If after a meal the stomach hurts, the reason lies in the irritation of the mucous membranes of the digestive tract. Depending on the nature of the painful sensations, as well as the intensity of the symptom, we can judge the presence of a chronic disease or its acute form. We will try to understand which diseases lead to discomfort.
Why can stomach ache after eating?
Chronic gastritis
Most often, the stomach aches immediately after eating with exacerbation of chronic gastritis . The intensity of painful sensations is related to the degree of irritation of the mucous membranes. The provoking factor of pain is the use of foods with a lot of fiber and fat, as well as spicy condiments, pickled and salted delicacies.
Depending on the strength of the spasms of the muscles of the body and the concentration of hydrochloric acid, the pains can be of completely different character:
- pressing;
- burning;
- cutting;
- pulling.
Simultaneously with pain, the following symptoms appear:
- nausea with bouts of vomiting;
- heartburn;
- increased flatulence;
- belching with a sour taste or unpleasant odor;
- diarrhea or diarrhea.
Esophageal reflux
Another reason why the stomach hurts after eating, is esophageal reflux. The disease is associated with a weakening of the sphincter, a link between the esophagus and the stomach. In a healthy person, the sphincter passes the chewed food into the stomach and tightly closes, preventing the contents of the organ from percolating back into the esophageal region.
However, when the muscle ring is weakened, undigested food and gastric juice seep into the esophagus, causing severe heartburn. As the pathology is neglected, the symptom is joined by pain. The tissues of the esophagus are constantly irritated, which can lead to the formation of ulcers and even necrotic processes.
Stomach ulcer
If it hurts and burns in the stomach after eating, it can be a problem such as an ulcer. In this case, pain can equally appear immediately after ingestion or delayed by 1-1.5 hours. This occurs as a result of a gradual increase in the concentration of hydrochloric acid in gastric juice. Once the digested food advances into the 12-типерстную intestine, the concentration of acid decreases and the severity of the painful syndrome decreases significantly.
A person with a stomach ulcer may have a variety of painful sensations:
- intensive;
- drilling;
- stitching;
- spasmodic;
- retrosternal.
Gastroduodenitis
If the inflammatory process affects the lower part of the stomach and the upper portion of the 12-типерстной of the intestine, the pain becomes a sign of another disease, spread among the lovers tasty and dense to eat. Gastroduodenitis refers to pathologies that last for years and worsen at the slightest violation of dietary intake. As a rule, painful sensations are localized near the navel and "under the spoon". The symptom is joined by:
- rotten or sour belch ;
- heaviness in the upper abdomen;
- increased gassing.
If the stomach hurts two hours after eating, most likely, the inflammation affects only the 12-типерстную gut.
Why do pregnant women have stomach after eating?
Often, pregnant women are interested in why they have a stomach ache after eating, and then suddenly a symptom passes - what is it? It turns out that the growing uterus involuntarily squeezes the organs of the digestive tract, which leads to the appearance of painful sensations. In addition, during the period of gestation, chronic diseases are aggravated, probably the development of neuroses.
If you or your loved ones have stomach pain, it is advisable not to delay the visit to the gastroenterologist. Soreness is a sign of pathology, which is much harder to treat when going to a chronic form.