Why does the stomach hurt at night: reasons for what to do

Medical statistics note the frequency of visits with pain syndrome. After conducting a thorough interview, the doctor makes a preliminary diagnosis, prescribes an examination and treatment. Patients complain that the stomach begins to ache in the evening. The mentioned symptom may indicate a malfunction in the organ and become the first bell about the possible development of peptic ulcer disease, gastritis.

Causes of night pain

The stomach begins to ache with spasms, forcing the organ to contract and stretch. Excessive production of gastric juice occurs and, accordingly, the amount of hydrochloric acid increases. There is irritation of the walls of the organ. Causes of nighttime abdominal pain:

• Inflammatory processes. An intestinal infection can also be a source.
• Excessive amount of gases. Air can accumulate in the abdomen while eating, and there may be increased gas formation in other digestive organs, in the intestines. If it is impossible to remove them naturally, bloating and unpleasant sensations occur. The pains appear at night due to the relaxation of the muscles of the organs.
• Accelerated contraction of the walls of the esophagus.
• Excited state of the patient.

In addition to reasons, in medicine there is a division of pain itself into a number of types:

• Visceral. Nerve endings located on the walls of the abdominal region are irritated. It is characterized by aching and dull pain.
• Parietal. The irritation is on the peritoneum. The pain syndrome is intense, the source is easily identified. The patient tries to take shallow breaths to minimize the movement of the abdomen and diaphragm, helps to slightly reduce the pain.
• Psychogenic. The negative reaction of the body to stress. The symptoms are very diverse, it all depends on the degree of nervous tension. It usually develops in people with mental illness. Manifested by pain in the stomach.
• Neurogenic. It manifests itself as a consequence of diseases associated with human neuralgia. It is characterized as chronic pain. Nerve tissues are damaged and pain signals are incorrectly sent to the brain. It develops in diseases: alcoholism, diabetes, HIV, multiple sclerosis. The patient feels a burning sensation, numbness, tingling sensation.

By the nature of the pain, the possible cause is judged. The doctor wants to know what pain syndrome the patient is worried about: strong, aching, throbbing, shooting, burning. What accompanies the symptom: hunger, nausea, increased gas production, an increase in body temperature, sweating. Even a change in the color of urine and feces will help in the diagnosis.

If the urine darkens and the feces become lighter, there is evidence of abnormalities in the gastrointestinal tract. The pancreas, liver and bile ducts should also be the focus of medical attention. The appearance of pain at night and for no apparent reason - the patient is supposed to provide first aid, and in the morning it is imperative to call a doctor.

Attention! If the color of the feces is dark, closer to black, it means that there is bleeding in the intestines, urgent hospitalization is necessary, followed by surgery.

Of no small importance is the place where the pain syndrome is felt. If the source is at the top of the abdomen, a stomach ulcer, duodenal ulcer, liver dysfunction, pancreas are possible.

The severity of the stomach disease is indicated by the posture taken by the patient to reduce the intensity of sensations. Changing the position of the body does not save long, the pain returns again. This is a hint of immediate medical attention.

If the nighttime stomach pains are short-lived, this indicates an improper and irregular diet. It is enough to adjust the menu, refuse products that cause discomfort, and the unpleasant sensation will not bother you.

Major diseases

If the pain persists, no matter what position the patient takes, the cause is the disease. A number of diseases have been noted that make the stomach ache at night.

Gastritis

A disease that occurs in every third inhabitant of the planet. Inflammatory process on the gastric mucosa. This leads to disruption of the organ and leads to malfunctions in the gastrointestinal tract. The source is considered to be an infection with Helicobacter pylori. Uncontrolled intake of anti-inflammatory drugs and nervous tension are additional causes of gastritis. The patient complains of aching pain, he is tormented by nausea, vomiting, heartburn, sour belching. Symptoms are most pronounced on an empty stomach and at night.

Peptic ulcer

With an ulcer, small wounds form on the walls of the organ, sometimes bleeding. The disease is the result of a prolonged inflammatory process on the mucous membrane. The patient's complaints are similar to those of gastritis. The pain is sharp, sharp, worse in the evening

Gastroesophageal stomach disease

The disease affects the esophagus. Under the action of acid from the stomach, the mucous membrane on the walls of the organ becomes inflamed. The reason is the inability of the sphincter to completely block the passage for stomach contents into the esophagus. There is a throwing of food and, accordingly, gastric juice. The patient experiences heartburn, belching and nausea. Symptoms worsen at night, in the supine position, the lower part of the esophagus is relaxed and does not block the outflow.

Minor diseases

Rarely occurring diseases, but causing pain in the stomach area. Especially in the evening and before bedtime.

Diaphragmatic hernia

The position of a part of the stomach or intestines relative to the diaphragm changes. More precisely, the penetration into the chest of an organ that is normally under a protective shell. The patient feels heartburn, hiccups, heart rhythm disturbances, difficulty swallowing. The condition worsens when the body is in a horizontal position.

Abdominal migraine

Children are the main patients with symptoms of the disease. Pain syndrome occurs for no apparent reason, suddenly, at night the condition worsens. It is believed to be a hereditary disease.

First aid

For stomach pains, self-medication is dangerous. Consultation with a doctor, examination, tests are required.

They call the general rules for providing first aid to a patient without taking strong drugs that can relieve pain in order to avoid negative effects on other organs.

The first thing to remember is that you cannot eat with pain in the stomach. Fasting for several hours will greatly improve the condition. If necessary, it is permissible to drink warm tea. Lie down, calm down, do not get nervous, raise your legs above your head. Sometimes there is a case when ice water helps, but it is enough for the patient to take one or two sips and understand whether it will help or not.

Doctors advise drinking mint tea and chicken broth, but in small doses. The intake of any means and liquids should be accompanied by self-monitoring of the state of the stomach on the part of the patient. If the pain increases from tea, water or broth, it is recommended that you stop drinking these liquids immediately.

On the day of the development of pain or the next day, you need to contact a gastroenterologist, who will examine, feel, send for examination, and make a diagnosis. The main thing is to prescribe a treatment that is suitable for a particular patient, taking into account the characteristics of his body.

Today, there are thousands of recommendations of people who have been treated and advise medication. What's good for one person may not work for another. Only a specialist will help the patient choose an individual treatment plan and medications!

Treatment

For the treatment of the digestive system, they turn to a gastroenterologist. Night pain in the stomach is an extremely serious symptom that requires a visit to the hospital. The doctor collects a history of the disease: when the illness, where, what are the diet, habits, the presence or absence of stress. This is followed by a physical examination (palpation of the patient's abdomen). Fibrogastroduodenoscopy is prescribed. This examination consists in the introduction of a special apparatus with a video camera through the throat, the gastrointestinal tract is examined. Today this is the only way to obtain information about the state of internal organs. A biopsy is prescribed if there is a suspicion of a malignant tumor.

The gastroenterologist prescribes medications to relieve pain and spasms, to normalize the functions of the stomach, antibiotics. Medicines are taken according to the doctor's prescription, you should not self-medicate.

Each patient has the right to consult several doctors. The treatment plan and the regimen for taking medications depends on the period of the illness, on the intensity of the symptoms, on the general state of human health. For a more effective use of medications, the patient must follow a diet. Exclude spicy, sour, fried, fatty, smoking and alcoholic beverages from the diet.