Typically, gnawing pain in the stomach occurs due to peptic ulcer or stomach ulcer. The symptoms, causes and management plan are mentioned below.
Gnawing Stomach Pain Symptoms
- The chief symptom of a stomach ulcer is gnawing pain in the stomach (upper abdomen)
- It lasts for up to 3 hours.
- Associated features include: burning in the stomach, heart burn, eructation, indigestion and hunger pangs.
- Sometimes, the pain occurs directly after eating, while, at other times, it may occur when the stomach is empty.
- Characteristically, pain is relieved by drinking milk, eating, or taking antacids.
- Black tarry stools and anemia are other symptoms
Causes Of Gnawing Stomach Pain
- The direct cause is the damage to the gut mucosal lining by hydrochloric acid. Infection by H. pylori plays a pivotal role in causing ulcers. Helicobacter pylori is transmitted via contaminated food and water
- Stress is a contributing factor
- Chronic use of anti-inflammatory drugs
- Cigarette smoking
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Family history of ulcers
Remedies For Stomach Pain After Eating
- Correcting dietary errors is the first line of treatment.Stay away from fried and fatty foods. Avoid salty, refined, processed and spicy foods.
- Quit smoking and drinking alcohol
- Ensure that you eat every 3 hours.
- Step up your intake of alkaline foods – milk, bananas, prunes, apricots, raisins, apples and almonds.
- Begin the day with 3 dried figs and 10 raisins
- Drink plenty of water and liquids
- Stress management is an important aspect of the effective management of peptic ulcers. Engage in some de-stressing technique everyday; Yoga, Pranayama, aerobics, drawing, painting, meditation, reading, etc.