test and a blood test for biochemical composition are prescribed. A check is carried out for the presence of infectious agents – microbes and viruses, as well as for dysbiosis. In case of chronic gastrointestinal pathologies, patients undergo a stool test.
The examination of organs located in the abdominal cavity is carried out using ultrasound; Pathology of the digestive tract can be detected by X-ray examination.
Fibrogastroduodenoendoscopy (FGDS) is used as a key diagnostic method for gastritis: the gastric mucosa is examined using a probe, which allows you to take a sample for histological examination and make the correct diagnosis. Endoscopy with sampling of the mucous membrane is also used in the diagnosis of gastroduodenitis.
Treatment of stomach pain after eating
Treatment of stomach pain associated with heartburn is aimed at neutralizing stomach acid (antacid medications), as well as reducing the secretion of hydrochloric acid. Doctors do not recommend drinking soda for heartburn: frequent use can cause ulcerations on the stomach mucosa, as well as belching and bloating. And the list of antacid drugs recommended by doctors includes Gastal, Almagel and Almagel-A.
Gastal in the form of tablets has an adsorbent, enveloping and local anesthetic effect. It neutralizes free hydrochloric acid in the stomach and reduces the activity of gastric juice. It is taken 1-2 tablets two hours after meals and at night; for stomach ulcers – 30 minutes before meals; the maximum single dose is 3-4 tablets; for maintenance therapy – one tablet three times a day for two months. During pregnancy, taking this drug is contraindicated.
Almagel oral suspension also neutralizes free hydrochloric acid in the stomach; has an enveloping, adsorbing effect and protects the gastric mucosa. Adults and children over 15 years of age take 5-10 ml (1-2 scoops) 3-4 times a day – 45-60 minutes after meals and in the evening before bed. The dose for children 10-15 years old is half the dose for adults. The drug is contraindicated for use by pregnant women and children under 10 years of age. The side effect of this drug is constipation, which goes away after reducing the dose.
The drug Almagel-A contains an additional component – the local anesthetic benzocaine. This drug is recommended for gastric and duodenal ulcers in the acute phase, acute and chronic gastritis with increased and normal gastric acidity, gastroesophageal reflux disease, enteritis and duodenitis. Almagel A is taken in the same way as Almagel. The course of treatment is 7 days, after which they switch to treatment with Almagel (for two to three weeks).
For chronic gastritis and pancreatitis, the enzyme preparation Mezim forte (dragees) is used. The active ingredient of this drug is pancreatin (from the pancreas of pigs). Mezim is recommended for insufficient secretory and digestive capacity of the stomach and intestines. The dosage is determined depending on the severity of the disease, the usual dose for adults is 1-2 tablets before meals, washed down with plenty of water.
In the treatment of chronic gastritis, steroid hormones are also used, which stimulate the adrenal cortex and help normalize the secretory functions of the gastric mucosa.
To treat pain in the stomach after eating with gastroenteritis, doctors recommend taking the same enzyme-based drugs, astringents and adsorbents. And for home remedies, herbalists advise drinking mint infusion, for the preparation of which a tablespoon of dry herb is brewed with a glass of boiling water, left for half an hour and taken a third of a glass once a day.
And with irritable stomach syndrome, an infusion of chamomile helps: a tablespoon of dried flowers in a glass of boiling water (drink a few sips three times a day after meals).
A proven folk remedy for normalizing the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and treating pain in the stomach after eating is an infusion of caraway fruits, which relieves spasms. Brew one teaspoon of cumin with a glass of boiling water and let it brew for 20-30 minutes. Add another 100 ml of boiled water and drink half a glass twice a day.
Preventing stomach pain after eating
The famous doctor Sun Simiao, who lived in medieval China, wrote in his work “A Thousand Golden Recipes” that rational nutrition is the basis of human health.
Prevention of pain in the stomach after eating and all diseases of the digestive system comes down to a few simple rules:
- eat only healthy foods. Do not eat fatty, smoked, spicy and salty foods, as well as semi-finished and canned foods;
- follow a diet in which the last meal should occur at least three hours before bedtime;
- do not overeat, eat little by little (in fractional portions), but at least five times a day;
- drink at least 1,5 liters of fluid per day;
- After eating, do not lie down on the sofa, but move for at least 10-15 minutes.
Following these rules for preventing pain in the stomach after eating is a real way to reduce the risk of pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract and many other serious diseases.