Doctors are used to hearing complaints from patients related to a feeling of bloating. This is one of the most common symptoms of gastrointestinal disorders.
The feeling of a full belly can be associated with increased gas formation, poor nutrition and various pathologies of the digestive system.
Feeling overeated after a small meal: reasons
The problem is common, especially for residents of the former post-Soviet space. This is due to the peculiarities of the mentality and financial problems during perestroika. People who remember this time tend to overeat and want to try everything during the holiday. For such purposes, most people purchase enzymes that improve the digestion of food and relieve heaviness in the stomach. However, it happens that heaviness is observed even after a small amount of food.
Feeling of overeating after a small meal, reasons:
- Visiting exotic countries and getting used to unusual cuisine. In China and Vietnam, hot spices and unusual ingredients are introduced into food. A person living in a certain region develops its own microflora, designed to digest frequently consumed food. If a large number of unusual foods appear in the diet, the stomach may protest, and heaviness may be felt after eating.
- Frequent flights, naps during the day. The digestive organs are designed to work during the daytime and must rest at night. Some people work around the clock, or in shifts, and therefore sleep shifts to the day, and night becomes working time. You need to wait a little while the body readjusts. Try to reduce the amount of food you eat at night, replacing heavy foods with light ones. The ideal option is stewed vegetables.
Causes
For bulimia to develop, there can be a variety of reasons. The main reasons for the development of pathology are:
- hereditary predisposition;
- constant food restrictions and strict diets, which resulted in nutritional deficiencies;
- disruption of metabolic processes in the body;
- damage to the food center in the brain;
- psychological problems;
- hormonal imbalances;
- intense regular negative emotions.
One cause is sufficient for the occurrence of pathology, although in most cases there is a combination of causes.
Why does the stomach feel overeated from a small portion?
Almost all nutritionists recommend minimizing the consumption of fatty meats and fried foods in the evening. It is better to eat this food in the morning or at lunch. In the evening, you are allowed to eat fish, stewed vegetables, and dairy products with a low fat content. Chops and cutlets with a high content of animal fat are best eaten at lunch. You should not drink these foods with large amounts of water; liquid can increase bloating and an unpleasant feeling in the stomach.
Why there is a feeling of overeating in the stomach from a small portion:
- Eating food from the canteen. This applies to people who spend most of their time at home, or regularly eat home-cooked food. Any visit to a restaurant or canteen can affect the condition of the digestive tract. In industrial canteens, where food is prepared in large portions, bone meal and bone broth are used to prepare first courses. Dishes are seasoned with internal fat and lard. Fatty foods are too heavy, especially if food in the house is fried in vegetable oil. The body may not accept large quantities of animal fat well.
- Consuming large amounts of lard and lard. These foods are heavy and require a high concentration of pancreatic enzymes and bile to digest them. Regular exercise can lead to disruption of the internal organs and cause heaviness.
Food
Diagnosis and treatment of psychogenic overeating
If you suspect nervous overeating, you should urgently seek help. You can make an appointment with a psychiatrist.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illness contains criteria; if 3 of them are present, the diagnosis “Eating Disorder - Compulsive Overeating” is confirmed:
- you prefer to eat alone;
- you feel discomfort from the amount of food you eat;
- you often sit down at the table without feeling hungry;
- after eating, a feeling of guilt overcomes, self-loathing appears;
- Regardless of the size of the portion, you eat quickly and the food is not chewed thoroughly.
The doctor carries out a control weighing, finds out what the patient’s weight was in the recent past, and how quickly the number on the scale changed. Next, he selects treatment tactics in accordance with the medical history.
The feeling of overeating in the stomach is a symptom of dangerous ailments
The previous reasons are physiological, and are caused by eating too fatty, heavy foods or changes in the body. Heaviness for no reason, after eating a small amount of food, is not normal, and may be a symptom of a serious illness. Slight heaviness, tingling and pain in the stomach area occur for the following reasons.
The feeling of overeating in the stomach is a symptom of dangerous ailments:
- Gastritis . This is a violation of the integrity of the stomach lining when mucus disappears from its surface. The walls become sensitive to the aggressive environment of the stomach, and can dissolve, causing ulcers to appear. With gastritis, vomiting and nausea may occur after each meal, especially after eating fatty, fried or heavy foods.
- Peptic ulcer disease . The disease is characterized by the appearance of wounds on the surface of the walls, resulting in erosion of the mucous membrane with the formation of ulcers. The disease is very dangerous and requires treatment. Ulcers may open until completely dissolved in one area of the stomach. The contents of the stomach flow into the abdominal cavity, and the person ends up on the operating table. A peptic ulcer that is not treated can cause the space between the stomach and intestines to grow together, which also leads to surgery. The disease is characterized by vomiting, nausea and a burning sensation inside the stomach. If such symptoms appear, you need to go for an ultrasound or gastroscopy.
- Oncology . The disease is the most insidious; unlike gastritis and ulcers, it does not have similar symptoms. At the initial stage, there is no vomiting or nausea. This may be a slight heaviness and discomfort. When pain occurs, an advanced stage of oncology is detected.
Binge eating
Symptoms and signs of bulimia
If bulimia occurs, the symptoms in most cases are characteristic, which simplifies the diagnosis:
- a person does not stop while eating even when he feels full;
- the patient is constantly looking for a way to prevent weight gain;
- the patient evaluates his body very critically, and the evaluation affects self-esteem;
- the feeling of hunger does not subside even while eating;
- problems with the digestive organs begin;
- salivation increases;
- inflammation of the throat becomes more frequent;
- dermatitis appears;
- moral and physical strength weakens.
Despite the fact that signs of bulimia develop, the weight of patients remains within normal limits.
Are you experiencing symptoms of bulimia?
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Constant feeling of overeating on an empty stomach: reasons
Pay attention to how you feel early in the morning. If heaviness is observed on an empty stomach, you have not yet had time to eat, you should consult a doctor. This happens due to improper behavior and non-compliance with food consumption rules.
Constant feeling of overeating on an empty stomach, reasons:
- Eating heavy meals at night . As mentioned above, this happens if a person works at night. Make it a habit to eat light foods at night. A glass of kefir or yogurt without filler will do. You can snack on an apple and a small amount of stewed vegetables. You should not consume large amounts of carbohydrates and proteins at night.
- Sweet rolls, yeast baked goods, bread, and confectionery products have a negative impact not only on the condition of the gastrointestinal tract, but also on weight. Completely avoid taking these products at night. Even a small amount of food at night can lead to heaviness immediately upon waking. At night the stomach works worse than during the day. Less enzymes may be produced. Especially if a person does not move and goes to bed. Scientists have proven that movement after eating stimulates peristalsis of the stomach and intestines, and also speeds up the digestion of food.
- At night, the body takes a horizontal position, as a result of which the work of all organs and systems slows down. The stomach produces less hydrochloric acid, and the pancreas also sleeps. Therefore, products can remain in the stomach almost all night and succumb to fermentation processes. The next morning, a person experiences bloating, nausea, and heaviness in the stomach. It will go away over time when most of the food has been digested. Do not put such stress on your body.
- Drinking large amounts of alcohol at night. Happens after feasts. Early in the morning, after waking up, due to the decomposition of alcohol into acetaldehyde, there is a heaviness and unpleasant sensation in the stomach. Some of the food is in an undigested state and remains in the stomach. It is necessary to alleviate the condition by taking sorbents that will absorb the breakdown products of alcohol. These include Enterosgel, Atoxil, or activated carbon, Smecta. Almost any absorber will do.
Abdominal pain
Feeling overeated during pregnancy
During pregnancy, the position of the internal organs changes due to the rapid growth of the fetus in the uterus.
The organs are displaced inside the abdominal cavity, the stomach rises higher. Feeling overeated during pregnancy:
- Very often this becomes the cause of bloating and discomfort in the abdominal area. During pregnancy, it is recommended to eat fractional meals, eat food in small portions, and do not overload the stomach.
- Preference should be given to liquid or mushy dishes. Avoid eating fatty, spicy foods. Avoid consumption of fast food, chips, and alcohol.
- To get rid of heartburn and the feeling of fullness during pregnancy, it is allowed to take enterosorbents that absorb toxic substances. Drugs that reduce stomach acidity are recommended. Proper nutrition and consumption of healthy foods prevents the feeling of fullness in the stomach during pregnancy.
How to get rid of the feeling of overeating: list of drugs
To get rid of heaviness in the abdomen, determine the cause of the pathology. As stated above, there are many reasons for this symptom. If you work against the symptom itself, the cause will not go away and will return over time. The only correct solution is to establish the cause and deal with it. There are several options for medications that are used to treat heaviness in the abdomen.
How to get rid of the feeling of overeating, list of drugs:
- Antispasmodics . Prescribed if the feeling of fullness is provoked by a spasm in the epigastric zone. These include No-shpa, Spazmalgon, Ketanov.
- Preparations that contain pancreatic enzymes . These include Creon, Pancreatin. They are prescribed if severity is caused by a lack of enzymes. Pancreatitis may be indicated by nagging pain on the left side.
- Enterosorbents and drugs that absorb toxic substances will be effective in case of poisoning. If after eating cottage cheese, yogurt, or a small amount of meat product you experience nausea, vomiting, or a feeling of fullness in the stomach, it makes sense to use Enterosgel, Smecta, or Atoxil.
- Drugs that stimulate the flow of bile and improve liver function. These include hepatoprotectors: Gepabene, Karsil, Daryl. They help restore liver cells if a person abuses fatty foods. If there are disturbances in the functioning of the liver, along with overeating, a change in skin color is observed, it becomes yellow, with a brown tint. The color of the white of the eyeball may change.
- Medicines to stimulate the stomach. Medicines stimulate the stomach, increasing the number of contractions, which leads to the movement of food in the stomach, preventing stagnation. These include Domrid, Domidon, Ganaton.
Heavy food
Treatment
Therapy for patients suffering from nervous overeating must be comprehensive. Eating disorders are treated by a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, psychologist, and nutritionist. The family doctor is not competent in this situation due to the lack of necessary knowledge and experience in eating disorder treatment.
“CIRPP” specializes in the study and therapy of eating disorders and adheres to comprehensive tactics:
- drug therapy;
- psychotherapy effective for eating disorders;
- power restoration.
During psychotherapy, individual and group techniques are used, the main task of which is to set the right goals, teach self-control, and develop incentives and healthy beliefs.
In the treatment of eating disorders, much attention is paid to nutrition, and hospitalization is sometimes recommended. The clinic has created comfortable conditions for treating patients; emergency medical care is provided if necessary, and an intensive care unit is provided. Typically, treatment for compulsive overeating occurs on an outpatient basis. At first, support and control of loved ones at home is recommended. You can make an appointment at the Center for the Study of Eating Disorders in Moscow by phone or using the online form.
How to get rid of the feeling of overeating using folk methods?
If the feeling of fullness in the abdomen continues again and again, consult a doctor.
Take advantage of preventative measures that prevent you from feeling overfull. Tips and rules to help get rid of the feeling of overeating are presented below. How to get rid of the feeling of overeating using traditional methods:
- The body itself does not understand what it needs. Therefore, instead of a glass of water, you have to eat a portion of high-calorie food. Nutritionists recommend drinking a glass of boiled water 30 minutes before a meal. Perhaps the feeling of hunger has nothing to do with a lack of nutrients and energy.
- Try not to leave too many gaps between meals. They stimulate feelings of extreme hunger and contribute to overeating. Therefore, the optimal option is 3 hours.
- Don't skip breakfast and lunch. These meals should be complete and include all the necessary nutrients. The last meal, that is, dinner, should be light. If you eat the right food for breakfast and lunch, then by the evening there is practically no feeling of hunger; you can easily get by with a snack.
- If you have unpleasant sensations, you can also alleviate the condition. To do this, carry out light massage movements in a circle around the navel in a clockwise direction. This stimulates intestinal peristalsis and speeds up the passage of food through the digestive organs. This eliminates the feeling of overeating and satiety.
- Very often, the feeling of fullness is not associated with a large meal, but with the use of inappropriate foods. In adults, this may be gluten, lactase, or yeast. After eating these foods, there is increased activity of bacteria and yeast in the stomach. Due to a lack of enzymes, these substances are not completely broken down, which leads to the formation of a large number of gas bubbles. They can put pressure on the walls of the stomach and intestines, causing a feeling of fullness and discomfort. To get rid of them, eliminate foods containing a lot of carbohydrates, yeast and full-fat milk. To quickly get rid of unpleasant sensations, you can drink Espumisan. This is a simethicone-based drug that absorbs gas bubbles.
Vegetables
Read on the topic:
- Causes and consequences of compulsive overeating
- Increasing stress resistance: methods and exercises
- The simplest diet for the lazy - minus 12 kg in 2 weeks
- Egg-grapefruit diet: rules
- Soup diet for weight loss
Eat food only if you feel very hungry. You may feel dizzy and feel heaviness in your stomach. If a person wants to eat something specific, it is not hunger at all, but appetite.
Neuro-eating disorder - description of the disease
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, psychogenic binge eating (hyperphagic stress response) is an independent disease, which has a separate coding 307.51. A patient with an eating disorder is used to dealing with negative emotional stress and bouts of gluttony. The disease is manifested by a brutal appetite, to satisfy which an abnormal amount of food with a high calorie content is required. A nervous attack can be triggered by serious factors (the loss of a family member, injury) and minor reasons - speaking in a raised voice, missing a bus, etc. Nervous eating disorder is caused by mental causes, there is no physiology in the cause-and-effect relationship. Food in this case is a tonic that allows you to forget about the problem for a while and relax. A patient who has experienced a nervous shock is trying not to feed his stomach, but to drown out his feelings.
It is important to distinguish between physiological hunger and nervous appetite. This is an important step on the path to recovery and selection of treatment:
Nervous hunger | Physical hunger |
It can occur against the background of satiety, it occurs unexpectedly and sharply. | It develops gradually, the body does not require urgent saturation. |
During attacks, the body requires unhealthy food - the priority is fast food, fatty foods, sweets, starchy foods, etc. | You can satisfy your appetite with any food, homemade and healthy. |
The portion size significantly exceeds the usual volume, and there is no control over the amount eaten. | A person eats exactly as much as is needed to satisfy hunger. |
The portion size significantly exceeds the usual volume, and there is no control over the amount eaten. | The physical need for food is masked by a feeling of “sucking in the pit of the stomach” and weakness. |
Feelings of guilt and shame arise after eating. | After eating, a feeling of satisfaction comes and strength appears. |
The causes of mental disorder may be genetic.