Symptoms of overeating

Research suggests that most people with problems of excess weight and uncontrolled eating cannot accurately name how and when the first signs of an eating disorder appeared.

First of all, overeating leaves behind a feeling of heaviness in the stomach, bloating, and in some cases, bowel movements. If gluttony is regular, then all organs and systems are affected. Sleep problems, gastrointestinal discomfort begin, and the skin condition gradually worsens.

Pain in the liver and pancreas is also possible. In the future, uncontrolled eating leads to pathologies of the cardiovascular system, disrupts the hormonal balance of the body and metabolic processes.

Psychosomatics of overeating

Psychological factors are important in the life of every person. Emotional overstrain, worries, emotional deficit and many other psychosomatic components can transform into an uncontrollable desire to eat. This entails a number of complications and consequences that negatively affect the functioning of the entire body.

Psychosomatics, that is, the relationship between emotional needs and real pathologies can cause various disorders and diseases. The psychogenic component is discussed in the case when a person has all the signs of the disease, but they do not respond to treatment with medications. In this case, therapy, or rather correction of the patient's condition, is carried out by a psychologist.

The main psychological causes of overeating include:

1. Eating habits – the style of eating is formed in childhood, so in adulthood it is quite difficult to overcome the developed habits. The most common misconception that parents impose on children from early childhood: for good health it is necessary to eat a lot and the rule of an empty plate, when it is necessary to finish all the food, even through force.
2. Emotional experiences – conflicts in the family or at work can cause a desire to receive a kind of compensation in the form of unhealthy food. Gradually, such compensation becomes a habit and is one of the most effective methods of calming and relaxing. At the same time, it has been proven that women are more prone to eating away emotional shocks than men.
3. Stress – prolonged nervous experiences cause stress for the whole organism. Because of this, the nervous system becomes excited, painful symptoms appear. This condition reduces appetite for a while, but then a gluttony attack begins, that is, stress eating.
4. Psychological trauma – any factors that disrupt the psyche cause a complex of various symptoms, one of which is gluttony. In children, this may be the divorce of parents, lack of friends and difficulties in communicating with the team. In adults: dissatisfaction with one’s own appearance, problems at work or school, failures in personal life.
5. Food addiction is a bad habit that is no different from alcohol or nicotine addiction. That is, a person gets satisfaction from eating an excessive amount of food. If overeating is followed by a feeling of guilt, then bulimia may occur, when a person tries to get rid of what he has eaten by inducing vomiting or starting to starve.

The style of eating indicates the mental state of a person. After satisfying hunger, a feeling of security arises for a time. Under the influence of psychosomatic factors, the patient consumes an increased amount of food, but does not feel satiated.

The first signs of a painful condition are difficult to replace. Initially, the symptoms are blurred, but over time, the addiction manifests itself on a regular basis. The main psychological signs of gluttony include:

• Inability to influence the process of overeating.
• Compensation for emotional background or attention with food.
• Lack of a pronounced feeling of hunger.

Treatment, that is, correction of psychosomatics begins with a visit to a psychologist. The doctor determines the factors that caused the disorder and looks for methods to eliminate them. The duration of therapy depends on the severity of the disease and can range from a couple of months to several years.

Binge eating attacks

One of the most striking examples of eating disorders is binge eating, when a person loses control over themselves, consuming huge amounts of food. In most cases, the disorder occurs due to prolonged self-restriction in nutrition, for example, during a strict diet.

Such attacks can cause guilt and other negative emotions that make you quickly get rid of what you have eaten. To this end, people exhaust themselves with physical training, take laxatives and drink a lot of water, and induce vomiting. Gradually, everything normalizes, but as soon as a provoking factor appears, the attack repeats itself. In this case, the patient is diagnosed with nervous bulimia, that is, a cyclical eating disorder.

It is important to understand that overeating itself is not a disease. You can suspect a disorder if you have specific symptoms:

• Inability to stop gluttony. A person eats to the point of pain, that is, severe physical discomfort.
• Secrecy – loved ones may not even suspect that there is a problem.
• Eating increased amounts of food without significant weight fluctuations.
• Alternating between gluttony and starvation.
• Attempts to get rid of what has been eaten by vomiting or enemas.

Uncontrollable attacks of gluttony are associated with negative emotions and the action of certain genes. Studies have established that the disorder is based on dysfunction of the brain, which is responsible for the formation of a healthy appetite. There are also risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing an eating disorder: heredity, physiological characteristics, psychological and cultural reasons.

Treatment of the unpleasant condition is based on the elimination of negative factors causing attacks. The therapy is long-term and may include taking medications, for example, sedatives and a course of physiotherapy.

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Vomiting from and after overeating

There are many reasons that cause vomiting attacks after an episode of overeating. The unpleasant condition can be associated with intoxication, abuse of fried or spicy foods, sweets.

There is also such a thing as acetonemic vomiting, which occurs when overeating fatty foods. The pancreas cannot cope with the incoming amount of cholesterol, forming ketone bodies in the body. They affect the vomiting center of the brain, causing vomiting.

Recommendations for eliminating painful symptoms:

• Do not lie down to rest, as the horizontal position of the body will only increase discomfort and cause heartburn. Take a walk, stroll, but do not do vigorous exercises.
• Drink plenty of water. To improve digestion, you can drink chamomile or mint tea.
• Take activated charcoal tablets at a rate of 1 tablet per 10 kg of body weight. The charcoal will ease the painful condition and eliminate excess gas in the gastrointestinal tract.
• Avoid taking laxatives as they slow down the digestion process.
• At the first signs of relief, drink ½ glass of kefir or natural yogurt.
• The next day after vomiting, drink a glass of water with a spoonful of honey and lemon juice.

Very often vomiting from overeating occurs in children when parents overfeed their babies. Regurgitation of food is accompanied by abdominal pain, diarrhea, irritability. To relieve painful symptoms, the child can be given a little carbonated water to drink, which will increase intestinal peristalsis and the removal of excess food naturally. Children over 3 years old can be given enzyme preparations that speed up the digestion process.

Belching after overeating

Very often, a bout of gluttony ends in aerophagia. The type of belching depends on the food consumed. Most often, a sour taste appears in the mouth, which is caused by the contents of the stomach being thrown into the esophagus.

With uncontrolled consumption of different, incompatible products, many chemical reactions occur in the stomach. Because of this, increased gas production begins, the excess of which comes out through burping. Aerophagia by air occurs after drinking beer, alcohol and carbonated drinks.

Belching is classified according to the time of occurrence:

• Immediately after eating - gastroesophageal reflux disease, pyloric stenosis, insufficiency of the stomach sections.
• After 30 minutes to an hour – insufficient production of enzymes, chronic pancreatitis.
• After 2 hours or more – chronic gastritis, increased acidity of gastric juice.

Types of belching:

• Sour - various diseases of the digestive organs.
• With a rotten or putrid smell - a violation of the digestion process, cancerous lesions of the stomach.
• Bitter - a disorder of the food sphincters, which leads to the reflux of bile into the stomach and esophagus. It may also indicate liver disease or gallstones.
• Air - occurs when talking while eating or smoking, that is, when swallowing a large amount of air.

Increased gas formation and belching occur when the following products are abused: baked goods, black bread, legumes, beans, cabbage, radishes and horseradish, apples, pears, grapes. To eliminate the unpleasant condition, it is recommended to take enzymes that speed up the digestion process or drink a glass of warm water with a spoonful of soda.

Hiccups from overeating

Normally, the diaphragm works calmly, but if it is irritated, it begins to move jerkily. A sharp stream of air enters the throat, which hits the vocal cords and causes the sounds characteristic of hiccups.

Excessive food consumption leads to an increase in the size of the stomach, which begins to touch the diaphragm, irritating it. Hiccups when overeating can be accompanied by gagging. Very often, the painful condition occurs when eating dry food, as well as when overeating bread, bagels, buns. Hiccups make themselves known when drinking soda, alcohol, cold or very hot drinks.

To relax the diaphragm and eliminate hiccups, the following methods are recommended:

• Drink a glass of water in small sips.
• Take a deep breath and exhale several shallow breaths.
• Hold your breath.
• Slowly bend forward, then straighten up and raise your arms up, giving yourself a good stretch.

As a rule, hiccups last for 15-20 minutes, but if they persist for more than 48 hours, then this is a sign of a serious pathology. In this case, the unpleasant symptom may indicate irritation or damage to the vagus, phrenic nerve, laryngitis. Attacks can be a side effect of the medications used. Another possible cause of hiccups is diabetes, CNS disorders, meningitis, craniocerebral trauma.

Heartburn from overeating

A fairly common and unpleasant symptom that occurs both with normal nutrition and gluttony is heartburn. It causes a feeling of heat and burning behind the breastbone, which spreads from the epigastric region along the esophagus. As a rule, heartburn appears an hour after a large meal. The condition worsens when eating spicy or fatty foods, as well as with active physical activity after eating.

The occurrence of heartburn from overeating is quite natural. Normally, the volume of the stomach is 500 ml-1 l, that is, the same volume of food should enter it. If the amount of incoming food is much greater, this leads to stretching of the organ. The physiological norm of stretching is 3-4 liters, if these values are exceeded, then the sphincter begins to work. It opens, freeing up additional space for excess food. Because of this, part of the gastric juice enters the esophagus, causing a burning sensation.

In addition to food abuse, heartburn occurs in the following cases:

• Eating late, less than 3 hours before bedtime. The horizontal position with a full stomach creates strong pressure on the sphincter and provokes its opening.
• Physical activity after eating. When the abdominal muscles contract, the stomach is compressed. Excess food rises up the esophagus, causing heartburn, nausea, and vomiting.
• Tight clothing that squeezes the internal organs. Overeating leaves the stomach with no room to stretch, which causes pressure on the sphincter, which causes discomfort.
• Increased acidity of the stomach or sensitivity of the esophageal mucosa to decreased acidity.
• Bad habits: smoking, alcohol.

The risk of heartburn increases significantly with the abuse of carbonated drinks and hot spices, which irritate the gastrointestinal mucosa. Burning behind the breastbone occurs when overeating citrus fruits, tomatoes, fresh pastries, fried foods. Taking medications to lower blood pressure and relax smooth muscles can also cause heartburn, as can stress or nervous experiences.

To relieve painful attacks, it is recommended to drink water and take an antacid, i.e. a drug that neutralizes the effect of acid. If heartburn attacks occur after each meal, you should consult a gastroenterologist and be sure to normalize your diet.

Feeling of heaviness, bloating from overeating

Excessive food consumption has a negative impact on the functioning of the entire body, causing many unpleasant symptoms. The feeling of heaviness from overeating occurs due to the stomach being full. Large amounts of food stretch the walls of the organ, which is why the stomach cannot function properly. The unpleasant condition may be accompanied by difficulty breathing, as the stomach presses on the lungs.

The heaviness in the stomach from overeating is significantly aggravated by the following factors:

• Long gaps between meals. The stomach cannot cope with digesting large volumes of food due to prolonged inactivity.
• Unhealthy diet. Most often, the feeling of heaviness and bloating occurs when eating fatty foods late at night, that is, before bed. The gastrointestinal tract has to work all night to process the food.
• Binge eating. A sudden change in diet has a negative effect on the stomach, which is not used to overeating. Because of this, the digestion process slows down, pain, heaviness and distension in the abdomen occur.
• Heavy food and drinks. Unpleasant symptoms occur with the abuse of sweets, smoked foods, fatty and fried foods, carbonated and alcoholic drinks, coffee, strong tea.
• Bad habits. Smoking, or more precisely the nicotine released by cigarettes, disrupts the normal contraction of the intestinal and stomach walls, causing a feeling of heaviness.

If the stomach can handle large amounts of food, the unpleasant symptoms gradually disappear. But if the walls of the organ are unable to push food through the digestive tract, nausea, bloating, and colic appear. In this case, it is necessary to take medications that improve and speed up the work of the gastrointestinal tract.

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Diarrhea from overeating

Eating large amounts of liquid food makes the digestive system work hard, which leads to its failure. This causes diarrhea, or loose stools. The painful condition is characterized by frequent and rapid bowel movements with the release of loose stools. Diarrhea from overeating can become complicated, taking an acute and, in some cases, chronic form.

Diarrhea after a bout of overeating is a sign of a digestive disorder. The painful condition may be associated not only with the effect of an excess amount of food on the gastrointestinal tract, but also occur with viral, parasitic or bacterial infections.

Most often, the disorder appears immediately after stopping eating or during a meal. In some cases, it is accompanied by bouts of nausea and vomiting, acute abdominal pain. Treatment depends on the true cause of diarrhea. If the disorder is associated with gluttony, then you should normalize your diet and take drugs with an astringent effect that normalize stool.

Nausea from overeating

One of the most common symptoms that occurs after eating too much food is nausea. It occurs when overeating any food, accompanied by painful sensations in the stomach, headaches and heartburn. In some cases, after a prolonged attack of nausea, vomiting begins, which indicates that the stomach is trying to get rid of excess food.

If the nausea is very strong, and there is no urge to vomit, then to alleviate the condition, you need to induce vomiting yourself. To do this, you should drink as much water as possible, you can also press your finger on the root of the tongue. With mild nausea and distension in the stomach, it is recommended to drink a glass of warm water or tea in small sips. Warm liquid will speed up the work of the gastrointestinal tract, and the nausea will gradually pass.

If you feel sick from overeating fatty foods, this indicates an increased load on the liver and pancreas. To relieve the unpleasant symptom and improve digestion, you can take an enzyme medicine, for example: Pancreatin, Mezim, Festal. The day after an episode of gluttony, a light diet with a predominance of easily digestible food is recommended.

Colic from overeating

There are many reasons that cause intestinal colic, overeating is one of them. Colic is a pain syndrome in the abdomen of a spastic nature. Discomfort can increase intensively and suddenly disappear. Most often, the pain ends with the passage of gases or the urge to defecate.

Excessive food consumption leads to changes in bowel function and digestive disorders. This causes peristalsis and intestinal tone disorders, which manifests itself in spasms, i.e. colic.

Often, intestinal colic occurs with additional symptoms:

• Flatulence and severe bloating. Unpleasant sensations increase with abdominal palpation.
• Bowel disorders: constipation and diarrhea, mucus in the stool.
• Nausea and dizziness.

The painful condition occurs when eating foods that cause increased gas formation. Discomfort is one of the symptoms of food poisoning and intestinal obstruction. Sharp severe pain in the intestines can last less than a minute or throughout the day, manifesting itself in acute attacks.

To eliminate colic, it is recommended to take activated carbon or other sorbent drugs. Also, to ease the painful condition, you can drink a glass of warm water in small sips, lie down and massage your stomach.

Constipation from overeating

Stool disorder is one of the complications of uncontrolled food consumption. Because the intestines cannot cope with a large volume of food, the digestion process slows down. This triggers the processes of rotting and fermentation of undigested food. Most often, constipation occurs from overeating, which causes painful sensations in the abdomen, flatulence and deterioration of general health. Long-term constipation is dangerous due to intoxication of the body.

There are foods that, if overused, can cause constipation:

• Fermented milk products contain a large amount of casein, which slows down intestinal peristalsis.
• Fatty meat.
• Rice and pasta.
• Fruits and berries: bananas, pears, blueberries, lingonberries.
• Sweets.
• Seeds and nuts.
• Fried and spicy foods.

To combat the problem of constipation, it is recommended to move more after eating to activate the functioning of the intestines. If constipation does occur, you can take a laxative or do a cleansing enema. Also, do not forget about products that increase peristalsis and help with constipation: boiled beets, dried apricots, prunes and others.

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Temperature from overeating

Very often, eating too much food leads to a deterioration in overall health. The stomach starts to hurt, belching, flatulence and even headaches appear. In some cases, overeating leads to an increase in body temperature. This symptom indicates that the digestive system cannot cope with the processing of the food received and needs help.

Temperature in combination with severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting may indicate food poisoning. Pathological symptoms appear 1-2 hours after eating low-quality or improperly prepared foods. The painful condition is accompanied by general weakness, increased sweating and bowel disorders.

If temperature changes are associated with gluttony, then enzyme preparations should be taken to speed up the digestion process. If the temperature has risen due to intoxication, then it is necessary to take adsorbents and induce vomiting to remove harmful substances from the body. In especially severe cases, medical assistance and gastric lavage are required.

Flatulence and gas from overeating

A heavy stomach after overeating is a fairly common symptom. Flatulence, or gas accumulation in the intestines, causes abdominal pain and colic. Overeating causes the digestive system to simply not cope with the abundance of food, so some of the food remains undigested and starts fermentation processes.

A violent chemical reaction occurs when you eat foods that don't go well together. Eating in a hurry and not chewing your food completely also causes bloating and belching.

Let's look at the main foods, overeating which causes flatulence:

• Legumes, cabbage, tomatoes, pears, onions, grapes, radishes. Gas formation is associated with the increased fiber content in these plant-based products.
• Pastries and rye bread promote fermentation and putrefactive processes in the intestines.
• Fermented milk products – gases occur in people with lactose intolerance.
• Sweets and carbonated drinks contain fast carbohydrates that cause bloating and a feeling of heaviness.
• Gases appear from the abuse of fatty, fried and spicy foods.

In addition to food causes, flatulence can be caused by dysbacteriosis, i.e. a disruption of the intestinal flora, gastrointestinal diseases, pancreatitis, helminthic invasions or pathologies of the gallbladder. Another possible cause of both gluttony and flatulence is nervous breakdowns and chronic stress.

If gas formation occurs regularly, even with normal nutrition and combination of products, then you should consult a doctor. The doctor will prescribe a gastrointestinal tract examination to exclude possible pathologies.

Weakness after overeating

Very often, attacks of gluttony end with increased weakness and a state when you start to feel sleepy. Such symptoms can be a side effect of the food eaten or indicate more serious causes. Weakness is associated with the body's high energy expenditure on the digestion process. The situation is complicated by the consumption of hard-to-digest food. Because of this, increased pressure occurs in the small intestine, which can manifest itself as nausea and flatulence.

The feeling of weakness may be associated with an increased level of tyramine. This amino acid reduces the concentration of serotonin, but increases dopamine and epinephrine. Because of this, there is a sharp narrowing of the blood vessels of the brain, oxygen starvation and sweetness. Headaches and dizziness may also appear. People with vegetative-vascular dystonia should avoid overeating foods that contain tyramine:

• Fermented milk products and cheese.
• Alcohol.
• Meat and sausages.
• Citrus and overripe fruits.
• Dark chocolate.
• Fried, fatty, smoked.

Sometimes afternoon weakness develops due to existing diseases of the gastrointestinal tract:

• Inflammation of the pancreas.
• Gastritis, enteritis.
• Ulcerative lesions of the stomach and duodenum.

In this case, drowsiness is accompanied by pain in the epigastric region, nausea, and bowel disturbances.

Weakness is also associated with the entry of high levels of glucose into the blood. This substance reduces the production of orexin, which is responsible for physical activity, so you start to feel sleepy. This is observed when you abuse sweets and simple carbohydrates. Doctors recommend not to force yourself during attacks of weakness, but to rest a little so that your metabolism can recover and your health improves.

Cough from overeating

Excessive food consumption causes various symptoms that not only negatively affect the state of the figure, but also harm the stomach. Overeating at night is one of the causes of night cough. Excessive food causes reflux, that is, the entry of acidic contents of the stomach into the esophagus. Because of this, belching, heartburn and coughing appear. Many people who are familiar with this problem note a feeling of compression in the chest and lack of air, nasal congestion, and neck pain.

Coughing after another bout of overeating may be associated with the consumption of strong allergens. Very often, an unpleasant condition develops with the abuse of such products:

• Fermented milk products.
• Citrus.
• Spices and hot dishes.
• Nuts.
• Sweets.
• Sour and unripe fruits, vegetables.

Coughing attacks occur when food gets into the respiratory tract. The unpleasant condition appears when drinking alcoholic beverages and as a reaction to dry or spicy food.

Regular overeating with frequent coughing fits indicate the development of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Constant throwing of food from the stomach into the esophagus weakens the muscles of the latter. Gastric juice irritates the mucous membrane of the organ, causing coughing fits, severe heartburn. The appearance of these symptoms is one of the first signs of the development of peptic ulcer disease.

In order to prevent coughing after eating, it is necessary to normalize the diet. It is also necessary to exclude all possible allergens from the diet and drink water with food. If the cough is associated with GERD, then medical assistance is needed, since without timely and proper treatment the problem will worsen, complicated by painful symptoms.

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