According to statistics, about 60% of people complain of a burning sensation in the stomach after eating. This rarely happens once, most often this symptom occurs with pathologies of the stomach. Gastric burning is not a synonym for heartburn. Heartburn is treated in a slightly different way, manifests itself differently and arises from other causes.
Heartburn is a burning sensation behind the sternum due to the reflux of gastric contents as a result of a malfunction of the dividing sphincter between the stomach and esophagus. A burning sensation behind the sternum is a burning sensation in the esophagus with reflux esophagitis. At the same time, increased salivation and an acidic taste in the mouth appear. Heartburn can be associated with the nature of food, tight clothing, inclinations, etc. Often, burning of the esophagus after eating and in the stomach is often combined. Their etiology is different, but the treatment is almost identical.
Causes of burning sensation in the stomach
The stomach is lined by the mucosa, the cells of which produce mucin (mucus), which is protective in nature. Mucus covers the walls of the stomach to a thickness of 0.5 mm. It not only prevents pathogens from entering, but also protects the stomach from aggressive hydrochloric acid and pepsin, which the stomach itself produces. Otherwise, the wall of the stomach would begin to digest itself. Thus, the burning sensation in the stomach is a consequence of the violation of the CRR (acid-base balance) in the acidic direction.
For the digestion of food, hydrochloric acid and the enzyme pepsin are necessary . Their mixture is very aggressive, so much so that it can break down any organic substances. Normally, hydrochloric acid is produced exactly as much as is needed to digest the food lump.
The walls of the stomach could also be burned with this mixture, if not for the protection of mucin in the mucous membrane. The esophagus is also lined with mucosa, but it does not have protective properties.
Why does burning in the stomach after eating bother a person? If the gastric mucosa is damaged by any aggressive irritating factor, its protective functions are lost.
In such cases, aggressive damaging factors are able to penetrate deeper into the wall of the stomach with subsequent damage. This phenomenon easily causes an uncomfortable burning sensation in the stomach immediately after eating.
After eating
If the food was wrong, fatty, fried, etc., this leads to irritation of the nerve endings and inflammatory reactions. Especially easily, this phenomenon develops with existing damage to the gastric mucosa. Food can be normal, but in large quantities. Then overeating also gives a burning sensation in the stomach after eating.
What kind of food can be wrong for the stomach?
Harmful to the stomach:
- Foods with a high fiber content, it begins to act like an emery, injuring the mucous membrane. Among these products can be called beloved by many bran bread, some vegetables (beets, raw cabbage) and fruits.
- Burning sensations in the stomach after eating can also be caused by pickles, smoked meats, marinades, spicy foods and fried foods. Many of these products contain carcinogens, acids, trans fats and other harmful substances.
- Sour-milk products with high acidity often cause a slight burning sensation in the stomach after eating.
- Sour fruits such as citrus fruits.
- Long abstinence from food adversely affects the mucous membrane.
- Any alcohol, fast foods, soda, chips, can be considered objectionable to the stomach.
- Also, the cause of burning in the stomach after eating may be nerve stress, frequent stress, taking drugs with irritating effects - aspirin, NSAIDs, antibiotics before meals, iron, potassium, etc.
- To a provoking factor include excess weight and smoking. In obesity, the stomach is surrounded by fat, which slows down the process of splitting food and its absorption. Therefore, burning in the stomach and esophagus after eating is a constant symptom in obese people.
However, this is not all. Pain is added to the above symptom. Burning in the stomach after eating provokes a lot of unpleasant symptoms. A vicious circle forms, and the destruction of the mucosa continues to progress and deepen if measures are not taken. In addition, it is very harmful to overeat, especially to eat at night.
Other causes of burning in the stomach after eating:
- bacterial infections (in 90% of cases it is Helicobacter bacterium);
- hormonal imbalance;
- too cold or hot dishes;
- instant strong coffee;
- irregularity of food intake;
- diaphragmatic hernia;
- diseases of the stomach with increased acidity - ulcers and gastritis;
- oncological formations;
- bad ecology;
- low-quality water;
- weight lifting;
- pregnancy (especially in the last trimester, when an enlarged uterus begins to squeeze the stomach).
Symptomatic manifestations
Burning in the stomach may be accompanied by morning sickness, pain that radiates to the back, belching with burning of the throat mucosa. One of the most common symptoms is a metallic breath. If the stomach bakes after eating, the cause may be an ulcer or gastritis.
With these pathologies, the mucosa is already damaged. If an additional portion of acid or bile gets on it, pain occurs, perceived as burning. This is especially evident in hunger.
Pain
If the pain in the side is supplemented by a burning sensation in the stomach, this is often the result of ulcers or gastritis, tumors. Then there is an irradiation of pain in the back or ribs. Esophagitis also gives pain and a feeling of hot heat in the esophagus and stomach.
Burping
It is a frequent burning companion in the stomach. Belching with air also occurs almost always with ulcerative processes or eating food that causes fermentation and gas formation.
Nausea
Burning in the stomach after eating occurs with nausea with gastritis and ulcers. Occasionally, vomiting may occur. With pregnancy, stress or nervous strain, stomach discomfort is not uncommon.
Heartburn
Heartburn is adjacent to burning in the gastric cavity almost always, regardless of etiology. Why is there a burning sensation in the stomach after eating? For a refined diagnosis, just watch exactly when the burning sensation occurs. If it appears immediately after a meal, most often this indicates gastritis. By the way, half of the world's population suffers from this ailment.
In YABZH (stomach ulcer), the pain appears on an empty stomach or some time after eating. If a burning sensation occurs in the morning or evening, while there is pain in the epigastrium or on the right, it is most likely a duodenal ulcer (duodenal ulcer).
Diagnostic measures
For diagnosis, it is necessary to undergo a number of studies:
- An X-ray of the stomach is the first and safest method. It has no contraindications. The method is informative, because it allows you to see the ulcer in the early stages, various deviations in the shape of the stomach, its external changes, as well as neoplasms.
- EFGDS - the most modern, fast and popular diagnostic method. The mucous membrane is fully visible. Information on the condition of the esophagus and stomach, duodenum is comprehensive. The examination is carried out quickly enough, but has contraindications.
- The study of gastric juice must be carried out because burning in the stomach after eating is always associated with an increase in acidity. The study can accurately determine the composition, acidity and pH of the juice and its deviations from the norm.
- Analysis for the presence of infection - we are talking about Helicobacter pylori. In 90% of cases, it is the cause of stomach disease. Basically, a breath test is performed for the presence of Helicobacter pylori. A stomach biopsy may also be performed if cancer is suspected.
Possible complications
Long ignoring the burning sensation in the stomach leads to changes in the mucosa, the inflammatory process begins. If there is no treatment after this, the inflammation of the mucous membrane becomes chronic, it spreads not only inland, but also in breadth, capturing a large area.
In addition, inflammation can pass to neighboring organs - KDP, gall bladder and pancreas are also involved. This is already running chronic gastritis. Mucosal erosion is replaced by a stomach ulcer.
Pathology treatment
In traditional medicine, there are many means to eliminate burning sensation in the stomach after eating and in the esophagus. But treatment is only symptomatic.
Special diet
In fact, the healing process begins with it. Otherwise, rely on the success of therapy is not worth it. Typically, the treatment of burning in the stomach after eating begins with a correction of the diet: the exclusion of smoked meats, pastries, fried and greasy, soda, canned and sausages, alcohol and marinades, coffee, chocolate and sweets, chips, salted nuts, spicy foods, and the constant use of chewing gum. In other words, all products that cause fermentation and increased gas formation are completely excluded.
During treatment, the basis of the diet should be vegetable soups and chicken broths, cereals on the water (the most useful - oatmeal) and steamed vegetables, non-acidic and not too sweet fruits.
Food should be fractional, in small portions. Dry food and on the go - this is not your option.
Recommended products include:
- fresh sour milk products;
- mucous soups ;
- casseroles, steam omelets, salads, greens, baked vegetables and fruits;
- boiled or stewed meat, fatty meat is excluded.
- recommended turkey, chicken, rabbit and veal.
Medication
Classification of the applied means:
- Proton pump inhibitors or PPIs are drugs that inhibit the production of hydrochloric acid.
- Blockers of H2-histamine receptors - are also aimed at reducing the production of hydrochloric acid. They disrupt the function of parietal cells, which produce acid.
- Acid regulators are all kinds of antacids.
- There is also detoxification therapy - the use of Smecta and activated carbon.
- Antacids - they reduce acidity and have an enveloping effect. Among them are “Maalox”, “Venter”, “Almagel”, “Fosfalugel”, “Alfogel”. These funds are the basis of the drug group.
- Antisecretory drugs - help reduce the production of hydrochloric acid, for example, Omez, Omeprazole, Ranitidine, etc.
- Enzyme agents - do not allow fermentation and putrefactive processes to develop - Festal, Mezim, Pancreatin, Panzinorm, Bisacodyl, Creon, etc.
- In addition, the feeling of baking in the stomach can be caused by the action of acid on the walls themselves, then alginates are used. Alginates are drugs that prevent acid from affecting the wall of the stomach itself.
The doctor often prescribes Omez, Gastal, Rennie, Festal, Gaviscon. Since the walls of the stomach and mucous membranes are damaged during burning, they need to be restored faster.
In order to accelerate regeneration, Misoprostol is used, which increases the production of mucus, and Sucralfate increases its protective functions. Prokinetics ("Ganaton", "Motilium") normalize motility.
Gastroprotectors (Novobismol, Venter, Keal, Sukras, Trimibol) protect the gastric walls from the action of irritating factors.
To relieve spasms, antispasmodics "Papaverine", "No-Shpa", "Spazmalgon" are used.
To restore the intestinal microflora, the pro-and prebiotics "Hilak Forte", "Maxilak", "Bifiform" and "Linex" are required.
In the presence of Helicobacter pylori, antibiotics De-Nol, Amoxicillin, Clarithromycin, and the antimicrobial drug Metronidazole are prescribed.
Traditional treatment
Folk remedies are used in the form of juices, infusions, decoctions, oils and are in addition to the main therapy:
- A solution of baking soda - 1 tsp. into a glass of water. Many are used for burning in the stomach and heartburn. Yes, indeed, in the first moments of soda, as a weak alkali, it will reduce burning sensation in the stomach and neutralize excess hydrochloric acid. But then the picture changes. This method, as popular as it is harmful. After a short-term reduction in heartburn, it resumes after a while with renewed vigor, but at higher concentrations. Soda for heartburn and hyperacid gastritis is the shortest way to get an ulcer. There are much safer products - warm milk, alkaline mineral water without gas, chamomile tea.
- Calamus root - used dry: a pinch must be chewed and swallowed.
- In addition, you can take a decoction of calamus root, a decoction of St. John's wort is also very useful. They are drunk before meals.
- Activated carbon - will be useful after a feast, as it will reduce intoxication. 1 tablet of coal is mixed in crushed form with a quarter glass of water.
- Potato juice - well removes high acidity. This is the most popular folk remedy in the treatment of high acidity. Grate potatoes, squeeze juice through cheesecloth and drink half an hour before eating. It is taken 4 times a day. It noticeably improves the patient’s condition after 2 weeks - heartburn and pain go away. Carrot juice also works.
- A solution of salt - a pinch in a glass of water will reduce burning.
- Buckwheat - it is also taken in dry form while burning in the stomach. It should be crushed and well sifted. Pinch take three times a day.
- Poplar coal - it is also crushed before meals and washed down with water.
- Of medicinal herbs, you can also recommend infusion or plantain juice, infusion of licorice root, string, celandine, aloe juice, sea buckthorn oil, olive oil, flax seed, onion juice, cabbage juice - taken daily, several times a day before meals.
- Beekeeping products - honey water, propolis.
It should be remembered that folk remedies do not remove the cause of the disease, they only improve the patient's condition. It is impossible to cure the stomach with folk remedies. They are beneficial as a supplement. The main treatment is prescribed only by a gastroenterologist.
Prevention
Medications, even adequately selected and prescribed, can not cure the stomach if the lifestyle is not changed. Pills will only be able to reduce the severity of the manifestations when burning in the stomach.
The first condition for restoring health is the transition to proper nutrition, which was mentioned above. Food should not be chemically aggressive. It is also necessary to exclude smoking and drinking alcohol - in any quantities and any strength. It is important to observe the correct mode of work and rest. Try to avoid frequent stress and emotional negative bursts.