Regurgitation is the return movement of food from the stomach

Regurgitation is the return movement of food from the stomach or esophagus without the presence of nausea or active contractions of the abdominal muscles. Typically, this condition is caused by an acid reflex, a blockage of the esophagus or its narrowing. Occlusion may cause a number of reasons, including a malignant tumor, a violation of the sphincter and nervous regulation.

If regurgitation does not have physical causes, then it is called rumination. It, as a rule, occurs in children in the first year of life. It is much less common in adults. Rumination in adults can be caused by emotional disorders, especially during a period of nervous tension.

Features of the phenomenon

Regurgitation is the rapid movement of gases or fluids in the direction opposite to the natural one that appears when the hollow muscular organs contract. Basically, this condition is noted when there is a violation of muscle pulpos of the stomach or heart valves, as well as in the opposite direction of the wave of muscle contraction. Regurgitation is the same eructation. There is also a regurgitation of blood into the atrium from the ventricles, which occurs when the tricuspid or mitral valves of the heart are deficient.

Minimal regurgitation in children

The recurrent movement of food occurs quite often in infants (in the first months of life). It occurs due to the contraction of the smooth muscles of the stomach without the participation of the diaphragm and the abdominal press. This act occurs involuntarily and most often is not accompanied by any functional disorders. Sometimes regurgitation is repeated several times in the process of feeding the baby. At six months of age, she usually disappears.

At the same time, regurgitation of the third degree can be caused by organic lesions: congenital short esophagus, ulcerative esophagitis, diverticulum of the esophagus and so on. It can be one of the symptoms of duodenal ulcers with pylorospasm, constriction of the pylorus and hypersecretion.

Rumination

Rumination and regurgitation are physiological phenomena that can occur in infants fast sucking the mother's breast. In its essence, rumination is a phenomenon that occurs in ruminants. In some cases, infants return some of the contents of the stomach back into the mouth, chew it again and swallow. At the same time, part of it involuntarily flows between the lips. Some children put their fingers in their mouths in order to return the contents of the stomach back. As a rule, rumination begins half an hour after a meal and lasts one or two hours.

Rumination and regurgitation are analogues in the mechanism of manifestation and clinical significance. The only difference is that the food with regurgitation from the mouth does not flow. Doctors believe that the most common cause of regurgitation is a disruption of the function of the septa and sphincters. It arises as a result of active muscle contraction, but it is not analogous to reflux - the passive flow of fluid into neighboring spaces.