Nausea

Burning in the stomach and nausea may be associated. Since the burning sensation in the stomach is usually caused by excessive acid production in the stomach, the acid-base balance of the body shifts to the acidic environment. The body can only function in a very narrow pH range (acid range).

This lies between pH-value 7.35 and 7.45. A shift below the value of 7.35 is equivalent to an over-acidification of the body. Excessive acid production in the stomach is called metabolic acidosis.

This is particularly the case in long periods of hunger, when the gastric acid produced cannot be “neutralised” by food. Vomiting then occurs because the body wants to get rid of the excess acid quickly. Even after extreme sporting activities – for example, marathons or competitions – you sometimes see athletes throwing up.

The “overacidification” of the muscles during exertion leads via the above-mentioned mechanism to a “expulsion” of the excess acid – the athlete has to vomit. However, nausea can also have other causes. Especially in connection with a burning sensation in the stomach, gastritis must always be considered.

Medicine distinguishes between three forms of gastritis, type A, type B, and type C. Since type A & B are usually asymptomatic, only type C gastritis will be discussed here. Type C gastritis is caused by chemical noxae – i.e. chemical pollutants. These include alcohol, cigarette smoke, but also painkillers of the NSAR class, i.e. Ibuprofen®, and Aspirin® (to name the most well-known).

A permanent combination of the three components mentioned – for example in the form of nights out drinking – can lead to type C gastritis. A gastritis is nothing else than an inflammation of the “gaster”, i.e. the stomach. Typical of this is a constant feeling of fullness, which is associated with a burning sensation in the chest and constant belching.

Unpleasantly, belching does not bring any relief, and so the burning, and the feeling of fullness, remains until chronic nausea and burning in the entire chest area develops. The solution to this problem is to abstain from painkillers, alcohol and nicotine. Stress is also considered a triggering factor for type C gastritis, and should be avoided at all costs.

Although the symptoms can be eliminated in the short term with so-called proton pump inhibitors (PPI for short), long-term medication with PPI paradoxically leads to gastrointestinal complaints in many cases. This can then lead to flatulence and diarrhoea. A typical proton pump inhibitor is Pantoprazole®, and generally medicines that end in -prazole.

They inhibit the acid formation in the stomach. However, nausea and vomiting, a burning sensation in the stomach, and diffuse stomach pain can always be a sign of more serious complications. One such complication is gastric cancer, or stomach cancer.

Unfortunately, these symptoms only appear when a therapy has little chance of success. In addition to the above-mentioned symptoms, unintentional weight loss, increased occurrence of fever, and heavy night sweats (to the extent that the bed linen has to be changed) can also occur. Such a constellation should be clarified by a doctor.

This is done by means of a gastroscopy, with simultaneous biopsy (taking tissue samples) at several points of the stomach. In Western Europe, about 30 out of 100,000 people fall ill with stomach cancer every year. If the stomach carcinoma is detected in time, there is a five-year survival rate of over 80% after surgical treatment.

Therapies for end stage gastric cancer provide survival rates of only about 20% within the five years after surgery. Diarrhoea and flatulence are indicative of disorders of the digestive tract. The causes can be of various kinds.

In the simplest case, a simultaneous burning sensation in the stomach can be caused by eating too quickly and swallowing air at the same time. The swallowed air is passed on in the stomach and reaches the intestines. There, an unpleasant feeling of fullness and the proverbial “rumbling in the stomach” develops.

Rotaviruses are accompanied by vomiting, yellow-green, foul-smelling stools, and possibly slightly elevated body temperature. Rotaviruses are considered worldwide to be the most common pathogens for gastroenteritis in infants and toddlers. They are also highly contagious, which is why strict hygiene regulations must be observed when dealing with rotavirus patients.

One can be vaccinated against rotaviruses. Noroviruses cause cramp-like pain in the stomach, watery diarrhoea and vomiting. Viral infections are treated symptomatically, i.e. only the symptoms are combated, and the spread of the infection is prevented by hygienic measures.

Salmonellae are found particularly in animal products such as eggs and poultry. The classic is tiramisu, which has been left out in the sun for too long at garden parties. After a few hours or days, cramp-like pain, burning in the stomach, diarrhoea and vomiting occur.

Almost always there is an additional fever. Due to the frequent and water-rich diarrhoea, dehydration occurs quickly, which is why a high intake of fluids is important. Antibiotics are only administered in severe cases, and especially to young or old patients.

Normally, however, the body copes well with the infection on its own. What helps additionally, however, is to reduce the amount of food to a few, high-energy foods, such as rusk and tea, or for children perhaps rather salt sticks and cola. However, flatulence and diarrhoea are also typical of a very well-known clinical picture, irritable bowel syndrome.

Almost every second patient who suffers from gastrointestinal complaints also suffers from irritable bowel syndrome. Typical symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome are nausea, flatulence, a feeling of fullness after eating, a feeling of incomplete bowel emptying, diarrhoea and diffuse pain over the stomach area. While the symptoms can severely restrict everyday life, it often helps to educate the patient about the harmlessness of the disease.

Although the pathological process that triggers irritable bowel syndrome is not yet fully understood, there is definitely an increased motility of the bowel. The cause is usually “only” stress, or anger and an unhealthy lifestyle. Plenty of fluids, fibre-rich food, such as muesli with wheat bran, and autogenic training can alleviate the symptoms relatively quickly. Irritable bowel syndrome is a diagnosis of exclusion, so it should only be diagnosed after all other possible causes have been excluded. For this reason, a series of physical examinations, a blood test and a stool test are usually carried out before the diagnosis is made.