Hunger Pangs – What Are They?

January 16th, 2011 by Jamie

Hunger Pangs – What Are They? Whenever we feel hungry, we feel some sounds in our stomach. These are bowel sounds that are the result of the contraction of muscles ...

Hunger Pangs – What Are They?

Whenever we feel hungry, we feel some sounds in our stomach. These are bowel sounds that are the result of the contraction of muscles in the stomach. Sometimes, we feel pain because of hunger and this is called hunger pangs. Hunger pangs are described as intense gastric contractions that are usually felt when the person is hungry for many hours.

The hunger pangs would ease once the person eats or when the stomach is filled with food. These hunger pangs are quite strong and would occur in succession. For individuals with peptic ulcer or gastritis, the intensity can be more painful.

These pains are associated with appetite or the desire to eat something. When the brain receives signals related to appetite, it can trigger the hunger pangs telling you that you should eat.

While it is true that hunger pangs can be eased with food, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you should eat a lot and not control your appetite. You still need to be able to watch your diet and eat only foods that will make you healthy and not obese. Obesity is usually a result of uncontrolled appetite and poor metabolism, so if you don’t want to end up being overweight, then you should eat in moderation.