Hungry pains in the stomach

The pain syndrome in the stomach( gastralgia) has many characteristics. One of them connects the beginning with the time of eating: during meals, immediately after( early), after a while( late).Depending on how many hours have passed since the beginning of digestion, "hungry pains in the stomach" are singled out. This means the absence of any products in the body cavity.

Patients talk about painful spasms "on an empty stomach".The feeling of hunger accompanies gastralgia, but does not mean a sharp increase in appetite. This is not the constant hunger experienced by patients with endocrine obesity or people trying to use in the treatment of diseases low-calorie diets based on prolonged starvation.

Just such pains are easily removed by a light snack. In any case, you need to consider that a healthy person should not have unpleasant sensations in the stomach. If they appeared, you should understand the reasons, as early as possible to identify the disease.

What processes occur in the stomach at the time of pain?

In order to understand the causes of hungry pain, we will try to establish what the organ is "busy" after 6-7 hours after eating, which deviations in activity contribute to the occurrence of stomach pain.

This is the average length of stay of the food lump in the stomach.

The organ has elastic folds that allow it to expand and hold up to 4 liters of food and liquid. For the specified time, all products arrived should be crushed, turned into a homogeneous mass. The stomach muscles mix the composition to improve the area of ​​contact with the enzymes.

Immediately absorbed and transferred to the blood alcohol, salt, glucose, excess water. The remainder is exposed to gastric juice containing hydrochloric acid, mucus, enzymes( pepsin, gastrin).It is produced by the lining cells located between the epithelial cells. The greatest amount is spent on digesting meat and spicy dishes."Heavy" food is delayed the longest.

As you know, the juice in the stomach can be produced by the sight, smell of food. The enzyme system of the stomach is designed so that it works only in a fairly acidic environment. Acidity decreases as you approach the pyloric sphincter.

The duodenum is a part of the small intestine, it stands out for its importance. Having received through the pylorus the food mass, continues the splitting of proteins and carbohydrates. It is here in the digestion include secrets of the gallbladder and pancreas, and the effect of gastric juice stops.

Synthesis of pancreatic enzymes depends on the secretory activity of the stomach:

• with an excess of acid - the synthesis of the necessary enzymes that break down proteins is violated, this leads to the ingestion of foreign antigens, causes autoimmune reactions, food allergy;
• reduced acidity in the stomach - disrupts the production of biochemical substances responsible for the assimilation of minerals and vitamins, promotes the loss of iron, zinc, magnesium, calcium, vitamin B12.

Why does the stomach ache when it does not contain food?

So, we have established that at the moment of hungry pain in the stomach there are no leftovers. This means that they are caused by digestive disorders in the border areas. Practice shows that the most common in the examination of patients are:

• bulbit( inflammation of the bulb);
• erosion or duodenal ulcer;
• duodenogastric reflux gastritis caused by pelting the gastric pyloric contents of the intestine with bile acids;
• disruption of the functioning of the pancreas, biliary tract.

A certain role is played by a decrease in the natural protection of glandular cells from the mucus-forming epithelium, this is facilitated by the ingestion of too coarse food into the stomach, the toxic substances

Factors contributing to pain are:

• increase in the synthesis of hydrochloric acid by covering cells 2-3 times compared with the required level, especially at night;
• lack of activity of the buffer system for alkalinization;
• growth on the mucosa of Helicobacter pylori;
• spastic muscle contraction in the area of ​​an erosive or ulcerative defect;
• impaired motor activity of the digestive system.

In the mechanism of acid formation changes, the main role is played by the disruption of the adaptation of acid production to the quality and volume of incoming food. It is established that people with fluctuating blood sugar levels are below normal, there may be hungry pains in the stomach. The lack of the necessary amount of glucose in the body causes painful contractions of the muscle layer.

How do hungry pains manifest?

Hungry pains in the abdomen are most often localized in the upper part( epigastrium), but with the involvement of bile ducts can be felt like pain in the right hypochondrium, radiating to the left. Patients notice different in nature and duration of sensation:

• rare, short-term attacks in the form of fights or cramps on an empty stomach, which are removed by drinking mineral water or milk - the initial state of failure of the digestive function in the stomach is usually well restored by proper treatment;
• prolonged spastic pains in the epigastric region with pulsation or burning-point to a neglected stage of inflammation, possibly erosive;
• if the pains are of a regular nature, necessarily appear at certain times of the day( in the mornings or at night), then one should think about the duodenal ulcer.

According to the nature and intensity of fasting sickness in one third of patients can be described as strong, cutting, causing difficulties at work and in the rhythm of life, another option - "pulsating spasm" or aching sensations, discomfort

Additional symptoms make the patient's condition worse: acidic eructation(patients feel "ate something sharp and sour"), constant heartburn, nausea, stool disorders( propensity to constipation), rumbling in the abdomen, flatulence.

Usually the appetite, despite the fact that the stomach hurts, does not suffer, sometimes even it is raised. The self-induced vomiting helps relieve pain. When the doctor is examined, tenderness is noted during palpation in the epigastric zone, possibly in the right upper quadrant and along the bowel. The liver is not enlarged.

When there are hungry pains in patients after 40 years, it is necessary to exclude atypical localization of angina, to examine the intestine. In addition, it should be borne in mind that people with depressive conditions suffer from a similar symptomatology. For them, food acts as a soothing agent.

What provokes hypersecretion of acid and what are the consequences of

disorders? The provoking factors of discomfort sensations, if the stomach is aching on an empty stomach are:

• improper diet with a predominance of sharp, meat and fatty foods, sweets, lack of a regime for eating, long breaks;
• broken synthesis of lepton and melatonin hormones, the cause is relevant for the occurrence of bouts of pain at night;
• pregnancy in women, changing hormonal background;
• smoking and drinking alcohol;
• transferred stresses;
• diseases of the nervous system;
• long-term use of medications;
• food and household poisoning.

Simultaneously with hypersecretion of hydrochloric acid: the process of cell repair, the formation of protective mucus, often there is insufficient blood supply in the background of hypertension, diabetes mellitus.

It is important to eliminate the overstrain of the stomach cells in a timely manner, as they subsequently atrophy and die off. With fibrogastroscopy, a picture of atrophic gastritis is revealed.

Are there any differences in pain at night and in the early morning?

Patients, feeling the pain of hunger, react differently to them. Pay attention to the fact that the main symptomatology passes after a light meal. Therefore, adjust snacks at night, drink milk or mineral water. Others - afraid of eating, refuse because of the expectation of increased pain syndrome. They develop irritability, insomnia.

This sign, like eating at night, causes suspicion of a duodenal ulcer or lower stomach

The optimal period of a painful attack in the morning is 3-5 hours. This is a symptom of peptic ulcer of the duodenum. Patients also relieve sensation by eating or vomiting. There is no significant difference in the pain syndrome, depending on the time of onset.

What kind of examination does it take to get to the cause?

To accurately identify functional and structural abnormalities in the stomach:

• is a probing method for acidity studies, it can be replaced by a more modern pH-meter or by determination of uropepsin by daily urine;
• finding out the infection with Helicobacter pylori infection by the respiratory route;
• fibrogastroduodenoscopy - a visual way to determine the type and extent of mucosal lesions, localization, take material for biopsy;
• study of the morphology of the mucous membrane of the stomach and duodenum helps to identify damage to the lining cells, the initial signs of dystrophy.

How to be treated for hungry pain?

It is only temporarily possible to help yourself with food intake or by calling up vomiting. It is necessary to understand well that the ongoing process will continue and will come to light at a more serious level. Treatment of hungry pain in the stomach begins only after a full examination, otherwise it can bring harm.

It is mandatory to give up smoking and alcohol, normalize the mental load and organize enough rest. They help in sports, increase in motor activity, daily exercise in the morning. Gentle diet has the goal to relieve digestion from the effects of biological active substances that stimulate the secretion of gastric juice.

It is necessary to refuse from rich fish and meat broths, meat fried and fatty dishes, smoked sausages, sausages, canned food, hot sauces, mayonnaise, sweet culinary products. In the diet you need: milk porridge and soups, vegetable casseroles, fresh juices from fruits and vegetables, low-fat boiled meat and fish dishes.

It is important to eat small portions, but more often. When night pains do not eat tightly at dinner, drink a glass of milk before bed. As for the possibility of eating fresh fruit, it is better to solve the problem individually with a doctor.

An analgesic and enveloping action is possessed by Almagel A, taking the drug eliminates the feeling of hunger.

The therapy package includes:

• spasmolytic drugs - if the pains are markedly cramped( No-shpa, Drotaverin, Platifillin);
• to suppress the production of excess acid appoint omeprazole, Pantoprazole;
• when detecting Helicobacteria, a course of eradication with antibiotics and bismuth preparations is carried out;
• to normalize the regulation of acid production, recommended courses of vitamin therapy( group B), they restore nerve connections between organs;
• , some patients need choleretic preparations, enzymes.

From the folk ways, it is most acceptable to drink a warm broth of chamomile, flax seeds, add ground cinnamon to tea in the morning, eat cucumbers peeled from the skin, include oatmeal products( porridge, kissel, broth) in the diet.

Caution should be given to tincture and the decoction of St. John's wort. Without consulting a doctor, you can not take it. It should be remembered that popular mint tea for soothing and sleeping has the ability to enhance acidification, in this case it is not good.

Self-treatment of hungry pain in the stomach is absolutely contraindicated. The mechanism of influence on the level of acidity is very complicated, so you can not do without diagnostics. Selection of medicines is a doctor's job. Some remedies with improper application only reinforce and provoke the problem.