Severity in the abdomen after eating: causes, treatment, prevention

Heaviness in the stomach after a festive meal or the abuse of fatty foods is normal. The digestive system is overloaded, and an unpleasant symptom appears, but when healthy food comes back into the body in moderation, the discomfort disappears. If the heaviness in the stomach bothers you constantly or often, it is necessary to take measures after the diagnosis, which will reveal the causes of the phenomenon.

Common causes of heaviness in the stomach

The causes of stomach discomfort are directly related to diet, lifestyle, physical and emotional well-being. The group of provocateurs includes:

• regular use of low quality foods and foods harmful to the body. Expired food and meals saturated with fatty substances or preservatives harm the stomach when consumed regularly;
  

  Preservatives and dyes in food have a negative effect on the stomach

• non-observance of the diet. Stomach discomfort is often experienced by those who have a late breakfast and a hearty dinner (1-3 hours before bedtime);
  

  Eating before bed and nighttime snacks overwhelm the stomach

• eating food at a fast pace. Breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks in a hurry lead to a slow absorption of food in the body;
  

  Quick bites on the go are dangerous

• bad habits. Substances contained in tobacco and alcohol have a detrimental effect not only on the liver, but also on all organs of the digestive system;
  

  Alcohol and tobacco make the stomach even more vulnerable

• pregnancy. Severity in the stomach is one of the main symptoms of toxicosis. It is especially pronounced in the first trimester of pregnancy;
  

  During pregnancy, all organs, including the stomach, are gradually compressed and displaced. In the first trimester, discomfort occurs in the stomach due to increasing toxicosis

• hormonal changes. Malfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract are a frequent occurrence in adolescence, with menopause and various changes in hormonal levels;
  

  With menopause, significant hormonal changes occur. At this time, malfunctions of the stomach are possible.

• emotional stress. The nervous and digestive systems are connected, therefore, people who are prone to stress, neuroses and depression are prone to indigestion.
  

  Stress is a common culprit for stomach aches and pains

Important! A sedentary lifestyle is also included in the list of provocateurs. With low physical activity, digestion processes slow down.

What disease does the feeling of heaviness in the stomach indicate?

If the negative factors listed above have not affected the body, discomfort indicates the presence of diseases. Diseases that cause heaviness in the stomach after eating include:

• oncology of the digestive system;
  

  Stomach cancer and its stages of development

• pancreatic diseases (pancreatitis, cyst, pancreatic necrosis);
  

  Pancreatitis

• gastritis;
  

  Gastritis

• diabetes;
  

  Diabetes mellitus affects the work of the stomach

• intestinal dysbiosis;
  

  Dysbacteriosis

• cardiac ischemia;
  

  Ischemia

• liver dysfunction (cirrhosis, hepatitis, malignant and benign formations);
  

  Liver affected by cirrhosis

• diseases of the gallbladder (cholecystitis, cholangitis, bile duct dyskinesia).
  

  Cholecystitis

It is necessary to diagnose diseases that cause abnormalities in the functioning of the stomach in stationary medical conditions. Self-medication is fraught with dangerous consequences, a specialist should select drugs and procedures.

How to deal with a heaviness in the stomach

Rules to Avoid Stomach Upset

1. Avoid strict diets. An unbalanced diet is fraught with malfunctions in the gastrointestinal tract.
2. Drink 250 ml of clean water before breakfast. The action will prepare the digestive system for eating foods.
   

   A glass of clean water will help to activate the stomach in the morning.

3. Prevent the entry of toxins into the body. Stop smoking and drinking alcohol.
4. Chew food thoroughly. Take your time when consuming food and drinks.
   

   Chew food thoroughly

5. Watch your diet. It is advisable to eat at the same time 4-5 times a day. It is strongly discouraged to eat 4 hours before the night's rest.
6. Eat as much as your body needs. Overeating and hunger strikes provoke discomfort in the stomach.
   

   A hunger strike, like overeating, negatively affects the functioning of the stomach.

7. Lose excess weight if you have one. Extra pounds put stress on all body systems, and the digestive system is no exception.
8. Avoid stress. Use sedative medications as needed.
   

   Stress can make your stomach malfunction

Attention! Adjust your lifestyle if it is sedentary. Physical activity is the key to a normal metabolism.

What to eat with heaviness in the stomach

Correction of the diet is what is needed first of all when you feel heaviness in the stomach. It is necessary to change the food system taking into account the recommendations of specialists.

General recommendations

1. Eliminate any foods saturated with fats and preservatives. Fast food, sauces, chips, croutons, culinary and animal fats - all this overload the stomach and negatively affects its functioning.
   

   Fast food should be eliminated

2. Avoid foods that irritate the digestive system. It is necessary to minimize the addition of spices, vinegar and hot additives to dishes.
3. Replace carbonated drinks and packaged juices with tea and still mineral water. Gases and preservatives can cause bloating, and a healthy, naturally occurring liquid helps eliminate toxins. Freshly squeezed juices can only be consumed in small quantities.
   

   Carbonated drinks cause bloating

4. Limit protein intake. The only acceptable meats are turkey, rabbit, chicken, and tender veal.
5. Use fermented milk instead of dairy products. It is better to refuse fatty milk in favor of kefirs, hard cheeses and fermented baked milk. Let's say low-fat cottage cheese.
   

   It is better to use fermented milk products

6. Choose wholemeal bread. Second-grade flour products, black bread are suitable options. It is undesirable to eat any baked goods (buns, cakes, soft loaves).
7. Consume easily digestible cereals (buckwheat, rice, oatmeal) as side dishes. Pea porridge is highly discouraged. Only small noodles are allowed from pasta.
   

   Buckwheat and rice are easier to digest than other grains.

8. Consume first courses at least once a day. Make soups with vegetables, cereals, and lean meats. Animal broth should not be strong.
9. Add foods that improve digestion to your diet. These include prunes, pumpkin, dried apricots, beets, herbs and cucumbers.
   

   Prunes and dried apricots will improve digestion

Attention! The way food is prepared plays an important role. Even the recommended products, fried in a pan, lose their beneficial properties and become harmful. Give preference to steaming, baking (until crusty) and boiling.

Table. Example of a daily diet

Eating	Sample menu
First breakfast	Oatmeal with dried apricots, green tea.
Lunch	A glass of low-fat kefir.
Dinner	Vegetable soup, buckwheat porridge with steamed chicken breast, salad of fresh apples and carrots, a slice of second-grade flour bread, still mineral water.
Afternoon snack	Prunes, oatmeal cookies, green tea.
Dinner	Mashed potatoes with boiled turkey, a slice of black bread, grated beets, black tea.

Treatment

For diseases of the digestive system that provoke heaviness in the stomach after eating, the doctor draws up a treatment regimen. If the discomfort is not due to illness, you can use universal medicines that improve digestion:

• "Mezim";
  

  "Mezim" is a natural enzymatic agent

• "Motilium";
  

  Motilium successfully fights nausea

• "Activated carbon";
  

  "Activated carbon" is the most famous adsorbent

• Fitolax;
  

  Laxative "Fitolax"

• "Gastal";
  

  "Gastal" effectively fights heartburn after overeating

• "Acipol".
  

  "Acipol" will help restore normal intestinal microflora

Attention! Despite the mild effect of drugs from the list, before use, you need to familiarize yourself with the contraindications specified in the instructions. If the state of the body does not allow the use of the drug, you need to ask a specialist to choose an analogue.

Folk remedies also help to cope with the heaviness in the stomach. Use them only if the body tolerates well the components from which they are made. Consider a few recipes:

• lemon and clove drink. Boil half a liter of water with a teaspoon of dry cloves. Add two large tablespoons of lemon juice. The drink helps to relieve nausea and quench thirst. With gastritis, increased acidity of the stomach and ulcers, it is not recommended;
  

  Lemon with cloves

• herbal infusion. In half a liter of hot water, add one teaspoon of dry calendula, tansy and St. John's wort. Insist covered for twenty minutes. Drink half a glass before breakfast and before bed;
  

  Herbal infusions treat no worse than various medicines

• nettle broth with mint. In 250 ml of water, boil two tablespoons of dry stinging nettle and add a few leaves of lemon balm. Drink three tablespoons of the broth three times a day.
  

  Nettle and mint decoction

Important! In case of severe discomfort, you can massage the abdomen. The pressure should be light. It is advisable to drive over the abdomen with your hands from top to bottom and from bottom to top, as well as make circular movements.

A heaviness in the stomach is a symptom that cannot be ignored

Even if the discomfort in the abdominal area is due to overeating, you should not ignore the recommendations of specialists to eliminate it. Ignoring the correction of the diet and taking other beneficial measures can provoke a worsening of the situation and the development of serious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

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