The 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, such as hunger or overeating, eating heavy food for digestion. But if a person experiences heaviness in the stomach, bloating, stool disorders (diarrhea or constipation), increased gas formation and other unpleasant symptoms quite often, you should contact a gastroenterologist to undergo a comprehensive examination and begin treatment.
General information
Heaviness in the stomach and belching, increased gas formation and discomfort in the abdomen, stool disorders - all these are common symptoms of functional disorders in various pathologies of the digestive system. It reduces activity, interferes with daily activities and impairs quality of life. If athe 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 fasting or eating too much food. In such cases, the severity disappears as soon as the digestive system copes with the volume of meals consumed. In pregnant women, heaviness may be associated with hormonal changes. If discomfort is combined with nausea and vomiting, severe pain, then we are most likely talking about the development of gastrointestinal diseases.
Possible causes
The causes of heaviness in the stomach after eating are very diverse, because this is not a specific symptom, but a general one. Discomfort may be accompanied by other signs of pathology from the digestive system or occur independently from time to time. A feeling of heaviness in the stomach can be triggered by the following reasons:
- Diseases of the digestive system in acute or chronic form: gastritis, hepatitis, cirrhosis, cholecystitis, peptic ulcer, gastroduodenitis, colitis and so on.
- Disorders of metabolic processes in various diseases and pathological conditions (diabetes mellitus, obesity).
- The use of certain drugs. Indigestion and heaviness of the stomach can be caused by antibiotics, iron preparations, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, hormones, and so on.
- Worm infestations. Parasites can be present in the body asymptomatically, so it is recommended to periodically undergo diagnostics evenin the absence of alarming symptoms and take antihelminthic drugs at a prophylactic dosage.
- Unhe althy diet: bad eating habits, irritating food, overeating or starving, eating food on the go or cold, not following a routine, diet changes, and so on.
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Intolerance to lactose or certain foods. Heaviness in the abdomen 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 on the part of the skin (rashes, itching) and respiratory organs (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 gastrointestinal dysfunction.
- Smoking. Substances that are part of tobacco smoke impair blood circulation, including blood circulation in the digestive system. As a result, the walls of the stomach may lose the ability to consistently and evenly move food. This causes a feeling of heaviness in the stomach.
- Pregnancy and other natural hormonal changes (menopause, PMS).
- Obesity. If you have extra pounds, intra-abdominal pressure may increase, which negatively affects the digestive processes.
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Age-related changes. With agethe digestive system is disturbed, digestion slows down, and the quality of digestion decreases.
Unhe althy diet
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 digestive tract, which causes difficulty with bowel movements, a feeling of heaviness in the upper abdomen and other problems.
The motor function of the stomach (promotion of food through the gastrointestinal tract) is stimulated by the use of frozen or cold foods. If food passes too quickly, it can cause loose stools and discomfort. Warm, liquid foods are best digested, so gastroenterologists recommend eating liquid meals (soups or broths) at least three to four times a week.
The cause of heaviness and pain in the stomach is often non-compliance with the diet. If the intervals between meals are too long, the stomach may begin to hurt. Discomfort often appears in those who are accustomed to having a heavy dinner before bedtime. In this case, instead of resting, the stomach is forced to digest food.
Digestive organs overload and unusually abundant food intake. 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 amount of food consumed, there is a feeling of fullness in the stomach, heaviness in the upper part.
In addition, somefoods can themselves disrupt the digestive processes. These are fatty, fried and s alty foods, too spicy foods, foods rich in carbohydrates (sweets, pastries, potatoes) or protein (mushrooms, eggs, legumes), "fast food", marinades and sauces, canned and smoked meats, carbonated drinks and alcohol. Some people experience indigestion after drinking whole milk. This may indicate intolerance to its components.
Impaired bowel movements
The normal frequency of bowel movements is one to three (with excessive food intake) times a day, at least three to four times a week. If the feces are not excreted for too long, they accumulate in the rectum and create a feeling of pressure. Excessive volume of feces can compress and displace the internal organs. Constipation is also characterized by increased gas formation, which aggravates well-being.
Defecation frequency can be disturbed for various reasons. In expectant and young mothers, this is due to hormonal changes in the body. Some pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract (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 the diet.
So, it is recommended to eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, drink more fluids. You need to eat regularly, but in small portions. It is advisable to exclude fatty, s alty, spicy, sourfood, sweets and pastries, as well as foods that lead to increased gas formation. If the disorder is caused by malnutrition, then these measures will help to cope with constipation.
Premenstrual syndrome
Some women experience discomfort and heaviness in the stomach when menstruation approaches. The reason is the hormonal changes that occur during this period in the body. Heaviness may be a consequence of tissue edema before menstruation. Promotes swelling and increased production of a hormone that slows down the excretion of fluid from the body. After critical days, the water-s alt balance returns to normal, and the heaviness in the abdomen disappears on its own.
To reduce the manifestations of PMS to a minimum, you need to reduce the amount of sweet and s alty in the diet, move more if you feel well (this does not allow blood to stagnate, improves intestinal motility and reduces gas formation), reduce the consumption of tea, coffee, carbonated drinks switch to plain water. It is necessary to diversify the diet with 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 disease. In most cases, there is no specific clinical picture, that is, the same symptoms may 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 appear in heart disease.
Most often in adults, the disease manifests itself as follows: heartburn, nausea, bad breath (subject to hygiene rules), flatulence, heaviness in the abdomen, pain in the epigastric region before, after or during meals, stool disorders, lack of appetite. In chronic gastritis, patients experience weight loss, tachycardia, increased fatigue, sudden changes in blood pressure, and irritability. The exacerbation is accompanied by an increase in the intensity of negative phenomena.
The cause of the disease in most cases is infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. This pathogen is found in 90% of patients with gastritis. But this is not the only factor that affects the development of the disease. Of great importance are the concomitant ones: the presence of bad habits, unbalanced nutrition, stress, uncontrolled use of drugs, decreased immunity, local foci of infection in the body (including caries), decreased immunity, improper eating habits.
Diagnosis is carried out in several stages, because it is necessary 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 become chronic, then pathological changes become irreversible. But with the right drug therapy, you can stabilize the patient's condition andprevent complications.
Peptic ulcer
Inflammation, chronic stress, alcoholism, decreased immunity, increased acidity of gastric juice can provoke gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer. Among the risk factors, one can list a hereditary predisposition, the use of poor-quality food, and certain medications. The ulcer may be associated with other diseases: tuberculosis, cirrhosis, gastritis, pancreatitis, diabetes 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, weight loss and appetite, vomiting, bloating. To diagnose the disease, you need to contact a gastroenterologist. Usually, general blood and urine tests, a study of the acidity of gastric juice are prescribed. If internal bleeding is suspected, an additional fecal occult blood test is indicated.
Ulcer therapy should be comprehensive. Antibacterial drugs are used ("Furazolidone", "Metronidazole"), prokinetics, agents that regulate the acidity of gastric juice ("Omeprazole", "Kvamatel"), antispasmodics, the patient must adhere to dietary nutritional therapy. So, with heaviness in the stomach, what to do to reduce discomfort? If the symptom is caused by a peptic ulcer, then it is necessary to take the prescribed drugs regularly.
Chronic cholecystitis
Slowly progressive inflammation of the gallbladder, occurring with periods of exacerbation, is most often diagnosed in women over forty years of age (this is due to the influence of hormonal causes). The disease develops against the background of a violation of the outflow of bile, this can be caused by the presence of stones in the gallbladder, dyskinesia, congenital deformity of the gallbladder. Inflammation can be caused by helminthic invasions, 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, disturbances in the digestion of food. Strict adherence to the diet plays a special role in the treatment. Of the medications, hepatoprotectors, choleretic agents, antibiotics, drugs that enhance peristalsis, antispasmodics, antiprotozoal drugs, and so on are used.
Food poisoning
Why does heaviness in the stomach occur after eating food? When combined with vomiting and diarrhea, muscle spasms, fever, general weakness, convulsions, in most cases we can talk about poisoning. Provoke food poisoning can be the use of low-quality or missing products, 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 stored incorrectly, mushrooms that grew in ecologically hazardous areas, andetc.
Distinctive signs of food poisoning are: the rapid development of the disease, the massiveness of the lesion (symptoms develop in everyone who consumed the product), a short incubation period of pathogenic microorganisms (from one to six). The victim begins to ache in the stomach, nausea and vomiting appear, general weakness, cold sticky sweat appears, blood pressure decreases, the heartbeat quickens, the temperature rises. In mild cases, everything is limited to a feeling of heaviness in the stomach and diarrhea. Possible dizziness, increased salivation, decreased muscle tone, visual impairment, paralysis, brain damage (coma, hallucinations, delirium).
It is imperative to call an ambulance if a child under three years of age, a pregnant woman or an elderly person has been poisoned. It is urgent to consult a doctor if the temperature rises to 40 degrees Celsius or symptoms appear after eating poisonous plants, mushrooms. Medical intervention requires diarrhea more than ten times a day, constant vomiting, feces mixed with blood, severe dehydration.
If there is a heaviness in the stomach, what should I do? With mild discomfort caused by poisoning, the symptoms can be managed on their own. You need to drink plenty of fluids (it should be clean water) and induce vomiting. After cleansing the stomach, you should take sorbents that will remove harmful substances from the body. If there is no vomiting or diarrhea, a laxative should be taken so that the toxins are not absorbed. Once the conditionreturned to normal, you need to monitor the work of the digestive tract. At first, it is recommended to eat only light food that will not irritate the walls of the stomach. If the condition does not improve, you should immediately call an ambulance.
Gallstones
Cholelithiasis occurs when the lithogenicity of bile increases, which occurs as a result of excessive intake of cholesterol. The most common symptoms of pathology are heartburn, discoloration of the stool, discomfort in the right hypochondrium, impaired bowel function (increased gas formation, constipation or diarrhea), a bitter taste in the mouth. Stones can come out on their own, and it becomes difficult for the patient to breathe. Heaviness in the stomach is accompanied by fever and severe pain.
Complicated forms of the disease or acute conditions are subject to treatment. In the presence of stones, the patient is recommended to follow a strict therapeutic diet and regime, if possible, lead an active lifestyle. Meals should be fractional, fatty, fried and “heavy” dishes, marinades and smoked meats, sweets and pastries, carbonated drinks are excluded from the menu. The intake of drugs that destroy the structure of stones (for example, Ursosana, Henofalk and others) is shown. For single small inclusions, the method of shock wave therapy is used.
Common drugs
What to do with discomfort? With heaviness in the stomach after eating, what to take to alleviate your condition? At home, you can urgently hold a heating pad with warm water on your stomach, makelight massage and take pain medication. It is necessary to normalize nutrition, pick up medicines to treat the disease, which has become the main cause of discomfort. In some cases, a specialist may recommend alternative methods (for example, treatment with herbal decoctions) or physiotherapy.
With heaviness in the stomach after eating, what to take from the pills? "Festal" eliminates nausea and heaviness. With minor symptoms, one tablet after a meal is enough to relieve discomfort. If the signs are pronounced and permanent, then you can drink two tablets (one before a meal, one more after a meal). The course of treatment is a maximum of 14 days.
"Mezim" perfectly helps in a situation where a person's stomach swells. Heaviness in the stomach (these are often accompanying symptoms) can also be eliminated with this remedy. In addition, it speeds up digestion, improves pancreas function, and is recommended for use in many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. After taking the tablet, 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 heaviness and removes bile, and "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 uncontrolledthe use of various medications by patients. Therefore, before buying any product in a pharmacy, it is recommended to consult a therapist or gastroenterologist so as not to harm yourself.
