From time to time, a feeling of a full stomach pesters many of us. In parallel with it, unpleasant symptoms occur: heartburn, nausea, heaviness and bloating. What are the causes of such ailments and how to get rid of them?
Causes of a feeling of full stomach and belching, heartburn, bloating
After eating, unpleasant symptoms often appear. Many of us suffer from it, regardless of gender, age, or state of health. The reasons for the feeling of a full stomach after eating, heartburn and bloating can be divided into two large groups:
- physiological;
- pathological.
Physiological reasons:
- The most common is an abundant amount of junk food, which the patient, without hesitation, eats in one sitting. This is a fatty meat, fried foods, fast food, cakes, chocolate, fresh pastries. The digestion process is disturbed, the liver and pancreas get a huge load.
- Lactose deficiency is an individual intolerance to milk protein (a rare phenomenon, but it is precisely this that often causes a feeling of an overfilled stomach).
- Reception of alcoholic drinks (especially cocktails, in which strong drinks are mixed with carbonated sweet liquids).
- Allergic reactions to certain foods.
Pathological reasons:
- Gastritis, in which the mucous membrane of the stomach becomes inflamed.
- In case of an ulcer, the mucous membrane of the intestines and stomach does not just become inflamed, but is covered with small scars, which can eventually turn into tears and lead to internal bleeding.
- Chronic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreatic tissue) leads not only to a feeling of an overfilled stomach, but also to excruciating pain in the left hypochondrium.
- Cholecystitis makes every time after eating a feeling of heaviness, aching pain in the abdominal region, heartburn.
Correction of nutrition as a way to deal with a feeling of full stomach
A crucial role in the treatment of such conditions is nutrition. A healthy diet is the best treatment for a feeling of an overfilled stomach (reasons do not play a big role here). It is worth knowing your diagnosis, since the principles of nutrition for pancreatitis and gastritis will be slightly different. The causes of a feeling of full stomach and belching most often lie precisely in improper nutrition. So you have to completely change it.
Here are the basic rules of nutrition that will help get rid of the feeling of an overfilled stomach:
- adhere to a fractional separate diet (do not mix carbohydrates with fats), the total mass of food for one meal is no more than 200 g;
- try to temporarily exclude dairy products completely, if the problem is lactose intolerance, then this step will benefit;
- refuse fatty meat (in particular, pork);
- refuse mayonnaise, ketchup and other factory sauces;
- replace sweet carbonated drinks with fruit drinks and home-made compotes;
- refuse fried foods (french fries, fried eggs in oil);
- refuse to drink alcohol.
Which doctor should I go to and what tests should I go?
In order to find out the exact reasons for the feeling of an overfilled stomach, a comprehensive examination should be done. You can use the free medical examination of the population. If this is not possible, then you need to take a coupon for an appointment with a local therapist.
This general practitioner will prescribe standard tests: urine, feces, blood biochemistry. The results of these studies will help to compile the overall clinical picture of the patient’s health status. After that, it will be clear in which direction to proceed. The therapist can write out coupons for consultation with an endocrinologist, gastroenterologist, immunologist, hepatologist.
These are specialists with a narrow focus. They, in turn, will write out directions for the study of organs on ultrasound, MRI. You may have to take a picture of the gastrointestinal tract using the method of x-ray, to undergo the procedure of FGDS or endoscopy.
Varieties of drug treatment
All diseases of the gastrointestinal tract have similar symptoms. So the exact diagnosis can be found only after examination and obtaining the results of the tests.
Depending on the diagnosis, drugs of various classes will be prescribed:
- prokinetics - for the treatment of severity and bloating;
- pancreoenzymes - drugs for rapid digestion;
- antacids - from heaviness in the abdomen;
- antispasmodics - from pain and bloating;
- antidiarrheal and antiemetic drugs.
In addition, dietary correction and therapeutic diet will be required.
Prokinetics for the treatment of severity and swelling
This class of drugs stimulates gastric motility. Thanks to this action, stagnant food passes into the intestines, and a constant feeling of an overflowing stomach leaves the patient.
- Ganaton gently stimulates the motility of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract and has practically no contraindications (with the exception of individual intolerance to the components).
- Motilium is sold in tablet form and as a solution, one of the most popular drugs among prokinetics.
- "Gastricumel" by the principle of its action is similar to "Ganaton".
These drugs are fairly safe and can be purchased at any pharmacy without a special prescription from a doctor. Of the minuses: in some patients, they can provoke diarrhea, so you need to start taking it with minimal dosages.
Pancreoenzymes - drugs for rapid digestion
These are analogues of the enzymes that the pancreas produces. Without these substances, the digestion of food is impossible, it will stand for hours in the stomach and rot. As a result, the patient will experience pain, weakness, bloating, belching with a hydrogen sulfide flavor.
Depending on the stage of development of pancreatitis, the doctor may prescribe various drugs.
The most popular enzyme substitute is Pancreatin (Mezim). This drug is known to almost all people over forty years old. It is cheap, has a minimum of side effects. You can buy in a pharmacy without a prescription. Often people take a couple of Pancreatin tablets as a preventative measure before a feast, in order to support the healthy functioning of the digestive tract.
If you feel a full stomach and burp air with the smell of hydrogen sulfide, you should try "Festal". This is a powerful enzyme that contributes to the rapid digestion of food. You can use it as a prevention of digestive problems before feasts.
Antacids - drugs for heaviness in the stomach
These drugs cover the gastric mucosa with a protective film. They help to alleviate the patient’s condition with chronic cholecystitis, hepatitis of various origins, gastritis, peptic ulcer and a number of serious diseases of the abdominal organs. This action effectively prevents a feeling of full stomach and belching, heartburn, bloating.
Here is a list of the most popular antacids:
- "Phosphalugel";
- Rennie
- Omeprazole;
- Smecta.
Rarely does anyone know that the Omeprazole preparation is an analogue of the expensive Omez foreign medicine. The active substance is the same for them, and the principle of action is similar. If the first drug costs around fifty rubles, then its foreign counterpart is almost four hundred. Omeprazole is effective in a number of diseases, including gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and erosion. A cheap and effective tool that can be used both for the prevention of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and for the treatment of existing problems.
Antispasmodics for pain and swelling
If the patient has spasms of the smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal tract, it is worth stopping them with antispasmodics. These are effective painkillers that quickly eliminate stomach pain.
Here are the most popular ones:
- No-Shpa;
- Meteospasmil;
- "Duspatalin."
Few people know that the antispasmodic No-Shpa has a cheap analogue of domestic production called Drotaverin. These drugs have the same active substance and the same principle of action, and the cost at the same time differs several times. These medications can be used for a feeling of full stomach during pregnancy, since they have practically no contraindications. Also allowed their use in children and adolescents.
Antidiarrheal and antiemetic drugs
If the malaise is accompanied by diarrhea, it is worth connecting to the therapy "Smecta", "Enterosgel", funds based on activated carbon. Such conditions are usually accompanied by dehydration, so it would not hurt to drink Regidron in parallel to restore the water-salt balance. The loss of electrolytes has an extremely negative effect on overall health and can aggravate digestive problems.
Feeling full after eating is accompanied by nausea and vomiting? Antiemetic drugs will come to the rescue. For example, Tserukal, Motilium. If nausea is constantly felt, you should consult a doctor, most often it is a symptom of serious chronic diseases of the internal organs.
Folk recipes and methods
Treatment with alternative methods will never lose its relevance. These recipes are simple, the components for them are in almost every home. In addition, they do not cause absolutely no side effects, except in cases of individual allergic reactions.
- Decoction based on the root of elecampane. Pour a tablespoon of crushed dry root with boiling water, let it brew. You can drink it as a separate drink, for example, replace tea and coffee with this decoction, useful for the stomach.
- Propolis and sea buckthorn oil. Propolis should be filled with boiling water, let it brew for half an hour. The proportions are as follows: a tablespoon of propolis in a glass of water. Before use, add a few drops of sea buckthorn oil. Take on an empty stomach two to three times a day. In some cases, such a recipe leads to a mild laxative effect.
- Chamomile. It is famous for its anti-inflammatory and anesthetic properties. Chamomile infusion is prepared as follows: a tablespoon of dried chopped flowers should be poured with a glass of boiling water and let it brew for an hour. Take the resulting infusion of 30 ml before each meal.
- Aloe and honey. You should select the fleshy leaves of aloe and grind them in a blender (or grate on a fine grater). Mix in equal proportions with fresh floral honey. Take the resulting suspension in a teaspoon before each meal.
Prevention and medical advice
The feeling of a full stomach and belching will leave the patient for many years, if he adheres to the following recommendations:
- refuse completely carbonated, sugary and alcoholic drinks;
- review your diet and adhere to fractional meals, never overeat;
- pass the necessary tests and make sure that there are no chronic diseases (and if any, strictly follow the treatment regimen with special drugs);
- observe the rules of personal hygiene and make sure that there is no parasitic infestation;
- attend annual medical check-up events annually so as not to miss the onset of serious diseases.
Such simple advice to adhere to the strength of everyone.