The word “stomach” often is used mistakenly to refer to the entire abdomen, which contains the stomach, intestines and other organs of the digestive system. The stomach is located on the left side of the abdomen immediately below the diaphragm. It is a J-shaped pouch that extends from the esophagus and empties into the duodenal portion of the small intestine. Its functions are to store food as the food is mechanically churned with gastric secretions; begin the process of protein digestion; carry on limited absorption; and move food into the small intestine. It often is the site of gas pains and bloating after eating.
Indigestion
The medical term for indigestion is dyspepsia. It is a nonspecific term that describes discomfort that occurs in the upper abdomen, often after eating. This discomfort can be a feeling of fullness or bloating of the stomach, which may be relieved by belching. Other discomforts can include feeling full shortly after starting to eat, nausea or vomiting. “Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment” reports that dyspepsia occurs in 25 percent of the adult population and accounts for 3 percent of general office visits.
Food or Drug Intolerance
Dyspepsia can be caused by overeating, eating high-fat foods, eating during stressful situations or drinking too much alcohol or coffee. Many medications cause indigestion, including aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs.
Functional Dyspepsia
Functional dyspepsia is the most common cause of chronic indigestion. Functional is a term used to describe disturbances in the way a specific organ functions. Dyspepsia may be due to a problem with nerve conduction from the stomach to the nervous system, delayed emptying of stomach contents, or gastroparesis, impaired accommodation to food volume or psychosocial stressors.
Swallowed Air
Aerophagia is the medical term for swallowed air. This is the most common reason for gas in the stomach after eating. Gulping food, eating too fast, sipping through a straw, drinking from narrow-mouthed bottles and drinking carbonated drinks and beer all involve ingestion of air. Ill-fitting dentures also may contribute to aerophagia.
Stomach Cancer
A more serious cause of excessive burping and gas is stomach cancer. Dyspepsia is one of the symptoms of stomach cancer. Medical Minute reports that one in a million people under age 55 and one in 50 of all ages complaining of dyspepsia are diagnosed with stomach cancer.
Recommendations
If you suffer from stomach gas pains that are persistent, no matter what solution you try or what you eat, or if the problem seems to be getting worse, an assessment by a health care provider is in order to rule out any potentially serious causes.
References
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Gas in the Digestive Tract
- Medical Minute; Stomach Cancer; August 2009
- “Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment”; Stephen J. McPhee, M.D., Editor; 2009; Page 487
