"Why Do I Experience Stomach Cramps at a Regular Time Every Night?"

Stomach cramps occurring at a fixed time every night may be indicative of chronic gastritis or early-stage gastric cancer. It is crucial to seek medical attention promptly to avoid delaying treatment. The details are as follows:

1. Chronic Gastritis

Chronic gastritis is a common disease, ranking at the top of various gastric illnesses in terms of incidence. It typically lacks specific symptoms, but patients often experience fullness and distension in the epigastrium, gastric pain, belching, loss of appetite, acid regurgitation, or a feeling of discomfort in the stomach. The most common symptoms of this disease are gastric pain and a sense of fullness, especially with worsening symptoms after meals and a more comfortable feeling during fasting. Despite consuming small amounts of food, patients may feel overly full and uncomfortable.

2. Gastric Cancer

Symptoms of gastric cancer include upper abdominal fullness, discomfort, or dull pain, which may also manifest as severe pain. Other symptoms include decreased appetite, dyspepsia, weight loss, fatigue, lethargy, anemia, hematemesis, and gastric perforation in more severe cases. Low-grade fever may also accompany these symptoms. In patients with significant weight loss, they may even be able to palpate a mass in the upper abdomen. Gastric cancer can occur in any part of the stomach but is more common in the pyloric region and antral part, particularly on the lesser curvature side. If any of these symptoms arise, it is imperative to seek medical attention immediately.