Epigastralgia (epigastric pain): causes and treatments

This symptom and discomfort can have several causes, and indicates that something is wrong with the body.

Epigastralgia is one of the most common gastrointestinal pains.. In most cases it is due to indigestion, although it can also be caused by physical illnesses, especially esophageal reflux disease.

In this article we will analyze what epigastric pain consists of, what other symptoms are associated with it, what are its most common causes and what are the most common causes, what are its most common causes and what treatments exist to combat it. to combat it.

What is epigastralgia?

The term "epigastralgia" is used to designate pain in the epigastrium. pain that occurs in the epigastrium.. This designation corresponds to the upper medial part of the abdomen, located between the navel and the ribs, behind the sternum.

In the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) epigastralgia is listed as "pain in the epigastrium". In this manual it is roughly equated with indigestion or dyspepsia, although there are many possible causes for this type of pain.

In particular, epigastralgia is associated with esophageal reflux diseasewhich causes heartburn and other gastrointestinal symptoms. Although by itself epigastric pain is not considered a severe symptom, it can be caused by this and other diseases that require medical intervention.

Associated symptoms

Epigastralgia is itself a symptom of various diseases and transient disturbances affecting the stomach. It may occur in isolation but it is very common for other gastrointestinal symptoms to occur simultaneously, which vary depending on the specific causes of the discomfort.

Thus, epigastric pain is often accompanied by the following symptoms:

• Heartburn, burning, or sourness. (heartburn)
• Bloating of the stomach
• Excessive sensation of fullness after eating
• Belching with or without regurgitation of food or liquid
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Flatulence
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Insomnia (as a result of discomfort)

Causes of epigastralgia

The main causes of epigastralgia are related to the digestive systemalthough this symptom can also be due to alterations in other parts of the body.

1. Dyspepsia (indigestion)

"Dyspepsia is the general term for any disorder affecting digestion, so it is a very common syndrome in the general population and among people who seek medical advice. In addition to epigastralgia it can cause other gastrointestinal symptoms such as heartburn, nausea and flatulence.

It is a mostly benign disorder, which can be transient or chronic and is usually due to an unhealthy diet. Normally indigestion is due to overeating, with different types of food being more or lessdifferent types of food are more or less likely to cause indigestion in each person.

2. Esophageal reflux disease

Esophageal reflux disease causes acid from the stomach to flow into the esophagus, which connects the stomach to the throat; this damages the esophagus and throat, which are not protected by the stomach lining.

This disorder can cause symptoms such as epigastralgia, heartburn, breathing and swallowing difficulties, chronic cough and chest pain.The esophagus and throat are not protected by the mucous membrane of the stomach, which is not protected by the stomach mucosa.

3. Alcohol consumption

The consumption of large quantities of alcohol, especially if it occurs chronically, irritates and damages the stomach lining, causing this organ to become inflamed and more vulnerable to the acid it produces. This can result in the set of gastrointestinal symptoms described above.

4. Pregnancy

During pregnancy, the fetus squeezes the abdominal walls, which can cause pain in the abdomen.This can cause pain in the epigastrium and other areas of the abdomen. In addition, the hormonal changes that occur during this period may cause acid reflux and other gastrointestinal disturbances, and therefore epigastralgia.

5. Gastritis

Gastritis consists of inflammation of the gastric mucosa, which protects the stomach from digestive acid. Like epigastritis, it can be caused by very diverse reasons, from poor nutrition and psychophysiological stress to infections or the abuse of certain substances.

6. Peptic ulcer

Peptic ulcers are lesions that occur in the mucosa lining the stomach. They appear when the defenses of the digestive system are not sufficient to control the agents that attack it, mainly infections of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori and the excessive and continued consumption of non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Treatment and management

The most appropriate treatment for epigastralgia depends on the cause of the pain. Habit change is often very effective, especially at the dietary level; in particular, it is recommended to reduce the consumption of fats and the quantity of food the stomach to be in the best possible condition.

In some cases, medical intervention may be necessary, especially if the symptoms are very severe or the cause of epigastralgia is one of the diseases mentioned in the previous section, such as peptic ulcer and esophageal reflux disease.

At the symptomatic level, the use of omeprazole and other drugs that reduce the production of acidic acid is usually recommended. medications that reduce gastric acid production, but only if they are prescribedbut only if they are prescribed by physicians. In general, the best way to manage epigastralgia is to acquire healthier eating habits, since indigestion is the most common cause of this problem.

Caution should be exercised when taking ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs since, as we have said, they can be aggressive to the stomach. If these medications are being consumed and symptoms of epigastralgia appear, it is probably more appropriate to change analgesics.