Constant hunger

If a person feels a constant feeling of hunger, then it is worth considering a failure in this system. But only a doctor can determine the cause of such a deviation.

Nature has endowed man with many physiologically necessary capabilities that ensure that he does not forget to eat, sleep, and remove waste products from his body. The feeling of hunger is one of them. It is controlled by the nutrition center, which is located in the cerebral cortex and is connected to the digestive organs through the endings of the central nervous system. This center consists of two sectors: the "satiety area", localized in the ventromedial section of the hypothalamus, and the "hunger area", located in the lateral sector. As a result of the impact on these points, the brain receives a signal about saturation or the need to add energy in the form of nutrients.

Reasons for constant feeling of hunger

The points in the brain that regulate the supply of food receive this information from two sources:

• By signals transmitted by nerve endings coming from the gastrointestinal tract.
• Information is processed about the quantitative component of “indicator” substances found in human blood: various amino acids, glucose, and the level of fat components obtained during their breakdown.

The reasons for a constant feeling of hunger can be quite different:

• Hyperrexia. The patient constantly wants to eat, while his body does not experience a physiological need to replenish nutrients.
• Hyperthyroidism. Increased production of an enzyme by the thyroid gland.
• Diabetes mellitus.
• Diseases of the stomach: gastritis with high acidity, ulcers.
• Psychological dependence on food.
• Excessive mental strain.
• Hormonal imbalance.
• High physical exertion, which entails large energy losses.
• Dietary restrictions.
• Long-term depressive states.
• Constant stress.
• Thirst.
• Menstrual cycle disorder.
• Improper nutrition.
• Diets.

The feeling of hunger comes to a person when the stomach signals the brain about the lack of energy reserves in the body. In essence, this is its reaction, protecting organs and systems from exhaustion. Why does a constant feeling of hunger arise? When asking this question, we can talk about a psychological or physiological disorder.

Normal:

• an impulse is given about the need to replenish energy reserves,
• the body received nutrition,
• the next impulse passes, signaling saturation.
• hunger passes.

In the case of a constant feeling of hunger, there comes a moment when one of the connections breaks. The patient constantly wants to eat and if the cause is not identified and adequate measures are not taken, this will inevitably lead to obesity and the accompanying pathology that follows from it.

To better understand the problem, it is necessary to know the process that leads to such a sensation. The source of the signal about the lack of food is the stomach, the impulse is sent through the peripheral nerves to the hypothalamus, which controls the level of glucose and other components of the plasma. From this moment on, a mechanism is triggered that starts a chain reaction of neurochemical transformations that provoke a response in the body: rumbling in the stomach, sucking in the pit of the stomach. In parallel, the necessary biochemical transformations occur, trying to maintain the internal balance of the environment. For example, the process of fat breakdown is activated, the rate of glucose production is stimulated, etc.

After the stomach has received nutrition, another signal goes from it to the brain. The processes occurring in the "satiety center" are more complex. Doctors designate the excitation of neurons in this area as an indicator of secondary saturation.

Before receiving the command that the body is full (the glucose level has reached the norm), some time must pass after eating. This gradient depends on the speed of food intake, the amount of carbohydrates in food products, the physiological characteristics of the body and other indicators.

Initially, the brain receives a signal of saturation from the receptors of the nose, eyes, and oral cavity (I see, touch, and feel food), then - with the stretching of the muscular tissue of the stomach (the organ is filled with products). Information about satiety comes - food consumption can be stopped.

That is, the body works in a complex manner and failure of at least one of the systems leads to destabilization of the body. Oddly enough, but mainly such an imbalance has a stimulating effect on the "hunger area". Quite often you can hear that a person "eats away his problems". And this is not far from the truth. Deep psychological problems, pathology of the endocrine system very often develop a persistent dominant for obtaining food, and it is quite difficult to get rid of this problem.

[ 1 ]

Symptoms of constant hunger

A person begins to feel hunger when the first impulses begin to emanate from the stomach.

• In a normal state, a person begins to understand that he is hungry 12 hours after eating (depending on the individual component, this indicator may vary).
• The stomach contracts with spasms that last for about half a minute. Then there is a short break and the spasms resume. After some time, the contractions become constant and are perceived more acutely.
• Starts to "suck on the floor with a spoon."
• A rumbling sound appears in the abdominal area.

Emotional outbursts can suppress the feeling of hunger for some time. It has been noted that people with high blood sugar (diabetics) suffer more from the feeling of hunger.

Probably, during his practice, any doctor has heard from patients the phrase: "I constantly feel hungry." But only a certified specialist can determine the cause of such symptoms. After all, it would seem that such a natural feeling for a person as hunger can become the first signal of a more serious disease of both organic and psychological nature. Or it can become a messenger of joyful news that a woman will soon become a mother, being a symptom of pregnancy.

Constant feeling of hunger in the stomach

Our technogenic food market has atrophied the ability of many to eat, listening to their bodies. Modern man, especially in industrial areas, is more prone to emotional dependence on food. That is, we eat not because we want to, but out of a desire to please ourselves with something tasty. Symptoms of nervous bulimia appear. Many have simply forgotten what a natural feeling of hunger is.

A healthy person feels natural hunger several hours after eating, but psychological dependence and disruption of physiological processes intensify this feeling almost immediately after eating.

Pathology of the central nervous system can provoke constant excitation of the hunger center. It will not be possible to solve this problem at once. Corrective diets, physical exercises, hypnosis sessions and psychologists, as it turned out, are powerless here.

Hormonal imbalance. A constant feeling of hunger in the stomach can also be caused by endocrine system malfunctions. Leptins, enzymes that are a product of adipocyte fat cells, can become a catalyst for the excitation of brain structures. In a normal state, leptins have a calming effect on the hypothalamus areas responsible for hunger. If energy reserves fall (diet, illness), the leptin level increases sharply and provokes the need to have a snack, especially sweet foods. Such signals are akin to the urge to eat less.

Vitamins. These substances are necessary for the full healthy functioning of the body, but the body itself cannot reproduce them. They participate in the work of all systems and organs without exception. Their deficiency in the body (especially vitamins of group B) negatively affects not only the skin, hair and nail structure, but also provokes a persistent desire to eat. That is, artificial or natural vitamin deficiency (living in northern regions, where the percentage of consumption of vegetables and fruits is low) provokes in people the need to replenish the supply of nutrients.

Diets, especially carbohydrate-free diets. The main food for the human brain is simple carbohydrates. Their deficiency in the body leads to a deficit in brain nutrition, which cannot but affect other functions of the body. The brain begins to starve and demand replenishment of spent resources. Against the background of a carbohydrate-free diet, people losing weight constantly experience a feeling of hunger and especially an irresistible desire to eat something sweet.

[ 2 ], [ 3 ], [ 4 ]

Constant feeling of hunger during pregnancy

During pregnancy, the body begins to rebuild itself in order to first bear the child, then give birth to it and feed it. The hormonal background changes significantly, which can be the reason why many women experience a constant feeling of hunger during pregnancy. Stress also plays a significant role in this situation.

But the persistent desire to eat can be a signal for the expectant mother that her body has developed a deficiency of such substances and elements as vitamins, magnesium, calcium and iron. Therefore, in order to eliminate these symptoms, the pregnant woman needs to balance her diet. Include vegetables and fruits, vitamin complexes. Minimize stressful situations, spend more time outdoors. After all, a constant feeling of hunger makes the expectant mother eat away it, which will certainly affect her weight gain. And a significant excess of body weight is detrimental not only for the unborn baby, but also for herself.

Constant feeling of hunger in a child

Many mothers complain that it is very difficult to feed the child. He categorically refuses to eat. But there is another extreme, when the baby does not reach the saturation phase, he wants to eat constantly. The reason for such a deviation may be a malfunction in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, a disruption in the work of metabolic processes. The fragile body of the baby quite quickly stimulates the development of an enlarged stomach. Now the baby needs more and more food to be satisfied. Therefore, if parents observe a constant feeling of hunger in the child, it is worth sounding the alarm, immediately consulting a specialist.

Only by understanding the cause of the dysfunction can an effective diet and treatment be prescribed. But how can parents help their baby on their own?

• The baby needs to be fed three to four times a day, with snacks in between. This is quite enough for the normal development and growth of the young organism.
• Get the child interested in active games. At the same time, there should be no food products within reach, especially sweets and pastries.
• If the baby still asks to eat between feedings, it is better to replace buns and cookies with vegetables and fruits.
• The amount of food on a baby's plate should be less than that of an adult.

From childhood, it is necessary to instill in children a healthy attitude towards food, explaining that food is not the goal of life, but a means to actively live an interesting day. If the mother herself is intensively on diets, complaining about excess weight, then the baby also develops an increased interest in food. First of all, parents themselves need to change, revising their attitude to the feast, shifting the emphasis of their lives from the cult of food to interests of a different plan.

But if the child already has a constant feeling of hunger, it is worth seeking help from a pediatric nutritionist and psychologist. The nutritionist will prescribe a well-thought-out balanced diet, and the child psychologist will help remove the psychological attitudes towards the baby's constant need for food.

Nausea and constant feeling of hunger

It is not uncommon for a person to complain not only about a constant desire to eat. Nausea and a constant feeling of hunger can be symptoms of a fairly wide range of diseases. One of these is hypoglycemia. This pathology is characterized by a low level of glucose in the blood plasma, and the body seeks to compensate for this deficiency with food, especially sweet foods. After establishing the diagnosis and the severity of its course, the doctor is ready to prescribe the necessary treatment.

But this sign is accompanied not only by multiple pathological deviations. These symptoms can be a harbinger of the birth of a new life - pregnancy. Therefore, do not delay with diagnostics, you need to contact a specialist who will help determine the diagnosis.

Constant feeling of hunger after eating

It is not uncommon for a person to feel a constant feeling of hunger after eating. There may be several reasons for this paradox.

• Due to some physiological and psychological reasons, the blood glucose level has dropped. A long-term imbalance of insulin and glucose can provoke the development of diabetes, while the patient experiences a constant feeling of hunger. Relieving it with food gradually leads to excess weight and obesity, the precursors of diabetes.
• A sharp change in diet (health fasting, corrective diets, radical change of residence). For some time, the human digestive system undergoes a restructuring, adjusting to new nutritional conditions.
• A significant limitation in the amount and frequency of food intake. The stomach does not receive enough food and simply constantly "wants to eat", especially after eating. That is, it is ready to process more, but it is not given. Therefore, you should not load your body with a daily amount of food in one go, it will be much more useful to spread it out over three or four approaches.
• Stress. When in a negatively excited state, the body needs encouragement ("happiness hormone"), which often comes down to eating something tasty ("stress eating"). This tendency provokes a strong stress-food connection, so in such a situation a person experiences a constant feeling of hunger after eating. It is necessary to avoid such situations. In severe cases, only a psychologist can help break this connection.
• Excessive mental workload also provokes hunger attacks, although the person has eaten quite recently. It often happens that mental workers do not adhere to any regimen and, more than once, replace lunch with snacks (candies, nuts, cookies, etc.). With such a daily routine, the worker begins to feel hungry already a quarter of an hour after eating. The way out of this situation should be a transition to a balanced, three or four meals a day in small portions. It is better to use dried fruits as snacks.
• A constant feeling of hunger after eating can also be provoked by frequent diets. The body, placed within the framework of a lack of nutrition, strives to replenish it even from a minimal amount of food, while constantly asking for replenishment of reserves, dressing these requests in a constant desire to eat. It is necessary to treat your body more carefully. It is better to accustom yourself to normal balanced food than to injure yourself with debilitating diets later.
• Such symptoms may also occur due to a lack of specific substances, vitamins or microelements in the body. For example, if you constantly crave salty foods, this is not only a sign of pregnancy, but also a signal that the body is experiencing a magnesium deficiency. The way out of this situation is to adjust your diet by introducing (in this case) legumes, nuts, sea fish, and so on. If you crave sweets, it is better to replace candy with raisins and dried fruits. Introduce poultry, fruits and cabbage into your diet. This will replenish the lack of sulfur, chromium and phosphorus in the body.
• It can provoke a constant feeling of hunger and premenstrual syndrome. A few days before its onset, many women experience an irresistible desire to snack on something all the time. The reason is the absence of the hormone estrogen in the body. To somehow smooth out this situation, in the premenstrual period, you should limit the consumption of baked goods and sweets, and increase the intake of vegetables and fruits. It is necessary to drink a lot of water during this period.

Constant feeling of hunger with gastritis

Increased acidity of gastric secretions can be the cause that provokes a constant feeling of hunger in gastritis (hyperacid gastritis). Such patients are well aware of the feeling of sucking pain "under the pit of the stomach", which can be dulled even by "killing the worm" (eating at least a little). This situation can also indicate other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract - ulcerative manifestations on the mucous membrane of the duodenum and stomach. Therefore, before starting treatment for gastritis, it is worth clarifying the diagnosis.

To somehow stop the desire to constantly eat something, it is necessary to introduce a gentle diet, which is prescribed and monitored by the attending physician. In this case, the daily norm of nutrient consumption is distributed over five to six meals. Fried, spicy, smoked and salty food, as well as tea and coffee are excluded from the diet.

[ 5 ], [ 6 ], [ 7 ]

What to do if you feel hungry all the time?

Are you constantly tormented by the desire to throw something tasty into your mouth? Is your weight breaking all records? The question naturally arises: "What to do with a constant feeling of hunger?"

First, you need to contact your local doctor, who, after assessing the situation, will refer the patient to a specialist of a narrower profile. If the problem is not neglected, nutritionists recommend adjusting your diet:

• Introduce more fiber.
• “Drink down” your hunger with mineral or plain clean water.
• In this case, the size and color of the plate from which the patient eats is also important: it should be small, so that a small amount of food can fit, and light in color (avoid yellow and red colors - they stimulate the appetite).
• You need to chew food slowly and thoroughly. A leisurely meal will give the stomach time to "signal" to the brain that it is full and "doesn't want to eat anymore." Otherwise, the stomach is already full, the signal of satiety has not yet arrived and the person continues to stuff himself with excess food.
• It is advisable to eat in a place suitable for this. Do not combine eating with reading newspapers or watching TV.
• A diet is not a reason to strictly limit your body's nutrition.
• You shouldn't linger at the dinner table after you've eaten, so that you don't get tempted to try something else.
• Eating while standing also provokes the desire to eat more.
• It is necessary to reduce the consumption of foods that stimulate appetite
• The last meal should be no later than two hours before bedtime.
• While working, remove any food from the visible area to avoid temptation.
• Any interesting activity distracts the brain from food, allowing you to forget about it at least for a while. But you shouldn't forget about eating either. The intervals between gluttony should be kept within three to four hours.

If the reason for the constant feeling of hunger lies in psychological dependence or diseases of this direction, in this case it is necessary to consult a psychologist and a neurologist, who will draw up measures that will allow you to effectively help the problem.

An examination by an endocrinologist or gastroenterologist may be necessary, because the causes of the problem in question may lie in a hormonal imbalance, thyroid disease, or gastrointestinal tract disease. To eliminate the problem, it is necessary to eliminate the cause that provoked it - undergo a full course of treatment for the underlying disease.

As you can see from the article, the causes of this condition are quite varied and in order to eliminate this unpleasant symptom, it is necessary to identify the root cause. Only a specialist can do this without harming the patient's health. And if at first glance the constant feeling of hunger seems to be an insignificant problem, then this is far from the case. Do not self-medicate, prescribing all sorts of diets for yourself, such actions can further consolidate the disease. Subsequently, much more effort and money will have to be spent to bring the body back to normal.