What Causes Stomach Pain When Hungry?

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Have you ever experienced hunger pangs? Hunger pangs, aka stomach pain when hungry, are typical symptoms when the stomach muscles clench when empty. Despite its usual harmlessness, stomach pain when hungry can actually lead to more serious gastric conditions. This article will provide you with information about stomach pain and stomach disorders.
Is Stomach Pain When Hungry Normal?

If you get hungry and your stomach gets rumbling, it is completely normal. Stomach pain when hungry or hunger pangs can happen to anyone. The painful gnawing sensation might feel different to each individual. The stomach muscles clench even though the stomach is empty, causing the feeling of contraction and painful discomfort.

Hunger pangs can sometimes occur as upper stomach pain when hungry as well. It depends on each person due to their different physiques. However, hunger pangs don’t always indicate a true need for a meal. The stomach may get used to a specific time of day for having a meal; hence, it clenches itself routinely.

Stomach pain when hungry can be either harmless or dangerous, depending on other conditions. If there are other symptoms happening at the same time with hunger pangs, maybe you should consider the possibility of gastric disorders. Hunger pangs can be warning signals of serious diseases, so you should not ignore them.
What are Common Causes for Stomach Pain When Hungry?

Stomach pain when hungry can be irritating indeed, but if you know about the causes, you can prevent yourself from feeling the gnawing discomfort. Here are some examples of common causes of hunger pangs:

• Hunger hormone. Ghrelin is a hunger hormone in charge of releasing stomach acids to digest foods. If ghrelin is released and there are no contents in your stomach, it is possible for stomach acids to attack the organ and cause stomach pain.

• Quality of food eaten. The main function of this factor is insulin. Insulin is a hormone regulating blood sugar. If insulin level decreases, ghrelin is released more. Hence, hunger pangs.

• Lack of sleep. Getting enough rest is important since sleep deprivation can cause you to crave sweets and sugary stuff, including high-fat foods. It can cause hunger pangs as well.

• Stress. Stress is one of the most common causes of stomach pain when hungry. Emotional hunger can arise due to stress or heightened emotional state such as anger. It causes the body to emotionally feel hungry and desire to eat.

• Medications. Some medications such as antidepressants may interfere with hunger signals and ghrelin release. Consult your doctor for precise prescription and advice.

Can Gastritis Causes Stomach Pain When Hungry

Stomach pain when hungry is confusing in itself since it can indicate various conditions. People may wonder why do stomachs hurt when hungry, or even if it is gastritis? Stomach pain when hungry, or hunger pangs, can be caused by Gastritis.

Gastritis is a condition in which you feel a gnawing discomfort in your stomach. Sometimes upper stomach pain is apparent as well. It can be a cramp in the epigastric region, or abdominal tenderness. Stomach pain when hungry is normally caused by Gastritis, but that might not always be the case. Other stomach disorders are also possible.

Other stomach disorders do not always have abdominal tenderness or stomach pain. In some cases, patients may experience blood vomiting and other serious symptoms before deciding to see the doctor. Such symptoms are the characteristics of stomach ulcers: a condition which is caused by excess acid production. Burning pain or chest pain is typically a normal symptom of stomach ulcers. This sensation results from repetitive acid reflux and chronic inflammation, causing the esophagus to swell and get damaged. These symptoms, along with stomach pain, indicate the need for professional advice.

What is Gastritis

Gastritis is commonly known as a general term for conditions involving inflammation of the lining of the stomach. The inflammation is most often the result of bacterial infection together with other prerequisites such as drinking alcohol and regular use of certain types of medications. Gastritis can be acute (occur suddenly) or chronic (appear and progress slowly overtime). Normally, the condition is not serious and improves quickly with treatment. However, gastritis can also result in stomach ulcers and other gastrointestinal conditions like stomach cancer.

Gastritis Symptoms

Here are some examples of gastritis symptoms:

• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Burning ache in the upper stomach. (Upper stomach pain when hungry is included.)
• Gnawing sensation in the stomach
• A bloated stomach.

Gastritis Treatment

Gastritis is generally not a serious condition and can improve with treatment. These suggestions below are some examples of how to treat gastritis:

• Lifestyle change. The most common and basic treatment is to change your lifestyle, especially eating habits. Avoid eating spicy or sour foods. Avoid drinking alcohol, tea, and coffee.

• Medications. Basic medications for gastritis are antacids and stimulating gastric compression medication. However, in the cases of stomach ulcers, the doctor might recommend you to have antacids continuously for 6-8 weeks to heal the wounds in the stomach.

• Carminative drugs. These medications are recommended in case of a bloated stomach. If there are no symptoms as such, there is no need to take carminative drugs.

• Rest and try to be stress-free. Stress can induce gastritis to occur as well as sleep deprivation.

Gartris Disease And Stomach Pain When Hungry

Stomach pain when hungry is an ordinary occurrence, but it should not be ignored for the condition can develop into more serious diseases. Most people might think that the gnawing pain or upper stomach pain when hungry is harmless. It is not. Hunger pangs are typically frequent signs of two different types of gastrointestinal diseases:

Gastritis Without Ulcer

There are many factors contributing to gastric without ulcer. The most common ones are eating spicy food or a frequent habit of not eating on time. Sour foods and fermented foods are one of the major factors regarding gastritis without ulcer as well, including drinking alcohol and coffee. These factors irritate the lining of the stomach and eventually lead to chronic inflammation, increasing the risk of gastric ulcers and duodenal ulcers.

Ulcerative Gastritis

Ulcerative Gastritis is usually a result of regular usage of some anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs: ibuprofen, diclofenac, proxen, etc.) or bacterial infection transmitted through eating. H. pylori, the bacteria causing stomach ulcers, lives in the mucous layer of the stomach. The mechanism of this bacterial infection is that it dilutes stomach acid by producing alkaline substances, then produces toxins to damage the epithelial cells of the stomach. Gastric mucosa gets inflamed and results in gastric ulcers, in severe cases, gastric cancer.
Stomach Pain When Hungry Conclusion

Hunger pangs or stomach pain when hungry is a normal occurrence. It can be either harmless or harmful, depending on each individual’s health. It is recommended to differentiate normal hunger pangs from gastritis. The common symptoms of gastritis are nausea, vomiting, and a burning ache in the stomach. Seeking professional advice is recommended to properly treat Gastritis and prevent other complications. Lifestyle adjustments are also helpful in terms of treating and preventing gastritis.