home Consultations Stress and neurosis can cause stomach pain. Pain due to neurosis in men and women: mechanism of development, methods of elimination. Children's symptoms of neurosis

Stress and neurosis can cause stomach pain. Pain due to neurosis in men and women: mechanism of development, methods of elimination. Children's symptoms of neurosis

Pain in neurosis occurs as a reaction to constant fears, a disturbing situation, and thoughts of possible failure. The pain can be long-lasting, nagging, acute, and impede movement. The syndrome may be accompanied by nausea, photophobia, acute reactions to sounds, smells, and temperature fluctuations.

In 50% of cases, patients with neuroses are bothered by headaches. Its appearance is explained by negative processes in the nervous system affecting the brain.

In other cases, the pain syndrome spreads to other areas of the body:

back;
muscles;
lower limbs;
stomach.

Many patients with neurosis have heart pain and periodic dizziness. Sometimes discomfort spreads throughout the body. The greatest discomfort is caused by the appearance of wandering pains that occur in various areas of the body.

Along with pain, tremors of the limbs, paleness of the skin, decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, increased fatigue, and insomnia may occur.

Wandering pains during neuroses occur in different areas of the body, causing serious inconvenience not only to patients, but also to doctors

Why does pain occur with neurosis?

The occurrence of pain during neurosis is explained as follows.

The nervous system consists of the autonomic and central. The first controls the functioning of various organs, the second regulates reflexes.
The autonomic system includes 2 sections - sympathetic and parasympathetic, responsible for blood pressure levels, heartbeat, and intestinal peristalsis.
In the absence of neurosis, all systems are in a harmonious state. After its development, the balance is disrupted, and malfunctions in the functioning of various internal organs occur.

Wandering pains during neurosis prompt the patient to consult various specialists (cardiologist, gastroenterologist), but examinations do not determine the cause of the unpleasant condition. It is possible to find out the true cause of the disorder after examination by a neurologist.

How to get rid of pain

Medical statistics confirm that pain neurosis is widespread among the population of different ages. Pathology is found in 70% of middle-aged and young men and women.

Isolated cases of neurotic pain are explained by physical or mental fatigue. If pain symptoms are observed constantly, the patient is diagnosed with “neurosis”, after which appropriate treatment is prescribed.

To relieve neurotic pain, experts prescribe:

taking special medications;
psychotherapeutic course;
physiotherapeutic procedures.

Medicines used to eliminate neurosis and associated pain are described in the following table.

The psychotherapeutic course includes sessions with an experienced specialist. Working with a patient helps to study the characteristics of his personality, find out the causes of the pathological condition, and help in building new models of behavior. For hysterical disorders they can be prescribed.

Physiotherapeutic procedures prescribed for neurotic pain ensure normal excitation and inhibition of the nervous system, eliminate autonomic symptoms, and stimulate blood supply to the brain.

Patients with pain neurosis are prescribed darsonvalization, electrosleep, electrophoresis, ultraviolet irradiation, paraffin compresses, relaxing massage, and sulfide baths. Acupuncture is recognized as an effective method of treatment.

The general course is supplemented by performing therapeutic exercises, changing the daily routine, diet and diet. In consultation with the doctor, folk remedies can be used - tinctures of lemongrass and ginseng, decoctions and infusions of valerian, fireweed, sweet clover, clay or mud compresses with the addition of peppermint, garlic.

Recovery of patients with neurotic pain

Many people are interested in how neurosis goes away. The success of the treatment is indicated by a decrease and gradual disappearance of pain, relief from internal tension, anxiety, and restoration of performance. .

To speed up the healing process, it is necessary to ensure a calm home environment, a measured rhythm of life, and no pressure on the psyche. For a patient suffering from pain neurosis, regular moral support from people close to him is important.

Video: acupuncture for nerve pain

Can the pain go away on its own?

Most specialists involved in the elimination of pain in neurosis say that in the absence of effective therapeutic measures, the pathological condition will not disappear. If the root causes of the disease persist in the form of systematic stress, conflicts with family or work colleagues, the person will constantly experience negative emotions, causing a deterioration in overall well-being.

In the absence of adequate therapeutic measures, neurosis can lead to a variety of negative consequences - exacerbation of existing chronic diseases, the development of gastrointestinal pathologies, decreased performance, the appearance of increased aggressiveness, and obsessive states.

How to prevent neurosis and associated pain

To avoid the development of neurosis and the appearance of pain in various areas of the body, you should use the recommendations of neurologists.

Take a contrast shower regularly (best in the morning).
Spend at least 20 minutes in the fresh air every day.
Before going to bed, massage your feet with fir or cedar oil.
Avoid physical inactivity and lead an active lifestyle.
Engage in accessible sports (Nordic walking, swimming).
Avoid severe stress, master the technique of confronting negative emotions.

If minor signs of pathology appear, you can use one of the effective techniques of daily auto-training. If neurotic pain intensifies, it is important to immediately visit a specialist.

Neurosis is a collective name for reversible psychogenic disorders, which are characterized by a protracted course. In medicine there is still no specific designation for this disease, therefore it is considered as a functional disorder of higher nervous activity.

It is quite difficult to answer the question of what exactly may bother you during neurosis. Because pain manifests itself in different ways.

With neurosis, very often a person suffers from pain in the heart, head, stomach, back, muscles and other organs. This brings unpleasant sensations and discomfort not only physically, but also psychologically.

The patient often has to run from one doctor to another, take tests and undergo examinations until he finally gets to see a psychotherapist.

There are different causes of neuroses. These are chronic, psychological trauma, overwork, aggression and conflicts in the family, serious illnesses, psycho-emotional stress.

How can a nervous breakdown manifest itself physically?

Transient physiological discomfort symptoms that develop may occur in many people. However, if pain due to neuroses lasts a long time and is pronounced, then in this case the disease is in the chronic stage and you should consult a specialist.

A person in a nervous state is characterized by:

Very often with neurosis there is a headache, which has a different nature of occurrence. The same goes for symptoms. According to statistics, more than 50% of patients have this clinical manifestation. This disease of the nervous system worsens the quality of life, deprives a person of the opportunity to live fully and enjoy every day.

There are three types of neurosis:, and. With each of them, a person can feel compression in the head. It is very important to contact a specialist in time. Under no circumstances should you engage in therapy on your own or suppress the symptoms with painkillers.

Pain in the heart during neurosis is also a common condition; in parallel, the patient may feel shortness of breath, increased heartbeat, sweating, fear, weakness, increased blood pressure, apathy towards everything and mental fatigue.

Signs include intrusive thoughts. The sick person begins to panic fear that he may have a heart attack, which will be fatal for him. The heart may feel aching pain, tightness, tingling and heaviness.

It should be remembered that stomach pain, back problems or problems may radiate to the heart area. It is very difficult to identify the exact location of the pain yourself, so you will need to undergo a series of examinations for diagnosis.

Increased mental stress leads to stomach pain, which is also characteristic of neurosis.

At the same time, the following symptoms may be felt:

The neurotic nature of the disease makes itself felt differently than gastroenterological ailments. For example, a person is able to feel emptiness in the stomach a few minutes after eating. Or after a couple of sips you may feel a full stomach. The patient begins to use drugs that are advertised everywhere and self-medicates. But the problem lies elsewhere. It is important to find the cause of the disease in time in order to begin treatment correctly and in a timely manner.

With neurosis, pain and discomfort in the joints and muscles may also be observed. When nerve roots are pinched, tissue conductivity drops significantly, and impulses to organs and muscles are correspondingly poorly received.

In this case, it manifests itself as tension in the lower back and neck, nervous tics, and various types of pain. These unpleasant sensations are accompanied by weakness, poor appetite, apathy, and increased fatigue.

Neuroses are characterized by discomfort and pain in different parts of the body, which deprive a person of mental balance. There are common signs for all manifestations. This is fear, irritation, pain. It is very difficult to live like this. Therefore, the patient has to go to different specialists to find the main cause of his ailments. And only after various types of diagnostics can the patient see a psychotherapist.

An experienced specialist will be able to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe treatment. Therefore, you should not waste precious time on self-medication by postponing a visit to the medical center. Therapy must be comprehensive. This is the only way to quickly return to the normal rhythm of life.

As a preventative measure, you should reconsider your lifestyle. It is very useful to do physical exercise and walk in the fresh air. It is important to monitor your diet, limit the consumption of unhealthy foods, and eat more fruits, vegetables and herbs.

A bar of chocolate and relaxation techniques will help. But you can’t rely heavily on coffee, because caffeine will only worsen the irritating factor. To improve your psycho-emotional state, it is useful to listen to good music, it is advisable to avoid stressful situations and learn to react calmly to everything.

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH G.S. Krylova
Department of Psychotherapy, St. Petersburg Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education. Department of Neuroses and Psychotherapy of the Psychoneurological Institute V.M. Bekhterev. Saint Petersburg

Patients with complex viscerovegetative disorders due to neuroses, including various gastrointestinal disorders, are frequent patients of therapists and gastroenterologists. In this case, it is usually possible to identify certain variants of miniature morphofunctional disorders in the form of superficial gastritis, dysmotility of the upper gastrointestinal tract, duodenogastric or gastroesophageal reflux, thickening of the walls of the gallbladder, irritable colon, etc. Patients with neuroses with disorders of the gastrointestinal tract often receive treatment from gastroenterologists for years without results undergoing repeated examinations. The authors distinguish three groups of conditions: actual neurotic disorders of the gastrointestinal tract functions, neurotic fixation of mildly expressed pathology of the digestive organs, and neurosis-like disorders that complicate the course of chronic gastroenterological diseases. The issues of treatment of patients with neurotic disorders of gastrointestinal tract functions are considered.

NEUROSIS IN GASTROENTEROLOGICAL PATIENTS

Krilova G.S.

The gastroenterological patients had very often demonstrated the complex visceravegetative disturbances. Gastritic, motoric disturbances of the upper part of digestive tract, duodenogastric and gastroesophageal reflux, the thickness of the gallbladder's walls, irritation of the large intestine were revealed in patients with neurosis. The treatment in gastroenterological departments is not effective. There are three groups of such patients: 1. The real neurosis disturbances of the gastroenterological functions. 2. Neurosis fixation of the slight gastroenterological pathogy. 3. Disturbances, that are look like neurosis in patients with the diseases of the digestive tract. The treatment of such patients are discussed.

Patients with complex viscero-vegetative disorders due to neuroses, including various disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, are frequent patients of therapists and gastroenterologists. Guided by the idea of the need in each specific case to clarify the morphological basis of the gastroenterological complaints presented, these patients, as a rule, are subjected to repeated comprehensive clinical and instrumental studies using all the capabilities of modern gastroenterology. In this case, it is usually possible to identify certain variants of miniature morphofunctional disorders in the form of superficial gastritis, dysmotility of the upper gastrointestinal tract, duodeno-gastric or gastroesophageal reflux, thickening of the walls of the gallbladder, irritable colon, etc. However, the prescribed traditional therapy in such cases turns out to be ineffective, examinations are repeated and become more complicated, thoughts about the neurotic origin of the disease are delayed.

Experience of the Department of Neuroses and Psychotherapy of the Psychoneurological Institute named after. V.M. Bekhterev testifies that patients with neuroses and gastrointestinal dysfunctions often undergo treatment by gastroenterologists for years without results, undergoing repeated examinations. Thus, in 102 of our similar patients, a total of 1,100 gastric and duodenal intubations, 530 fluoroscopy of the stomach and intestines, more than 180 irrigoscopy, 480 cholecystography, 320 ultrasound of the liver, biliary tract and pancreas, 820 fibrogastroduodenoscopy were previously performed. Even invasive studies were performed, such as aortography (11 people) and laparoscopy (6 people). All patients had a large amount of medical documentation; every patient had a diagnosis of gastritis or gastroduodenitis at one stage or another of previous treatment; every second patient had a diagnosis of chronic cholecystitis; every fourth patient had a diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis.

Some patients were previously hospitalized not only in therapeutic, but also in surgical departments. 23 people due to the intractability of abdominal pain syndrome, they were operated on. 7 people Celiac stenosis was diagnosed and decompression was performed. All interventions turned out to be not only useless, but also harmful, as they contributed to the worsening of hypochondriacal and depressive syndromes against the background of postoperative asthenia.

Among our patients, women predominated (64.7%), which is typical for the examined population. The average age of the patients was 36.5+/-0.4 years. Clinical analysis of the examined patients made it possible to establish, on the one hand, the abundance and persistence of gastrointestinal disorders in the absence or inadequacy of the morphological basis of complaints, and on the other, the presence of signs of the severity of neurotic disorders. This corresponds to the generally accepted principles of negative and positive diagnosis of neuroses.

In our experience, among psychosomatic patients with predominant gastroenterological symptoms, it is advisable to distinguish three groups of conditions:
actually neurotic disorders of the gastrointestinal tract,
neurotic fixation of mildly expressed pathology of the digestive organs and
neurosis-like disorders complicating the course of chronic gastroenterological diseases.

The question of the mechanisms of formation of systemic neuroses, the problem of “choosing” an organ or system, which ultimately determines the specificity of the neurosis, the systemic (in our case gastroenterological) pattern of the clinical picture, has not yet been finally resolved. The choice of a symptom or symptom complex may depend on an unconscious conflict, motivational experiences, dissatisfaction of any need, personality traits and temperament, ways of processing and experiencing emotions, basic defense mechanisms, individual experience, living conditions, type and strength of current psychotrauma, etc. Autonomic disorders always participate in the formation of visceral neurotic disorders. The hereditary and constitutional features of the state of a particular system are important, and the mental factor itself is assigned the role of a provoking moment. Acquired features of the system as a result of infections, intoxications and injuries suffered during life may also have a certain significance.

Some of our patients were found to have a hereditary history of neuroses (18.5%), psychopathy (29.8%), and alcoholism (22.2%). Family disorganization and defects in education (85%), psychotraumatic factors in one’s own family (74%), dissatisfaction with sex life (93%), conflict situations at work (59%), unfavorable living conditions (63%), those or other significant life changes (59%). An experimental clinical study of patients using self-assessment questionnaires suggests that most of them are dissatisfied with themselves, indecision, susceptibility to the influence of others and dependence on others, a tendency to affectively react to disappointments, a tendency to conflict, aggressive emotions and reactions.

According to the forms of neurosis, the patients were distributed as follows: hysterical neurosis - in 70.4%, neurasthenia - in 22.2%, obsessive-compulsive neurosis - in 7.4%. The most characteristic were combined types of character accentuations, especially demonstrative with asthenoneurotic (33%) and sensitive (26%).

The clinical picture of one or another form of neurosis had specific gastroenterological shades. Patients with hysterical neurosis are more likely to have vivid descriptions and demonstrations of problems in the area of digestion, the desire to “have a diagnosis,” and a desire to be operated on was expressed. With neurasthenia, on the contrary, there is often a desire to make sure that there are no serious diseases of the digestive system, which leads to numerous repeated hospitalizations and examinations. Physical processing of gastrointestinal complaints, emphasized adherence to diet, persistent oppressive cancerophobia are typical for obsessive-compulsive neuroses.

Clinical variants of gastrointestinal disorders are numerous and varied. The most common are the so-called gastric neuroses, which appear under the names: pseudo-ulcer syndrome, functional dyspepsia, irritable stomach syndrome, neurogenic gastric dyspepsia, non-ulcer dyspepsia and others. In the literature, there is a fairly broad interpretation of functional diseases of the stomach. It is important to emphasize that the concept of “functional” is much broader than “neurotic” and not every functional disorder of the stomach can be called neurotic, i.e. expression of neurosis.

In gastroenterological practice, two types of neurotic vomiting are more common: hysterical and habitual. If hysterical vomiting usually appears in stressful situations, accompanies certain emotions and has a demonstrative connotation, then habitual vomiting also occurs in a calm environment, being an expression of suppressed emotions. Neurotic vomiting is also known, occurring through the mechanism of induction and imitation, for example, as a result of prolonged contact with relatives suffering from vomiting due to stomach cancer. Psychogenic vomiting usually occurs easily, without painful straining and previous painful nausea. The vegetative components of such vomiting (pallor of the skin, sweat, salivation, etc.) are usually absent or weakly expressed. Even frequent neurotic vomiting usually does not lead to significant exhaustion. However, in some patients with severe hysteria, as a result of repeated vomiting, dehydration, hypokalemia, hyponatremia, and metabolic alkalosis are formed.

A common variant of neurotic gastric disorders is gastralgia. There is a close relationship between emotional stress and the appearance of gastric symptoms (feelings of heaviness and fullness in the epigastric region, burning, pain), and there is no connection between complaints and the nature of nutrition. Figuratively speaking, the stomach in such patients becomes an “organ of expression.”

In practice, sometimes minor monosymptomatic disorders occur, manifested by unpleasant sensations in the upper gastrointestinal tract - psychogenic halitosis, dysgeusia, glossodynia, nausea, sensation of a lump in the throat, etc.

Halitosis is a false sensation by the patient of an unpleasant odor in the air released, when all possible causes are excluded by a thorough examination. In some people, halitosis becomes an obsessive state; they fixate on their false sensations, avoid contacts, which acquires the features of neurotic depression, and sometimes a deeper endogenous mental disorder.

Dysgeusia is also known - a neurogenic taste disorder, a feeling of bitterness in the mouth, which does not depend on food and is not accompanied by any organic pathology. Psychogenic nausea is usually combined with salivation or dry mouth, occurring against a background of depression and phobias. A rare manifestation of psychogenic disorder is a violation of the sensitivity of the tongue (glossodynia), sometimes there is a burning sensation, pressure, tingling in the tongue and nearby areas.

Psychogenic esophagospasm, manifested by persistent dysphagia, is well known. Patients experience difficulty swallowing at any level of the esophagus, and liquid food is more difficult to pass than solid food. Sometimes esophagospasm occurs after a strong mental shock while eating, and then repeats at almost every meal. Spasms of the esophagus also occur outside of food, manifesting as pain or a feeling of compression behind the sternum, which sometimes requires differential diagnosis with angina pectoris. The background of esophagospasm is pronounced emotional and affective disturbances, constant anxiety and fear of food. Some patients develop severe asthenohypochondriacal syndrome and cancerophobia. The classic neurotic syndrome is globus hystericus, which most often occurs in young women. In this case, a foreign body (lump) is felt in the throat, pressure or a burning sensation in the neck, which usually weakens while eating. It is believed that this is due to neurotic sensory and motor dysfunctions of the esophagus. The differential diagnosis plan for dysphagia should also include iron deficiency in the body (sideropenic dysphagia).

Neurotic intestinal disorders, designated as irritable bowel syndrome, intestinal dyskinesia, spastic colon, mucous colic, etc., are frequent and clinically diverse. Along with the primary, purely neurogenic variants of this syndrome, secondary intestinal dyskinesias arising from other diseases, as well as mixed variants of pathology, are often encountered. Neurogenic intestinal pain, varied in nature (cramping, burning, bursting, dull, etc.), usually intensifies against the background of emotional tension and stressful situations. Intestinal crises are known, manifested by acute abdominal pain, flatulence, loud rumbling, the urge to pass gas and defecate. In some cases, a state of anxious anticipation of a repetition of these phenomena develops, which makes it difficult to visit public places, communicate with people and is a source of difficult experiences.

The nervous factor also plays a role in the pathogenesis of chronic constipation. Such individuals often show increased concern for the act of defecation, focusing attention on the frequency, quantity and quality of their bowel movements, which contributes to the formation of severe hypochondriacal syndrome and further aggravation of constipation. Psychogenic diarrhea (“bear disease”) is also well known. In such patients, imperative urges to defecate often arise in the most inappropriate situation, which negatively affects the psychological state. Diarrhea often occurs at night or in the morning, waking up the patient (“alarm clock diarrhea”), which leads to insomnia and increases asthenia.

A neurotic component is also present in the origin of some forms of rectal neuralgia and coccydynia, as well as persistent anal itching.

Within the framework of functional neurotic disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, aerophagia, which often occurs during hysterical neurosis, is also usually considered. Increasing and persistent flatulence in such cases sometimes imitates pregnancy or is manifested by loud, demonstrative belching. In this case, reflex tachycardia, extrasystole, pain in the left half of the chest (gastrocardiac syndrome) are also possible.

The problem under discussion also includes issues of pathology of eating behavior. Overeating or unbalanced nutrition, as a kind of compensation for missing positive emotions, underlie many cases of nutritional-constitutional obesity. On the other hand, deliberate radical refusal of nutrition (anorexia nervosa) leads to catastrophic weight loss with all the signs of nutritional dystrophy and even a real threat to life.

Treatment of patients with neurotic disorders of the gastrointestinal tract functions is carried out according to the general principles of the treatment of neuroses, with psychotherapy, as a rule, acting as the main therapeutic factor. Person-oriented psychotherapy is used in both individual and group forms. The goal of psychotherapy is to achieve an understanding by the patient of psychological conflicts with disorders of the functions of the digestive organs and, if possible, the restructuring of disturbed personal relationships that served as the source of neurosis. The goal is to expand the range of emotional responses of patients with a gradual restructuring of the value system and switching the attention of patients with painful gastroenterological symptoms to resolving psychological problems.

In most cases, it is advisable to gradually transfer patients from gentle diets to physiological nutrition with sufficient amounts of protein and vitamins. In severe cases of nutritional dystrophy due to anorexia nervosa, parenteral or tube nutrition is temporarily used as part of intensive care.

The use of medications in complex therapy (gastroprotectors, antacids, enzyme preparations, antispastic and other agents) has both direct (biological) and indirect (psychotherapeutic) significance. In many cases, homeopathy with its mild regulating effect is useful.

Experience has been gained in the use of psychopharmacological agents for neuroses, in particular tranquilizers and antidepressants. Recently, our attention has been drawn to Coaxil (tianeptine), the use of which (0.0125) 2-3 times a day improves the depressed mood of patients and reduces gastroenterological manifestations of neuroses.

Gastroenterological aspects of neurosology need further study and should be familiar to doctors of different specialties.

LITERATURE

1. B.D. Karvasarsky. Neuroses. Guide for doctors. M., 1990
2. B.D. Karvasarsky, V.F. Just Molotov. Neurotic disorders of internal organs. Chisinau, 1988
3. A.A. Krylov, S.P. Pesonina, G.S. Krylova. Homeopathy for general practitioners. St. Petersburg Ed. Peter, 1997

As doctors joke, VSD is a monkey. It imitates any disease, copies any symptoms. And he especially loves to transform into what the VSD person is most afraid of. Dystonics are well aware of this, but continue to have a hypochondriacal attitude towards their condition. Abdominal pain with VSD is always scary, especially for women. There are so many different organs inside, what if pain signals the beginning of something serious and incurable?

From psychological signs to facts

Why is it that VSD people constantly become victims of their stress and emotions? Dystonics are naturally endowed with special sensitivity and suspiciousness. The nervous system of such people is too susceptible to stimuli and is completely unpredictable in its “games”. The body of the VSD worker is almost around the clock in combat readiness to flee from dangers and fight enemies that do not exist. A person can only relax in his sleep, but even there, dystonia sometimes finds him and cruelly tears him out of his dreams.

Who should speak? Relatives do not take it seriously, doctors do not find any pathologies. It turns out that the person is completely healthy, but his torment is not made up. Only a VSD person can fully understand and support his “colleague in misfortune.” Stress, neuroses, repressed grievances against indifferent household members and doctors, fears hidden deep in the heart - all this, according to psychologists, sooner or later breaks out and settles... in the gastrointestinal tract:

Pain in the gastric region indicates unspokenness and accumulated negativity.
Pain in the abdomen, intestines, constipation are a sign of hidden fears.
Indigestion and gastrointestinal upset are evidence that a person is so mired in his own head that the brain is not able to control his digestion at the proper level.

That’s why VSD and abdominal pain so often become companions. In fact, everything is explained quite simply. The VSD person is in a state of chronic stress. Adrenaline circulating through the blood prepares the body for the fight for survival. Because of this, the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract contract, normal digestion stops - in a situation of fight or chase, the body has no time to cook food, it needs strength to fight. The blood supply to the digestive organs deteriorates, all the blood flows to the heart and brain. Therefore, disorders occur in the stomach and abdomen.

The symptom of pain can occur either occasionally or daily. Sometimes the pain noticeably intensifies, and this frightens the dystonic patient. In any case, you cannot give an absolute guarantee that your abdominal cramps are necessarily a consequence of VSD.

5 reasons to sound the alarm

Calling an ambulance is mandatory if:

The pain is quite severe and does not stop for more than an hour.
Vomiting appeared and the temperature increased.
My stomach became hard as a board.
Traces of blood are visible in the loose stool.
You feel dizzy and feel faint.

If the pain is tolerable, but occurs regularly (especially if you are able to predict its occurrence), you should consult a doctor. Sometimes, by blaming all the symptoms on his VSD, the patient loses valuable time and aggravates the course of the disease. Despite the fact that most often a person with VSD turns out to be completely healthy, there is always enough “room” in his body for other diseases. For example, prolonged, annoying pain in the lower abdomen with VSD can indicate a number of reasons: from gynecological inflammation to intestinal obstruction.

How to cure a nervous stomach?

Every VSD specialist knows very well: there is no point in acting on the symptoms, you need to treat the root cause. Almost all the ailments of a dystonic person are to blame for his non-standard and impressive thinking, which leads the body to somatic disorders. In the case of the stomach - the same thing. Treatment by a gastroenterologist will not be beneficial. Moreover, medications for gastrointestinal disorders can only worsen the patient’s condition. Abdominal pain from VSD is treated primarily psychotherapeutically.

Working on yourself plays a huge role. If a VSD student masters auto-training (self-programming) techniques, he will have the opportunity to solve many problems without the help of a psychotherapist. Everyone is able to master at least one affirmation formula (positive attitude).

Pain due to neuroses

Neuroses very often disrupt a person’s state of mind, and of course, are accompanied by a lot of unpleasant sensations. In this case, the person complains of various ailments, he begins to experience pain that is localized in any part of the body. But the capabilities of modern medicine make it possible to treat the disease, and the main condition for this is the cooperation of the patient and the doctor. Of course, it would be better not to allow it to reach a state in which neurosis arises. But for this you must follow certain rules. But first you need to find out for yourself what this disease actually is, and whether we imagine it correctly.

According to modern scientists, neurosis is a significant health disorder that prevents the body from adapting to the conditions of a certain environment. At the same time, a person begins to perceive reality distortedly, which leads to diseases of the nervous system. The patient loses his ability to work, there is no feeling of joy in life, the desire for purposeful activity disappears, and at the same time he is bothered by painful sensations. Often a person is plagued by headaches; many with neuroses complain of pain in the heart and other organs. Although this may seem strange, the cause of such vague pains is always neurosis.

Despite the fact that the manifestations of neurosis are quite diverse, there are signs that are typical for this disease. It is known that a healthy person is not characterized by constant manifestations of irritability, endless complaints, inability to concentrate, increased heart rate, tremors, and anxiety. Pain due to neuroses of an uncertain nature are often mistaken for diseases of the heart and other organs. The patient practically goes from one office to another, receives treatment, carries out endless diagnostics, until he finally gets to see a psychotherapist. But in this case, a person’s condition can be regarded by specialists not even as neurosis, but as its transitory symptoms.

Features of the manifestation of neurosis

As is known, transient symptoms are observed in seventy percent of the population. But if the pain during neurosis is prolonged and more pronounced, then this disease is considered directly a neurosis, or there are other explanations in the form of somatic diseases. Neurosis often manifests itself in the form of pain in the stomach, spasms occur, they are accompanied by disorders of the digestive system, there may be constipation or diarrhea. Pain, a feeling of heaviness, and squeezing also occur in the area of the heart. Neuroses are often characterized by fainting and pale skin. With neuroses, women experience absolute or partial sexual coldness, and men suffer from an inability to perform sexual intercourse.

If the clinical picture differs in certain signs, then there is “gastric neurosis”, or “cardiac neurosis”, etc. But these names are chosen incorrectly, since in this case it is implied that neurosis is caused by a problem with one organ, but in reality pain is only a manifestation of neurosis. What changes occur during neurosis in the body? It is interesting that not a single organ contains changes, including the nervous system and the brain. But what then is the difference between a person suffering from neurosis and a healthy person? According to psychiatrists, neurosis gives sensations that are very unpleasant for the patient, and he cannot cope with them. Moreover, the person himself is surprised at his inadequate reaction. The presence of unpleasant and neurotic sensations indicates that the life situation is complicated by certain problems.

That is, a person complains about pain due to neuroses, but the reasons for his complaints are ultimately hidden conflicts. Moreover, these conflicts are closely related to the feelings that the patient experiences towards the people around him. Such sensations can also include fear and hatred. If signs of neurosis, pain typical for this disease, appear, this means that the person cannot cope with a number of his life conflicts. For example, a person fears that he has a heart defect and turns to a cardiologist, complaining of pain, but the doctor sends him to a psychotherapist for treatment. In the future, the specialist reveals that heart problems are associated with problems in your personal life or at work.

Signs of the disease

You should know that pain in neurosis, as well as other signs of the disease, differ from the condition in mental illness. The main difference is that with neurosis, a person understands that he is truly unhealthy, while a mentally ill person is unaware of his illness, and this fact cannot be proven to him. In a patient suffering from neurosis, consciousness is not impaired, he adequately perceives reality. But at the same time, with neuroses, it seems to a person that his memory is deteriorating and disappearing, that he is acting incorrectly, and is an inferior person. The fact that neurosis is often treated by a psychiatrist is perceived by a person as his own mental abnormality. In this regard, the patient fears that, having learned about his treatment from a psychiatrist, those around him will consider him crazy.

Pain due to neuroses are an integral part of the problem, patients note that most often they occur in the area of the heart, abdomen, and quite severe headaches also occur. In addition, among the somatic symptoms of neurosis are frequent urination, trembling hands, and rapid fatigue, even with a small amount of work. This causes excessive drowsiness and darkening of the eyes, which also affects performance. Vegetative-vascular dystonia occurs, blood pressure jumps, and most often it decreases. There are also disturbances in the area of the vestibular apparatus, for example, dizziness occurs and it is difficult to maintain balance. With neuroses, appetite may be disturbed and sleep disturbances may occur. Moreover, it can be not only insomnia, but also falling into deep sleep too quickly and waking up early.

All about stomach neurosis

Neurosis of the stomach is a common phenomenon, which is not a somatic pathology, but a form of functional disorder of the organ. Can stomach pain be caused by nerves? This is a common question, since a large number of people have experienced discomfort in the epigastric region against the background of strong anxiety, stress, and worries.

Why does gastric neurosis occur, can it develop into a serious organic pathology, what are the signs to recognize it and how to deal with it.

The term gastric neurosis

Before considering such a concept as gastric neurosis, it is important to understand the principle of operation of the autonomic nervous system, which controls the functioning of all organs, including the digestive tract.

The activity of the vegetative system represents the alternation of the work of two subsystems:

They never work simultaneously; when one system is activated, the activity of the second automatically stops.

The sympathetic department of the vegetative system brings the body into an active state: the muscular system becomes toned, blood pressure rises, and the pupils dilate. The accumulated energy is actively spent so that a person can attack the enemy or defend himself, for example, flee.

The parasympathetic department of the autonomic system is considered to be the opposite of the sympathetic department in function: during its activation, energy is not consumed, but, on the contrary, accumulates when a person is relaxed. However, it would be wrong to perceive the period of work of the parasympathetic department as a complete relaxation of all parts of the body: one system is working at this time - the digestive one.

From the beginning of the parasympathetic department, food begins to be digested:

gastric secretion is produced;
intestinal peristalsis occurs;
organs involved in the process of digesting food are actively supplied with blood flow.

With neuroses (stress, anxiety, acute experiences), the work of the vegetative system is disrupted. It doesn't happen instantly. As a rule, the body is able to compensate for one-time episodes of anxiety. But with systematic stress, a phenomenon occurs that is known to most people as VSD (vegetative-vascular dystonia). The clinical picture of a functional disorder of the nervous system may vary in each specific case, but nervous-related abdominal pain, diarrhea, flatulence and constipation are very common.

This mechanism of occurrence of the disease is almost universal, but the reasons that lead to a functional disorder of the nervous system may be different.

Causes

Stomach neuroses are often a reaction to acute stress. Any strong emotional experiences, including positive ones, lead to activation of the sympathetic subsystem. At the same time, the body’s energy is actively consumed, and the need for food arises. However, at this time, a person either loses his appetite, which naturally causes discomfort in the abdominal area, or he eats food, but it cannot be digested normally due to the fact that relaxation of the body (activation of the parasympathetic system) does not occur.

Common factors that cause gastric neurosis:

Nervous overexcitement, which occurs not only due to negative events: against the backdrop of a long-awaited celebration, a performance, or anticipation of a meeting.
Anxiety that can be labeled as social. For example, a person may experience discomfort in front of a group of strangers, a first visit to a new job, or before going to the doctor.
Stress and fear that arises immediately before situations that carry a potential danger to life, for example, when encountering a street hooligan or an emergency.

A natural question arises: is it necessary to have a stomach ache after stress, or can the body cope with the load without disrupting the functioning of the digestive tract? As a rule, a person without stomach pathologies can cope with the load on the nervous system without consequences. But if the disease is already present in remission or in a latent form, there is a high risk that gastric neurosis will make itself felt. For example, during acute stress, a large amount of acid can be released in the stomach cavity, which will destroy the organ’s mucosa.

A predisposing factor that increases the likelihood of developing pathology is chronic or prolonged stress.

It is important to know that a functional digestive disorder is not a somatic pathology, that is, tissue damage does not occur, but the functioning of the organ is disrupted: this can be compared to a piano that requires tuning. But if gastric neurosis continues for a long time, due to insufficient blood supply, morphological changes in tissues begin, and then serious pathologies:

gastroduodenitis;
gastritis;
stomach ulcer;
gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Forms

Stomach neurosis is a collective image for various organ pathologies that arise due to autonomic disorders.

Nervous gastritis

This is a lesion of the gastric mucosa not of bacterial origin, but due to a nervous disorder. According to statistics, this pathology is very common, especially in large cities. The main cause of nervous gastritis is severe stress, which is accompanied by:

bad habits (smoking, unhealthy diet);
regular use of tablets.

The disease develops gradually, at first a person periodically experiences severe pain in the stomach and nausea, then, in the absence of proper treatment, the discomfort becomes permanent.

The main danger of nervous gastritis is the risk of developing neoplasms.

Stomach ulcer

It occurs under the influence of a whole range of reasons, but the speed of its progression and the severity of symptoms in most cases depends on the psycho-emotional state of the person.

Provocateurs for the development of the disease are irritability, anger, and aggression. Under the influence of such emotions:

the acidity of gastric juice increases;
The digestion process is accelerated.

In addition, nervous tension provokes a person’s desire to resort to alcohol and smoking, which also aggravates the course of peptic ulcer disease.

Gastric neurosis

These are functional changes in the functioning of the upper digestive tract, which are not accompanied by somatic pathologies. Usually a person faces pronounced discomfort, but if the nervous state stabilizes, the state of health returns to normal on its own.

All of the above pathologies are similar in manifestations, so a person cannot diagnose the disease on his own. If discomfort occurs, you should consult a doctor who will conduct an examination, after which he will advise the patient to receive treatment from a gastroenterologist and psychotherapist.

However, it is useful for everyone to know what signs of digestive disorders of neurological origin exist.

Symptoms of gastric neurosis

Which symptoms of the disease prevail in each specific case depends on the individual characteristics of the person. But we can highlight a list of clinical signs that are most characteristic of each type of gastric neurosis.

Can your stomach hurt from neurosis?

Posted by Mamucho666
What do you eat in the morning?

Sometimes it happens to me that if we eat apples in the morning on an empty stomach, then it’s a lost cause. It really helps if you eat something.

In general, I prefer to drink milk or eat yogurt or something else dairy in the morning.

This way you feel better. No, of course I won’t feel bad if I eat sandwiches or something else. But dairy still tastes better in the morning, and even after running I don’t feel like chewing.

I eat around 10 o’clock and always have a hearty salad, chicken with buckwheat or oatmeal, etc.

Neurosis of the stomach and intestines: signs of pathology and treatment

Intestinal neurosis(synonymous with irritable bowel syndrome) is a disease that is characterized by a combination of pain with stool disorders and dyspeptic symptoms (rumbling, flatulence, forced urge to defecate). The duration of the pathology is more than three months.

The disease is diagnosed in 50-70% of people who first turned to a gastroenterologist with complaints from the gastrointestinal tract. Intestinal neurosis is detected at different ages, including in children. Women are susceptible to irritable bowel syndrome 4 times more often than men.

Symptoms

With intestinal neurosis, symptoms can vary significantly. This disease is characterized by a chronic course with periods of exacerbations and remissions.

The most common complaints when visiting a gastroenterologist are:

The pain syndrome can vary in intensity: from mild discomfort to severe cramping pain. Triggered by food intake. The release of gas or bowel movements helps the pain subside.

Associated symptoms include:

feeling of incomplete bowel movement;
feeling of a lump in the throat when swallowing;
migraine-like headaches;
urination disorders (frequent urge to urinate, feeling of a full bladder, feeling of incomplete emptying of the bladder, etc.);
heartburn, belching;
pain in the lumbar region.

Intestinal neurosis is characterized by a number of features:

Long history of the disease.
Variable nature of symptoms.
A clear connection between psycho-emotional factors and intestinal symptoms.
No symptoms during sleep at night.

Causes

Irritable bowel syndrome is considered a multifactorial disease, the development of which involves external and internal causes:

psycho-emotional disorders (chronic stressful situations, depression, anxiety, panic attacks);
social factors (family, financial, interpersonal conflicts lead to exacerbations of intestinal neurosis);
impaired intestinal motility due to inflammatory processes in the intestines, low physical activity, suppression of the urge to defecate, nutritional disorders (lack of fiber, excess fat);
heredity.

Under the influence of numerous factors, the functioning of the nervous system, which regulates the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, malfunctions. The pain sensitivity of internal organs is impaired, motility (increased or weakened) and intestinal secretion are impaired. The exact relationship between all developmental mechanisms has not been fully established.

Types of pathology

Depending on which symptom predominates, the following forms of the disease are distinguished:

Diagnostics

The listed symptoms of intestinal neurosis are also found in other diseases (tumors, inflammation, erosion, diverticulosis, etc.) and are not strictly specific. The diagnosis may be suspected when a person, upon examination, reveals a number of symptoms that meet the diagnostic criteria (Rome criteria).

Diagnostic signs

Diagnostic criteria include recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort on at least 3 days per month over the past 3 months, accompanied by the following:

health improves after defecation;
delay or increased frequency of bowel movements provokes the onset of pain;
the onset of pain is associated with a change in stool consistency.

Abdominal pain must be accompanied by at least two signs:

bowel movements less than three times a week or more than three times a day;
the stool is hard or bean-shaped (sheep feces) or loose, watery in nature;
prolonged straining during defecation;
secretion of mucus in feces during bowel movements;
feeling of bloating, fullness in the abdomen, or incomplete bowel movements after bowel movements.

Laboratory and instrumental studies

To make a diagnosis and exclude tumors, inflammatory processes, acute intestinal infections, a mandatory diagnostic minimum is carried out:

Treatment

Treatment of intestinal neurosis is complex and includes several areas:

Diet

With the help of food, it is possible to correct a number of clinical manifestations. For constipation, foods containing substances that are not broken down in the gastrointestinal tract by enzymes and are excreted unchanged are prescribed (see ballast substances). In the intestines, these substances bind with water and swell, filling the intestinal lumen. In response to filling, intestinal motility increases and intestinal emptying improves. These products include:

wholemeal black bread;
vegetables (especially cabbage, zucchini);
fruits (pear, apple);
bran.

The disadvantage of such a diet is the high frequency of provoked pain and flatulence in the abdomen.

Psychotherapy

A person remains dissatisfied when, during examination, they do not find an organic pathology that would explain the existing symptoms. In these cases, it is necessary to conduct explanatory conversations about the causes of irritable bowel syndrome and its consequences.

Drug treatment

Medicines are prescribed based on the dominant symptom (pain, diarrhea or constipation).

Neuroses and gastrointestinal disorders

Mental trauma and long-term depressive states, any worries and experiences colored by negative emotions (fear, melancholy, dissatisfaction with oneself and remorse, a feeling of internal discomfort, disturbance of spiritual harmony) have long been considered as the most important cause of functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Gastrointestinal (more precisely abdominal) sensations occur in the structure of latent depression no less often than cardiovascular functional disorders. The leading role of psychogeny and emotional stress is revealed in at least 80% of patients with various forms of functional gastrointestinal disorders. Dyspeptic, secretory and motor disorders of the digestive tract are becoming one of the most important ways of expressing emotions. Thus, “chronic gastritis”, confirmed as if by a decrease in acidity and the presence of mucus in the stomach, constant aversion to food, belching, bloating with a feeling of pressure, nausea, painful sensations and a coated tongue, turns out in most cases to be only an emotionally determined syndrome, a way expressions of emotion.

These mild, but “soul-exhausting” painful sensations of a diffuse nature often migrate throughout the abdomen; However, a clear localization of pain is also possible (most often in the epigastric and subcostal areas). The most constant sensations of heaviness, fullness, tension and discomfort (less often emptiness) in the stomach; a number of patients experience a feeling of overeating after just a few sips, which sometimes leads to refusal to eat due to the intensification of such painful sensations. The special nature of the sensations, which are difficult to describe specifically, determines the peculiar “pattern” of complaints of patients who are looking for some analogy with ordinary, well-known phenomena (“aches, tugs, like an abscess; tickles, like a boil; hurts, as if being cut with a blunt object ; tingles, as if with needles; pierces with pain, like a groan goes through the stomach; burns like fire; bursts, as if something is torn”).

Such sensations arise or intensify during emotional stress and at night (or even as the patient approaches what is almost certainly a sleepless night), against the background of asthenia and depressed mood. In some cases, there may be complaints of nausea in the morning and unbearable pain in the epigastrium (sometimes with the requirement of narcotic analgesics), very reminiscent in the description and localization of manifestations of peptic ulcer disease (if there is, as a rule, a history of duodenal ulcer). Patients are sometimes surprised to note the complete absence (in contrast to true exacerbations in the past) of any connection between morning sickness and pain with the quality, quantity and time of food intake and “they can eat anything.” A sharp decrease in mood in the morning is interpreted as a “natural” reaction to pain.

The undulating course of abdominal sensations does not exclude, however, a readiness for paroxysmal explosions, often accompanied by pronounced tachycardia, increased systolic blood pressure, coldness of the extremities, chills, and even in some patients significant hyperthermia. A sharp increase in the intensity of pathological sensations in the abdominal cavity with complaints of unbearable pain (and often a requirement for surgery) becomes, as a rule, the reason for hospitalization of such patients for “urgent” or even “vital” indications (with suspicion of a perforated gastric ulcer or acute appendicitis, attack of hepatic or renal colic, dynamic intestinal obstruction, etc.). Many such patients undergo unjustified surgical interventions (especially often appendectomy or cholecystectomy with an unchanged appendix or gall bladder).

The spastic nature of these sensations (such as “colic”), which occur in the stomach and other hollow organs with intense contraction or stretching of smooth muscles, is confirmed by special (primarily x-ray) studies. Spastic conditions of the stomach and intestines (especially the duodenum and colon with symptoms of hypertension, hyperkinesia and hypersecretion are usually observed with anxious depression with a lot of all kinds of fears and concerns. Gastroduodenal hypotension and hypokinesia with symptoms of stasis in the duodenal bulb are observed with a greater depth of hypochondriacal depression with a distinct psychomotor retardation; in almost % of such patients, barium retention in the intestines is recorded during X-ray examination for up to 5 days.

Motor disorders of the digestive tract in the form of “local spasms” of the esophagus, cardia, pylorus or sphincter of Oddi occur mainly in the general complex of clinical pictures of neurotic and pseudoneurotic conditions, but can also act as a so-called organ neurosis. The cause of gross diagnostic errors most often turns out to be convulsive contractions of the upper parts of the esophagus (with a sensation of a foreign body or a “lump in the throat”) - one of the somatic equivalents of hidden fear. Complaints about difficulty swallowing (usually only solid or only liquid food) are often associated with the fear of death from suffocation when food gets into the larynx.

Sharp painful sensations against a background of vague anxiety with a lot of anxious fears are caused in a number of patients by severe flatulence (the so-called gas pain); Periodic rumbling and bloating create the clinical picture of hysterical pseudoileus. A huge spherical abdomen with “super-sounding” tympanitis (with relatively good health outside of painful attacks and normal stool) is often regarded by surgeons as a consequence of partial or even complete intestinal obstruction and a direct indication for surgical intervention. Periodic flatulence is usually combined with aerophagia, which, during emotional overstrain, causes the so-called aerophagic tic - a kind of hiccups not associated with food intake. A significant accumulation of gas in the stomach, when the diaphragm rises upward, contributes to the displacement of the heart and the development of functional cardiovascular disorders (the appearance of cardialgia and respiratory arrhythmia, moderate arterial hypotension due to a decrease in stroke and minute volumes of the left ventricle, sinus tachycardia and extrasystole in the absence of any electrocardiographic changes).

Very common in the clinic of neurotic conditions are complaints of an unpleasant taste or bitterness in the mouth, heartburn and belching (often with air, less often with eaten food or stomach juice) throughout the day or only in the morning, before meals. Any of these complaints can become the object of hypochondriacal fixation and hypochondriacal fears of the patient.

One of the common symptoms in the clinic of neurotic and pseudoneurotic conditions is nausea and vomiting, which occurs not only in acute or chronic traumatic situations, but also in various emotional reactions in adults and children (for example, vomiting in the morning before an exam). Nausea (from a slight unpleasant sensation “like nausea”, localized most often in the upper parts of the chest, “near the throat” or coming “from the stomach”, to periodically or systematically occurring, sometimes repeated vomiting, which does not bring relief) develops mainly in the morning, on an empty stomach or at the mere sight and smell of food, and sometimes after eating “through force”, it worsens with excitement and can take on an almost permanent character at the height of prolonged affective stress.

Nausea and vomiting, not associated with any somatic disease, turn out to be one of the common depressive equivalents in the clinic of cyclothymic conditions. It is no coincidence that many of these patients complain of “nausea in the chest or throughout the body” and define it as some kind of “moral and physical anxiety” that cannot be expressed in words.

No less typical for neurotic and pseudoneurotic conditions are complaints about appetite disorders - from poor or very “capricious” appetite to complete disgust and refusal to eat with loss of taste. It is also possible to experience a paroxysmal feeling of acute hunger, giving way to almost disgust for food after the first two or three sips. Many patients nevertheless eat everything that is offered to them, for purely rational reasons (to strengthen their health). A psychogenically determined feeling of insatiable hunger (up to bulimia) is noted mainly in the clinic of pseudoneurotic conditions. A fairly noticeable increase in body weight in such patients, however, often indicates not so much an excellent appetite as a clear decrease in their basal metabolism and a disruption of metabolic processes in general.

More typical is the significant and sometimes “catastrophic” weight loss of patients, which contributes to the development of cancerophobia and hypochondriacal delirium of the disease. Many patients with prolonged masked depression are hospitalized in gastroenterological departments with a diagnosis of “stomach tumor” due to complaints of pain in the abdominal cavity and progressive weakness, absolute lack of appetite (up to aversion to the smell of meat and other products), a sharp decrease in body weight (by 12-16 kg per year), a frequent combination of dyspeptic syndrome with symptoms of hypochilia and anemia and, finally, full compliance of their appearance with the usual ideas about cancer cachexia. And it is not so much the data of an x-ray or gastroscopic examination that do not confirm the presence of a tumor, but rather (or even only) the rapid normalization of the clinical condition of patients in the process of adequate therapy with antidepressants and small doses of antipsychotics, which allows in such cases to remove the heavy burden of this diagnosis both from the patient himself and from those around him (including the attending physician).

The most trivial complaints in the clinic of neurotic and pseudoneurotic conditions are complaints about persistent constipation, resistant to all types of therapy, or constipation followed by diarrhea. Ordinary chronic constipation turns out to be psychogenic in at least 50% of patients; One of their immediate causes is often, for example, not very successful marriages (more precisely, affective disorders associated with them). In some cases, however, we are talking about imaginary constipation, and not real, although not all of these patients spend several hours a day in the toilet and give themselves 1 to 8 enemas daily. Patients who are not satisfied with the excretory function of their intestines sometimes deny with almost manic persistence that they have objectively normal stools. There are cases when patients bring themselves to bleeding and prolapse of the rectum, mechanically irritating the anal area to achieve a more complete bowel movement. Painful convulsive contractions of the rectum contribute to the development of a secondary infection and, as a rule, pronounced inflammatory changes in the anal area.

Frequent psychogenic defecation disorders include the so-called bear disease (diarrhea and anorexia during fright) and unstable stool in certain situations that cause a feeling of mental discomfort and affective anxiety. Chronic neurotic diarrhea, which lasts for years and is not amenable to either dietary treatment or any medication, is most often regarded by infectious disease specialists as chronic dysentery. In addition to banal, ordinary constipation and diarrhea, the group of functional dyspeptic disorders includes chronic spastic colitis and irritable bowel syndrome, as well as pseudoappendicitis, posthepatic and postcholecystectomy syndromes, symptom complexes of the left and right hypochondrium and neurodigestive asthenia.

Psychogenic functional disorders of the large intestine (functional colonopathies) are usually associated with a chronic traumatic situation or acute emotional shock. The decisive psychopathic factor in chronic colitis turns out to be the emotional instability of patients - the simplest psychoneurotic tendency, which in most cases does not fit into the framework of the generally accepted classification of neurotic and pseudoneurotic conditions. In almost half of the patients, a clinical picture of true depression is revealed with more or less pronounced vegetative disorders, phobias and all clinical gradations of hypochondriacal disorders (from harmless introspection to hypochondriacal delusions that go beyond neurotic states). The amount of mucus in the large intestine really turns out to be a kind of “barometer of the emotional state of the individual.” A clinical illustration of pronounced psychogenic spastic, secretory and vasomotor disorders (“rectal neuroses”) can be proctomyxorrhea (paroxysmal and often involuntary secretion of mucus from the rectum).

The true essence of false enteritis and imaginary diseases of the stomach is determined by the paranoid fixation of such patients on the activity of their digestive apparatus and anxious-hypochondriacal fears about gastrointestinal disorders; What is also characteristic is not so much pronounced anxiety as muffled internal anxiety against a background of low mood. These patients torment their exhausted intestines with laxatives and enemas, listen to the slightest rumbling in the stomach and examine their excrement in detail. They are constantly treated by gastroenterologists and stay in hospitals for a long time, but are always dissatisfied with the treatment and the attending physicians and never notice an improvement in their well-being, finding more and more new symptoms (which is not surprising, since the deeper and more stable the hypochondriacal fixation, the greater the likelihood pain and constipation). One of the clinical features of neurotic conditions is the well-known inertia of unpleasant sensations associated by patients with pathology of the stomach, liver, intestines or other abdominal organs - the same, more or less stereotypical intensity of these sensations for a number of years and even decades in the absence of any or structural changes.

Nerve pain in the abdomen

Everyone knows that “due to nervousness” a variety of unpleasant sensations in the stomach are possible. This is where the expression “heart in your heels” comes from. In fact, this means that the unpleasant sensation that began in the heart area gradually moves into the abdominal cavity, causing a feeling of “freezing” there.

Nervous pain

But can abdominal pain really be caused by nerves? It turns out it can.

Is it any wonder that “phantom” pain exists? A man's leg has been amputated at the knee for a long time, but he clearly feels pain in his little finger. Science knows the appearance of stigmata on the palms and feet of religious ascetics of the past, who sincerely empathized with the religious plot of the crucifixion. Therefore, functional abdominal pain is possible. The main thing is the ability to distinguish it in time from a catastrophe in the abdominal cavity, which requires urgent surgery.

Features of neurological abdominal pain

It is known that internal organs are innervated by the autonomic nervous system. It has significant differences from the somatic system: it does not obey our will, but works autonomously. And this system generates pain sensations that are not so bright and specific, but dull, diffuse and poorly localized.

Autonomic nervous system - diagram

For example, if you hurt your finger or foot, then you can show exactly where the pain is the worst. And if there is pain from the passage of a stone through the ureter, then, despite the clear position of the stone at each moment of time, the pain will be diffuse. Vague localization is what distinguishes autonomic pain.

Causes of nerve pain in the abdomen

Abdominal pain “from nerves” primarily occurs from dysfunction of this very autonomic nervous system. After all, there can be no tunnel syndromes or pinched nerves in the abdominal cavity: there are no dense cartilage and bone formations, powerful ligaments in which long nerves can be compressed. On the contrary, everything in the abdominal cavity is perfectly “lubricated”, and the intestines are suspended on the mesenteries.

Perhaps the only exception in which the nerves of the abdominal cavity are infringed is hernia, but the mesentery is quite rarely infringed by the hernial orifice. The second situation is torsion of the mesentery with the occurrence of gangrene of the intestinal loop, intestinal obstruction and the development of peritonitis.

But in this situation, the immediate cause was mesenteric torsion with impaired circulation, and the corresponding neurological disorders were a secondary consequence of acute ischemia and should not be considered.

VSD

The most common cause of abdominal pain from nerves is vegetative-vascular dystonia. An imbalance between the sympathetic (stressful) and parasympathetic (trophic) parts of the autonomic nervous system leads to various conditions. For example, to hyperhidrosis, increased blood pressure, lethargy, feeling hot.

Sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system

One of these abdominal (abdominal) manifestations of vegetative-vascular dystonia is irritable bowel syndrome, which is manifested by an attack of diarrhea. In this case, it is possible that abdominal pain of a functional or nervous nature may appear.

It is known that every fifth person suffers from such a disorder in their life; in cities this figure is significantly higher. The reason, in addition to autonomic disorders, lies in the acceleration of the passage of food through the intestines, as well as a functional disorder of the nervous regulation of peristalsis, which is reversible.

Symptoms of “irritable bowel”

Most often, this condition causes pain and discomfort, which are mildly expressed and more reminiscent of unpleasant sensations than actual pain. These sensations can be anywhere where the small intestine exists: for example, nervous pain in the lower abdomen, or in the navel area. In addition to unpleasant sensations, there are:

bowel dysfunction, most experience diarrhea, but in some it alternates with constipation and impaired gas discharge;

there is an imperative urge to defecate. This means that the desire to empty the bowels is so strong that “there is no limit to the torment.” As a rule, there is no logical explanation for this: there is no delay in bowel movements for many days before this;

these pains and the desire to go to the toilet often occur during or immediately after eating. This occurs most often after breakfast.

This occurs due to the emergence of conditioned reflex connections between the upper gastrointestinal tract and the large intestine. Overstretching of the “full stomach” receptors is mistaken for a full intestine.

Fortunately, this process does not last long. Similar errors in the nervous system occur, for example, during recovery from pneumonia or severe infectious diseases. At this time, the body is still weakened. The nervous system is also weakened. This condition is called asthenovegetative syndrome. Soon after the body gets stronger, these unpleasant symptoms first weaken and then stop. Therefore, if you are suffering from such pain, you need to pay special attention to a diet that should not include rough food, and consult a doctor.