A feeling of heaviness in the stomach is a common symptom that accompanies many diseases of the digestive system. In some cases, this may be due to physiological reasons, for example, starvation or overeating, eating heavy food for digestion. But if the person experiences heaviness in the stomach, bloating, stool disorders (diarrhea or constipation), gas formation and other unpleasant symptoms often enough, you should consult a gastroenterologist to undergo a comprehensive examination and start treatment.
General information
Heaviness in the stomach and belching, increased gas and abdominal discomfort, stool disorders are all common symptoms of functional disorders in various pathologies of the digestive system. This reduces activity, interferes with daily activities and affects the quality of life. If the symptom occurs frequently, you need to be examined by a gastroenterologist.
The feeling of fullness in the abdomen can be situational, for example, occur after starvation or eating excessive amounts of food. In such cases, the severity passes as soon as the digestive system copes with the amount of food consumed. In pregnant women, severity may be associated with hormonal changes. If discomfort is combined with nausea and vomiting, severe pain, then we are talking, most likely, about the development of gastrointestinal diseases.
Possible reasons
The causes of severity in the stomach after eating are very diverse, because this is not a specific symptom, but a general one. Discomfort can be accompanied by other signs of pathology from the digestive system or occur independently from time to time. The feeling of heaviness in the stomach can be triggered by the following reasons:
Digestive diseases in acute or chronic form: gastritis, hepatitis, cirrhosis, cholecystitis, peptic ulcer, gastroduodenitis, colitis and so on.
Violations of metabolic processes in various diseases and pathological conditions (diabetes mellitus, obesity).
The use of certain drugs. Indigestion and severity of the stomach can be caused by antibiotics, iron preparations, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, hormones, and so on.
Helminthic infestations. Parasites may be asymptomatic in the body, therefore, it is periodically recommended to undergo diagnosis even in the absence of alarming symptoms and take antihelminthic drugs in a prophylactic dosage.
Improper diet: improper eating habits, annoying food, overeating or starvation, eating food on the go or in a cold form, non-compliance with the regime, changes in diet and so on.
Intolerance to lactose or certain foods. Heaviness in the stomach can occur with a lack of enzymes necessary for the digestion of certain substances and products.
Food allergy. A negative reaction of the body to some products may be accompanied by unpleasant symptoms also from the side of the skin (rash, itching) and respiratory system (allergic rhinitis), general weakness.
Stress. The nervous system is directly involved in the regulation of digestion, so constant fatigue, lack of rest and stress can cause a violation of the gastrointestinal tract.
Smoking. Substances that make up tobacco smoke impair blood circulation, including the circulation of blood in the digestive system. As a result, the walls of the stomach may lose the ability to consistently and evenly advance food. This causes a feeling of heaviness in the stomach.
Pregnancy and other natural hormonal changes (menopause, PMS).
Obesity. In the presence of extra pounds, intra-abdominal pressure may increase, which negatively affects the digestive processes.
Age-related changes. With age, the digestive system breaks down, digestion slows down, and the quality of digestion decreases.
Malnutrition
The main cause of heaviness in the stomach after eating is poor nutrition, starvation, or overeating. Too much food leads to a strong stretching of the walls of the organ, which disrupts the digestive processes. As a result, food moves more slowly through the gastrointestinal tract, and this causes difficulties with bowel movement, a feeling of heaviness in the upper abdomen and other problems.
The motor function of the stomach (food promotion in the digestive tract) is stimulated by the use of frozen or cold dishes. If the food goes too fast, it can cause loose stools and discomfort. Warm liquid foods are best digested, so gastroenterologists recommend drinking liquid foods (soups or broths) at least three to four times a week.
The cause of severity and pain in the stomach is often a failure to follow a diet. If the intervals between meals are too long, your stomach may begin to hurt. Discomfort often appears in those who are used to having a tight dinner before bedtime. In this case, instead of resting, the stomach is forced to digest food.
The digestive organs are overloaded with an unusually plentiful meal. The stomach "gets used" to a certain amount of food, which is processed by acids and enzymes. If these substances are not enough for the consumed amount of food, there is a feeling of overcrowding in the stomach, heaviness in the upper part.
In addition, some foods may themselves disrupt digestive processes. These are fatty, fried and salty foods, too spicy foods, foods rich in carbohydrates (sweets, pastries, potatoes) or protein (mushrooms, eggs, legumes), “fast food”, marinades and sauces, canned and smoked foods, carbonated drinks and alcohol . In some people, indigestion is observed after consuming whole milk. This may indicate intolerance to its components.
Defecation disorder
Normally, the frequency of bowel movement is from one to three (with excessive food intake) once a day, at least three to four times a week. If feces are not excreted for too long, they accumulate in the rectum and create a feeling of pressure. Excessive feces can compress and displace internal organs. When constipation is also characterized by increased gas formation, which exacerbates well-being.
The frequency of bowel movements may be impaired for various reasons. In future and young mothers, this is due to hormonal changes in the body. Some gastrointestinal tract pathologies (peptic ulcer, gastritis, functional insufficiency of the pancreas), the use of drugs, and so on can provoke constipation, but first of all, you need to evaluate the diet. It is possible that constipation and a feeling of heaviness in the stomach can be managed by normalizing nutrition.
So, it is recommended to eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, drink more liquid. You need to eat regularly, but in small portions. It is advisable to exclude fatty, salty, spicy, sour foods, sweets and pastries, as well as products that lead to increased gas formation. If the disorder is caused by an eating disorder, then these measures will help cope with constipation.
Premenstrual syndrome
Some women experience discomfort and heaviness in the stomach as menstruation approaches. The reason is the hormonal changes that occur in this period in the body. Severity may be a consequence of tissue edema before menstruation. Contributes to puffiness and increased production of the hormone, which slows the elimination of fluid from the body. After critical days, the water-salt balance returns to normal, and the severity in the stomach passes by itself.
To reduce the manifestations of PMS to a minimum, you need to reduce the amount of sweet and salty in the diet, move more if you feel good (it does not stagnate, improves intestinal motility and reduces gas formation), reduce the use of tea, coffee, switch from carbonated drinks to plain water . It is necessary to diversify the diet in fiber within reasonable limits, but it is worth remembering that its excessive amount provokes the same feeling of heaviness.
Inflammation of the stomach
Gastritis can have different manifestations, especially in the early stages of the development of the disease. In most cases, there is no specific clinical picture, that is, the same symptoms can indicate the development of inflammation of the stomach, and peptic ulcer, and the inflammatory process of the esophagus, and even cancer. Some characteristic signs may occur in heart disease.
Most often in adults, the disease manifests itself as follows: heartburn, nausea, bad breath (following hygiene rules), flatulence, heaviness in the abdomen, pain in the epigastric region before, after or during eating, upset stool, lack of appetite. In chronic gastritis in patients, weight loss, tachycardia, increased fatigue, sharp changes in blood pressure, irritability are observed. Exacerbation is accompanied by an increase in the intensity of negative phenomena.
The cause of the disease in most cases is infection with the Helicobacter pylori bacterium. This pathogen is found in 90% of patients with gastritis. But this is not the only factor that affects the development of the disease. The accompanying ones are of great importance: the presence of bad habits, an unbalanced diet, stress, uncontrolled medication, decreased immunity, local foci of infection in the body (including caries), decreased immunity, and poor eating habits.
Diagnosis is carried out in several stages, because you need to determine the type of disease, and not just its presence. The treatment strategy depends on this factor. Only acute gastritis caused by any disease or intoxication can be completely cured. If the disease has turned into a chronic form, then the pathological changes take an irreversible character. But with proper drug therapy, you can stabilize the patient's condition and prevent the development of complications.
Peptic ulcer
An inflammatory process, chronic stress, alcoholism, decreased immunity, and increased acidity of gastric juice can provoke peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum. Among the risk factors, one can list the hereditary predisposition, the use of low-quality food, some medications. An ulcer can be associated with other diseases: tuberculosis, cirrhosis, gastritis, pancreatitis, diabetes mellitus or syphilis.
The main symptoms include heaviness in the stomach (treatment depends on the specific disease and type of disease), nausea and heartburn, belching with a sour taste, increased gas formation, decreased weight and appetite, vomiting, bloating. To diagnose the disease, you need to contact a gastroenterologist. Typically, general blood and urine tests, a study of the acidity of gastric juice, are prescribed. If internal bleeding is suspected, an analysis of feces for occult blood is additionally shown.
Ulcer therapy should be comprehensive. Antibacterial drugs ("Furazolidone", "Metronidazole"), prokinetics, agents that regulate the acidity of gastric juice ("Omeprazole", "Kvamatel"), antispasmodics are used, the patient must adhere to dietary therapeutic nutrition. So, with heaviness in the stomach, what should I do to reduce discomfort? If the symptom is caused precisely by peptic ulcer, then it is necessary to regularly take the prescribed drugs.
Chronic cholecystitis
Slowly progressive inflammation of the gallbladder, proceeding with periods of exacerbation, is most often diagnosed in women older than forty years (this is due to the influence of hormonal causes). The disease develops against the background of a violation of the outflow of bile, the presence of stones in the gall bladder, dyskinesia, congenital deformation of the gall can lead to this. Inflammation can be caused by helminthic infestations, concomitant diseases (for example, chronic pancreatitis).
Pain in chronic cholecystitis most often occurs in the right hypochondrium, but a feeling of heaviness in the stomach is also characteristic. Also, patients complain of bitterness in the mouth, a feeling of dryness, belching and flatulence, nausea and vomiting, which do not bring relief, impaired digestion of food. In treatment, strict adherence to diet plays a special role. Of the drugs used hepatoprotectors, choleretic drugs, antibiotics, drugs that enhance peristalsis, antispasmodics, antiprotozoal drugs and so on.
Food poisoning
Why does heaviness in the stomach occur after eating food? When combined with vomiting and diarrhea, muscle cramps, fever, general weakness, convulsions, in most cases we can talk about poisoning. Food poisoning can be provoked by the use of poor-quality or missing foods, poisoned or spoiled fish, berries, fruits and vegetables grown using pesticides. Anaerobic bacteria are very dangerous, which can develop in canned food, meat, if it was not stored properly, fungi that grew in ecologically dangerous areas, and so on.
Distinctive signs of food poisoning are: the rapid development of the disease, the mass lesion (symptoms develop in everyone who consumed the product), a short incubation period of pathogenic microorganisms (from one to six). The victim’s stomach begins to hurt, nausea and vomiting appear, general weakness, cold, sticky sweat appears, blood pressure decreases, heart rate increases, and the temperature rises. In mild cases, everything is limited to a feeling of heaviness in the stomach and diarrhea. Dizziness, increased salivation, decreased muscle tone, impaired vision, paralysis, brain damage (coma, hallucinations, delirium) are possible.
It is imperative to call an ambulance if a child under three years old, a pregnant woman or an elderly person has been poisoned. An urgent need to consult a doctor if the temperature rises to 40 degrees Celsius or the symptoms appeared after eating poisonous plants, mushrooms. Medical intervention requires diarrhea more than ten times a day, constant vomiting, feces with an admixture of blood, severe dehydration of the body.
If there is a heaviness in the stomach, what should I do? With mild discomfort caused by poisoning, you can cope with the symptoms yourself. You need to drink a lot of liquid (it should be pure water) and cause vomiting. After cleansing the stomach, sorbents that remove harmful substances from the body should be taken. If vomiting and diarrhea are absent, a laxative must be taken so that the toxins are not absorbed. Once the condition has returned to normal, you need to monitor the work of the digestive tract. At first, it is recommended to eat only light food, which will not irritate the walls of the stomach. If the condition has not improved, you should immediately call an ambulance.
Gallstones
Gallstone disease occurs with increased lithogenicity of bile, which occurs as a result of excess cholesterol. The most common symptoms of pathology are heartburn, discoloration of the stool, discomfort in the right hypochondrium, impaired bowel function (increased gas, constipation or diarrhea), a bitter taste in the mouth. Stones can come out on their own, while the patient is having difficulty breathing. Heaviness in the stomach is accompanied by fever and severe pain.
Complicated forms of the disease or acute conditions are subject to treatment. If there are stones, the patient is recommended to follow a strict therapeutic diet and regimen, if possible, lead an active lifestyle. Food should be fractional, fatty, fried and "heavy" dishes, marinades and smoked meats, sweets and pastries, carbonated drinks are excluded from the menu. It shows the use of drugs that destroy the structure of stones (for example, Ursosan, Henofalk and others). For single small inclusions, the method of shock wave therapy is used.
Common drugs
What to do with discomfort? With severity in the stomach after eating, what should I take to alleviate my condition? At home, you can urgently hold a hot water bottle on your stomach, make a light massage and take an anesthetic. , , . (, ) .
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Mezim helps a lot in such a situation when a person’s stomach is inflated. Severity in the stomach (these are often concomitant symptoms) can also be eliminated with this drug. In addition, it speeds up digestion, improves pancreatic function, and is recommended for use in many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. After using the tablets, it is advisable to lie down for 15-30 minutes. Motilium eliminates not only heaviness, but also vomiting and nausea, restores muscle tone. Allohol neutralizes the severity and removes bile, while Smecta helps with diarrhea and mild poisoning.
In the advertising of various medicines, the needs of the population and the knowledge of specialists intersect in the commercial interests of pharmaceutical companies and distributors. Recently, the concern of doctors with uncontrolled use of various medications by patients has increased significantly. Therefore, before buying any product in a pharmacy, it is recommended to consult a therapist or gastroenterologist so as not to harm yourself.