Medically reviewed and approved by a board-certified member
Acid Reflux / GERD

What causes stomach pain at night?

BS Media
By BS Media Twitter Profile
Published: Monday, 29 May 2017
BS
Login to get unlimited free access
Table of contents
  1. Common causes
  2. When to see a doctor
  3. Prevention
night stomach pain is an extremely common problem and can occur for a variety of reasons.

galore cases of nightlong stomach pain are caused by digestive problems and improve with life style changes or basic medications.

night stomach pain can besides be a sign of more serious health conditions, so much as cancer or a internal organ event. so much cases are normally attended by extra, more severe symptoms.

Common causes


night stomach pain may be caused by feeding close to hour, acid reflux, or GERD.

Digestive problems are considered the most common cause of stomach pain at night.

Eating close to hour means digestion is more likely to occur piece lying down, making it easier for stomach acid to travel back up the digestive tract.

Sleeping difficulties and sleep disorders can make conditions like ulceration illness, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and inflammatory bowel illness (IBD) more likely or worse.

Lying down can besides greatly increase the pressure put on some muscular, joint, or bone injuries. This can make associated pain and discomfort more intense.

Common causes of night stomach pain include:

Acid reflux

When stomach acids travel up into the food pipe, a burning sensation occurs. Acid reflux besides often causes nausea, vomit, gas, bloating, sore throat, and cough.

A number of factors are thought to increase the risk of acid reflux, with the most common including:

  • excessive alcohol consumption
  • overfeeding, especially close to hour
  • lying down too shortly after feeding
  • being overweight
  • high-fat, spicy, and deep-fried foods, on with chocolate and coffee

Gut and throat conditions

Gastroesophageal reflux illness (GERD) is a common cause. Conditions that inflame the food pipe cause pyrosis, nausea, and dyspepsia. Symptoms often intensify when lying down.

inflammation is when the stomach walls become annoyed and inflamed. This can lead to a sense of pain or burning, as well as nausea, vomit, and gas. Untreated cases can lead to ulcerations, hemorrhage, and cancer.

Stomach and enteric, or organic process, ulcerations

Stomach and enteric ulcerations can cause a burning sensation in the stomach region. Pain can worsen after feeding as well as when the stomach is empty. night is often the longest stretch of the day between meals.

Most common causes include:

  • H. pylori bacteria
  • overuse or prolonged use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug drugs (NSAIDs)

Gallstones

The bladder is a small organ below the liver that releases gall. Secretions can build up and form hardened lumps called bilestones.

Gallstones can range in size from a speck of sand to a ping niff ball. Pain occurs when bilestones cause a blockage in the duct system of the bladder, liver, or pancreas.

Fatty or rich meals often make bilestone symptoms worse, since gall is important in the digestion of fat. Over 80 percentage of bilestones in the United States are due to hardened cholesterol.

Some individuals with bilestones do not have symptoms and do not require medical intervention. People with reoccurring episodes of bladder pain or inflammation may require surgery to remove the bladder.

As well as pain, bilestones can besides cause the following complications:

  • nausea or vomit
  • fever
  • yellowing of the skin and eyes
  • unexplained exhaustion
  • light-colored stool

Irritable bowel syndrome

Some people with IBS experience night stomach pain.

Gas and bloating are common symptoms that can occur especially after feeding. Having a large evening meal may make night abdominal pain worse in individuals with IBS.

Around 10-15 percentage of people have IBS and most are under the age of 50.

Celiac illness

An allergic reaction to macromolecule, a macromolecule in wheat, barley, rye, and Triticum spelta, causes inflammation of the small bowel often with cramping and abdominal pain.

Symptoms besides atypically include diarrhoea, extreme fatigue, and bloating.

Around 1 out of every 100 people globally are wedged by celiac illness. According to the Celiac illness Foundation, 2.5 million Americans are unknown and at risk of complications so much as poor growth, deficiency disease, nutriment and mineral deficiencies.

Crohn's illness

Crohn's illness is a type of IBD. It is an inflammation of the digestive track lining that causes abdominal pain, weight loss, and extreme fatigue.

An estimated 780,000 Americans may have Crohn's illness. Cases atypically present between the ages of 15 and 35.

Menstrual cramps or adenomyosis


Menstrual cramps may cause night stomach pain.

Cramping, bloating, gas, and general discomfort often occur during menses as the female internal reproductive organ lining sheds.

With adenomyosis, the tissue of the female internal reproductive organ lining grows overly outside the womb, often causation severe or durable catamenial pain.

Food allergies or intolerances

Individuals who cannot properly digest or process certain foods often experience pain, bloating, diarrhoea, and gas.

milk sugar intolerance is a common food intolerance that causes severe stomach cramping and pain.

Overall, food allergies and intolerance, especially in children, has been increasing undramatically over the past 20 years.

Other causes

  • Gas: Gas is a very common cause of stomach pain, especially at night as digestion slows down.
  • Constipation: When waste products build up in the colon, stretching, and pressure can cause pain throughout the abdomen.
  • Pulled or strained tissues: Lying down may increase the pressure on, or change the blood flow to sore tissues throughout the body, aggravating pain and discomfort.

When to see a doctor

Most cases of night stomach pain are not reason for immediate concern.

If symptoms occur more than once a week or become long-run, a doctor should be consulted. If symptoms interfere with everyday activities, especially healthy sleep, medical attention should besides be sought.

Certain symptoms, regardless of their severity or frequency, should be assessed by a doctor.

Symptoms associated with night stomach pain that require medical attention include:

  • severe or on-going pain that does not lessen with over-the-counter medications
  • fever
  • difficulty breathing
  • unexplained weight loss
  • swelling or inflammation of the stomach region
  • abdomen that is painful to touch
  • yellowing of the skin and eyes
  • on-going nausea or vomit, especially if vomit blood
  • blood in the stool
  • pain that occurs during pregnancy
  • joint and muscle aches

Though rare, severe stomach pain that occurs abruptly and without a clear reason may be a sign of serious health conditions.

One dangerous condtion is inflammation. In some people, the appendix becomes inflamed and septic. It can burst, causation severe infection that requires immediate medical attention and surgery.

Often, inflammation starts as pain that begins around the belly button and travels downward into the lower right side. It then normally worsens with the slightest activity or movement.

Other conditions associated with intense, unrelenting stomach pain include:

  • Kidney stones. Sharp, stabbing pain that begins in the mid back and spreads to the stomach and abdomen. There is often blood in the urine.
  • Food poisoning. Intense and abrupt onset of vomit, nausea, diarrhoea, and fever or chills. Symptoms lasting thirster than 24 hours should be self-addressed medically.
  • Cardiac events or conditions. Stomach pain on side an accrued heart rate, accrued swfeeding, nausea or vomit, difficulty breathing, tingling sensation in the arms or chest, or pain in the jaw and neck need immediate medical attention.
  • Hiatal herniation. Occurs when a part of the stomach passes into the chest cavity. Lying flat can increase reflux symptoms that normally occur with a hiatal herniation.
  • Stomach cancer. Stomach cancer can cause nearly all the symptoms atypically associated with general abdominal or digestive pain. Anytime a wide array of symptoms present, or become continuous, medical proposal should be sought.

In the case of any of these conditions, medical evaluation is important in order to receive a proper diagnosing and treatment.

Prevention

There are galore fairly simple shipway to reduce the risk of experiencing night stomach pain.

Lifestyle changes and over-the-counter medications are generally the first suggested line of treatment. Over-the-counter medications that treat gas and dyspepsia may be helpful.


Avoiding rich and fatty foods close to hour is suggested to prevent and manage night stomach pain.

Prescription medications like antibiotics are useful against H. pylori. Pain medications may be used to treat severe cases of certain types of digestive problems.

Surgical options besides exist to treat the more serious health conditions associated with night stomach pain.

Common tips for the bar and management of night stomach pain include:

  • avoiding feeding close to hour
  • elevating the head of the bed piece sleeping
  • avoiding rich or fatty foods, coffee, or chocolate at night
  • avoiding or limiting alcohol consumption
  • avoiding overfeeding
  • using over-the-counter medications. galore of these are besides available online, including antacids and gas medications
Was this page helpful?
(0 votes)
End of the article