What to do if your stomach hurts, causes, nutrition rules and treatment of pain syndrome

Gastralgia, or stomach pain. The nature of the pain is cramping. Localization - the 4th intercostal space in the epigastric part of the peritoneum, just above the umbilical horizontal, directly in the inframammary costal arch. This place is called the solar plexus and is the visual area where the stomach is located. The occurrence of a stomach spasm can be triggered by a certain gastric disease, or it can be the result of neuroses. Typically, stomach pain of varying intensity often becomes the body’s response to hysteria, a stressful situation, deep emotions, and internal aggression. What to do if your stomach hurts? What to do to relieve pain that does not allow you to think radically, almost completely turning off consciousness? Consider the occurrence of stomach cramps.

Symptoms of stomach colic

Stomach pain can be very severe

The intensity of stomach cramps may vary. From a slight but unpleasant heaviness in the stomach with chronic gastritis, which patients sometimes do not attach importance to, to severe cramping pain, leading to illusory consciousness.

Severe and very strong stomach cramps accompany duodenitis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, and oncology. When an ulcer is perforated or the stomach is perforated, the pain takes on a non-severe nature, up to shock caused by the pain.

It is impossible to diagnose the disease based on the severity of pain in the stomach, since each patient reacts individually to the pain syndrome. It has long been noted that in patients who have undergone gastrectomy, the pain perception threshold is somewhat underestimated, and in a certain postoperative category of patients, pain is completely absent.

3.Diagnostics

Esophageal spasm can often be diagnosed by reviewing the patient's medical history. The doctor may ask you several questions about what foods or liquids caused the discomfort, where these symptoms are felt and how, whether you feel like food is getting stuck in the esophagus, and some others.

The diagnosis of esophageal spasm can be confirmed using special tests, including esophageal manometry

.
Esophageal manometry measures pressure. The second study is an x-ray with a preliminary swallow of barium solution,
which allows you to visually examine the esophagus.

Other specific tests may be performed to determine if symptoms are due to other conditions - GERD, reverse reflux of food and stomach acids, etc.

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Etiology of stomach spasm

The causes of gastric cramps can be both underlying diseases, such as gastritis, duodenitis, peptic ulcer, and the consequences of various complications after infectious diseases, or in the presence of concomitant processes. For example:

Solarite causes a burning sensation in the stomach;
a decrease in the secretory activity of the stomach causes heaviness in it;
Pyloric stenosis is characterized by a feeling of fullness in the stomach.

As a rule, stomach pain is associated with a whole complex of concomitant diseases - colitis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis.

Why does it appear?

Due to a busy daily routine, problems at school or work, and stress, every third person has encountered neurosis. And such a disease as neurosis of the stomach and intestines has its own causes. Among them are:

poor nutrition. This is the root cause of all diseases, in particular neurosis. Frequent consumption of fast food and processed foods instead of natural food, as well as untimely nutrition can lead to stomach problems;
diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, for example, ulcers, tumors and gastritis;
mental disorders and stress. They are the cause of many neuroses and lead not only to problems with the nervous system, but also to problems with the body as a whole;
diseases of the digestive organs: pancreatitis, cholecystitis, colic. Because of them, a reflex reaction of the stomach occurs;
external influence on the stomach. This includes poisoning from spoiled food, as well as exposure to chemicals that enter the body through the respiratory tract. Most often, gastric neurosis occurs in people over 35 years of age.

Diagnostics and nutrition

Stomach pain can be caused by various diseases.

When describing the clinical picture of stomach cramps, first of all, the nature of the pain and the time of onset of the wave of pain after eating are taken into account. With a disease such as gastritis, pain appears almost immediately, especially when eating foods with a spicy or sour taste.

Pain in the stomach after an hour and a half can result from both an inflamed pyloric canal and a peptic ulcer.

But a duodenal ulcer will respond to eating any food with pain only after two hours. Plant foods with a rough consistency, canned food and vegetable marinades, black bread are foods that are contraindicated for various stomach diseases, since when they are consumed, pain occurs almost immediately after consumption.

For patients with peptic ulcers, frequent split meals are recommended. Failure to adhere to a meal plan can result in “hunger” pain if the time between meals is unacceptably long. Urgent intake of liquid porridges or pureed vegetables, fish or lean meat relieves pain.

Often, a spasm may have a cause unrelated to food. These may include heavy physical activity, psychological overload, nervous breakdowns, and stressful situations. Sharp pain in the stomach under such circumstances can occur in a completely healthy person. During the session period, some students had problems associated with pain in the stomach, which never subsequently manifested themselves again.

Causes of stomach pain

Pain in the stomach is a sign of inflammatory, ulcerative or degenerative changes in internal organs, as well as irritation of nerve receptors. It can be acute or aching, bother the patient constantly, appear suddenly or at certain hours. In some cases, it is accompanied by nausea, vomiting and other disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Sometimes the discomfort is associated with eating - the pain intensifies on an empty stomach or after eating.

Stomach pain can be divided into several categories:

visceral - irritation of nerve receptors on the walls of the abdominal cavity and internal organs occurs;
parietal - occurs when the peritoneum is irritated;
inorganic pain (neurogenic, psychogenic and others not associated with damage to the digestive tract).

The causes and treatment of stomach pain are interrelated, so it is important to determine which pathology triggered its development. The difficulty of diagnosis lies in the fact that in some diseases it radiates, that is, it is transmitted along the nerves from distant areas. This is why self-medication at home can be not only ineffective, but also dangerous.

Gastritis

Gastritis is one of the most common causes of stomach pain, inflammation of its mucous membrane. The disease can occur in acute or chronic form. In the second case, it manifests itself only during periods of exacerbation, which may be due to irregular and unhealthy diet, taking certain groups of drugs, stress or other factors.

All gastritis is conventionally divided into microbial and non-microbial. A complete classification of this disease identifies several main types:

type A - autoimmune, associated with the development of an allergic reaction to one’s own organs and tissues;
type B - exogenous, occurs when the bacterium Helicobacter pylori is activated;
type C - can be triggered by chemical irritation of the mucous membranes with drugs (NSAIDs), chemicals or bile;
inflammation due to an increase or decrease in the concentration of hydrochloric acid;
special forms of gastritis.

There are two more types of gastritis that require radically different treatment tactics. They can be distinguished by the results of laboratory tests of gastric contents:

hyperacid - occurs with intense release of hydrochloric acid and increased acidity of gastric juice;
hypoacid - accompanied by a decrease in the acidity of gastric juice.

Inflammatory processes can also be triggered by abnormalities in the structure of the stomach. Thus, when the pyloric sphincter is weak, the contents of the duodenum are thrown into the stomach, which does not occur normally, and causes pain. It is also necessary to take into account the nature of inflammation. It can be aseptic, purulent, fibrinous, hemorrhagic (with bleeding) or mixed.

Peptic ulcer

The appearance of an ulcer on the mucous membrane of the stomach or duodenum may be associated with a long-term chronic course of gastritis, as well as other diseases. Among other things, it can be triggered by weakness of blood vessels and disruption of blood flow in a certain area. Peptic ulcer disease occurs in a chronic form with periodic relapses. It manifests itself with a number of characteristic symptoms:

hunger pains - discomfort in the stomach during long breaks between meals;
night pain;
nausea and vomiting;
digestive disorders, including flatulence or diarrhea;
the appearance of blood impurities in the stool, that is, its coloration in a black tint.

The most dangerous condition is perforation of the ulcer. This condition is accompanied by severe pain in the stomach and deterioration in well-being, including loss of consciousness. If the contents of the stomach or duodenum enter the abdominal cavity, there remains a risk of purulent inflammation of the peritoneum (peritonitis) with all the manifestations of sepsis.

Hungry (night) stomach pain

Hunger pain in the stomach is usually called those that occur 5-6 hours after the last meal. It is during this period of time that the food bolus passes through the stomach and duodenum so that they remain completely empty. This can be easily prevented during the day (including by drinking water), which is why hunger pain is also called night pain. They often occur between 3 and 5 am.

The main cause of hunger pain in the stomach is irritation of the mucous membrane by the organ’s own contents. Here it constantly secretes gastric juice, which digests food into small components. However, it affects its own mucosa in a similar way. If it is initially damaged, it will react to irritation with acute pain.

The causes and treatment of nighttime stomach pain may vary. In most cases, this syndrome is caused by gastritis of various origins. However, it can also be caused by a more dangerous condition - peptic ulcer disease.

Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas, which is closely related to the functions of the stomach and duodenum. Its main function is the production of pancreatic juice. It is released into the lumen of the small intestine and neutralizes the acidic contents that come from the stomach and contain hydrochloric acid. Pain with pancreatitis is caused by inflammatory processes and dysfunction of the organ - if pancreatic juice is produced in insufficient quantities, the mucous membranes of the digestive tract are irritated by acids.

Among the causes of pancreatitis are:

disruption of the outflow of pancreatic juice and its accumulation in the organ cavity;
non-compliance with the diet, consumption of large amounts of animal fats, alcohol and other unhealthy foods;
hormonal factors;
gastritis, hepatitis, cholecystitis.

The pain with pancreatitis is acute and spreads to the upper abdomen. It can be encircling in nature and located in the area of the left and right hypochondrium. Discomfort increases after eating or prolonged fasting.

Cholecystitis

Inflammation of the gallbladder can also be one of the causes of pain in the stomach. This organ is a hollow sac in which bile accumulates. Then it enters the bile ducts into the lumen of the small intestine and participates in the digestion (emulsification) of fats. Violation of this process leads to pathologies of the digestive system, gastritis and duodenitis.

All cholecystitis can be divided into two groups:

calculous - associated with the formation of stones in the cavity of the gallbladder, irritation of its walls and blockage of the bile ducts with stones;
non-calculous - develops due to poor diet, injuries, or infection activity.

The work of the gallbladder, unlike the pancreas, is directly related to the digestive processes. Its sphincter relaxes when food enters the stomach so that bile can flow freely into the intestines. If a long period of time passes between meals, the liquid fills the bladder and causes its walls to stretch.

In digestive pathology, the composition of the food consumed is important. An abundance of animal fats, which contain excess cholesterol, provokes the formation of stones. They can be of different shapes and sizes, have smooth or sharp edges. Stones can clog the bile ducts and injure the mucous membrane of the biliary system. The pain with cholecystitis is acute, spreading to the area of the right hypochondrium, stomach and intestines. It is accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, and increased gas formation.

Infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

One of the main causes of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract is the activity of pathogenic and opportunistic microflora. The main gastric infection is the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which can remain in its cavity for a long time and cause irritation of its mucous membrane. It is part of the gastric microflora of most of the population, but its activation occurs only with a confluence of favorable factors. These include mutations and increased virulence of individual strains, decreased body resistance and irritation of the gastric mucosa with food or drugs.

The bacterium is a trigger for the development of a number of pathologies:

gastritis;
stomach ulcer;
adenocarcinomas and lymphomas of the stomach.

The pain is localized in the epigastrium and mesogastrium and can be sharp, cutting or aching. The clinical picture is complemented by characteristic symptoms of diseases of the digestive tract: decreased appetite, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea. Infectious inflammation can also be triggered by other pathogens, including staphylococci or streptococci.

Neoplasms

Gastric tumors are a group of neoplasms that differ in origin, size and degree of danger to the patient. All of them can be divided into two groups: benign and malignant. The former are limited in size, do not grow into organ tissue and do not affect large vessels, and do not form metastases. The danger of benign tumors is that during the process of their growth they can become malignant, that is, become malignant.

Benign tumors include:

polyps - rounded formations on a stalk that are easily removed surgically;
leiomyomas - originate from the muscular layer of the organ wall;
lipomas - from the submucosal layer;
angiomas - vascular tumors;
Neuromas - develop from nervous tissue.

Among the malignant neoplasms of the stomach are:

adenocarcinomas - stomach cancer that originates from the epithelium;
carcinoid - has a neuroendocrine origin, can secrete hormones;
leiomyblastomas - develop from cells of epithelial and muscle tissue;
malignant lymphomas and others.

All neoplasms are manifested by constant pain in the stomach area. There may be a decrease in appetite and a quick feeling of filling the stomach with food while eating. The patient's general condition worsens, accompanied by headaches and general intoxication. Small benign tumors may not appear for a long time and are only discovered then. when they reach significant sizes.

Other reasons

Painful sensations in the stomach can occur with more rare conditions, which must be taken into account during diagnosis. These include pathologies not only of the gastrointestinal tract, but also of other organs. So, pain can have the following causes:

diaphragm spasm - discomfort increases with certain body positions;
colitis (inflammation of the large intestine) - also manifests itself in the upper abdomen;
appendicitis - pain can occur not only on the right, but also in any part of the abdominal cavity;
coronary heart disease - pain radiates to the stomach;
pathologies of blood vessels (thrombosis of intestinal vessels, dissection of the abdominal aorta and others).

All these pathologies are manifested by chronic or acute pain in the stomach, which can spread to other areas. So, it can be encircling, that is, also covering the area of the left and right hypochondrium, or one-sided. Painful sensations that primarily arise in the stomach area and then spread to the back are often interrelated.

Factors influencing increased pain syndrome

The circumstances under which increased stomach pain occurs always coincide with the etiology of the disease. The most common diagnosis of gastritis actually has multiple etiologies. There are gastritis:

viral, caused by infection of the body when the virus settles in the gastrointestinal tract, as well as when the immune system is weakened;
bacterial, caused by the activity of microorganisms Helicobacter pilari, which provoke an inflammatory process and cause stomach pain;
erosive, resulting from long-term use of medications or alcohol;
acute, caused by various stressful situations or when causing psychological trauma to the patient;
atrophic and allergic.

The clinical picture of a duodenal or gastric ulcer, as well as examination data for polyps and oncology, confirm the coincidence of the increase in pain with the source of its formation. Stomach pain caused by overeating, indigestion, frequent constipation, and physical fatigue are event-related and cannot be considered a typical source of gastric spasm in the patient.

Often the stomach hurts due to poisoning

Some children are susceptible to “school phobia” syndrome—stomach pain that occurs as a result of the fear of attending an educational institution. In this case, stomach pain occurs on an emotional rather than psychological level. But there have been no specific studies in this area on the occurrence of stomach pain in this particular category.

Stomach pain is directly related to food poisoning. Painful spasms accompany the urge to vomit.

In some cases, the pain that occurs in the stomach area is characterized by severe tension and duration. With deep palpation, a short-term cessation of pain is noted. As soon as the palpated peritoneum is abruptly released, the pain returns with renewed vigor. These are manifestations of appendicitis that require emergency assistance.

Very often there are cases of stomach pain accompanying any viral or bacterial infection, for example, sore throat. If stomach pain occurs, you must first contact a specialized doctor - a gastroenterologist, and he, if necessary, will recommend consultations with a surgeon or oncologist.