Stomach ache at night after a rich meal
Some patients complain of stomach pains, especially at night. These occur mainly after a rich dinner. The lying position during sleep plays a major role.
On the one hand, the passage of food from the stomach to the intestine is slowed down. On the other hand, lying down favors a rise of hydrochloric acid in the form of heartburn. This can impress as stomach ache.
In addition, the occurrence of stomach pain, especially at night, indicates an ulcer in the duodenum. This ulcer attaches itself to the stomach and can thus also cause stomach pain. The symptoms can be effectively relieved, especially at night, by adopting a slightly raised posture for sleeping.
In addition, you should not eat large portions of food, especially fats and proteins, in the evening. In this way, the amount of gastric acid can be controlled and the complaints can be relieved at night. Stomach ache after eating Various forms of food intolerance can be the cause of stomach ache after eating.
There is also flatulence, heartburn and possibly diarrhoea.
- Due to an enzyme defect, certain food components in the gastrointestinal tract cannot be processed. This is an option: Lactose intolerance (milk sugar), fructose intolerance (milk sugar), fats, etc.
- A functional disorder of, for example, the motility (mobility) of the gastrointestinal tract can make it difficult to digest food and thus lead to stomach pain after eating.
- It is also possible to be allergic to food components such as: cereals (coeliac disease), nuts, fish, spices, etc.
In this case, the immune system is sensitized to certain allergens contained in the food and shows an allergic reaction after eating. Besides symptoms in the digestive tract (stomach pain, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea), symptoms of the skin (itching, rashes), the respiratory tract, the cardiovascular system are typical.
Heartburn = reflux disease Heartburn is also often experienced as stomach pain after eating. The lower sphincter muscle of the esophagus does not close tightly, which allows acid stomach contents to reflux into the esophagus and causes pain.
An increase in pressure in the stomach due to pregnancy or obesity can also lead to the reflux of stomach contents. The reflux of stomach contents leads to the remodelling of tissue in the oesophagus (epithelial metaplasia), which is called beret esophagus.
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