Abdominal pain after eating

Anyone can get a stomach ache after eating too much fatty food or as a result of extreme stress. As a rule, the pain quickly disappears when you switch to lighter foods or after the cause of stress disappears and rest.

But if pain appears regularly after eating and is accompanied by other symptoms, such as diarrhea, constipation, nausea, bloating, then you should pay attention to them and consult a doctor. Such pain may be the cause of intestinal disease.

This article will describe the signs of various diseases that cause abdominal pain after eating, so that you can get your bearings.

Why does my stomach hurt after eating?

Some foods are considered particularly difficult to digest and cause increased gas formation. Sometimes they cause stomach pain after eating.

These products include:

• cabbage
• milk
• sweets
• fat
• onion garlic
• alcohol and others.

These foods can cause excess acid and digestive gases. Often cause a feeling of abdominal distension.

The cause of stomach pain after eating can be overeating. This condition feels like heaviness in the stomach. As a result, the walls of the stomach expand and this may cause pain.

How to determine the cause of abdominal pain?

If your stomach hurts after eating regularly, this may indicate a disease in one of the abdominal organs. Possible causes are diseases such as stomach ulcers, inflammation of the pancreas, inflammation of the esophagus, gallstones or diseases of the duodenum.

To understand what exactly is going on with you, answer the following questions:

• Do you experience abdominal pain immediately after eating or some time after eating?
• Where exactly does the pain occur - in the center, in the upper abdomen or in the lower abdomen?
• What kind of pain do you feel - stabbing, dull, pressing, bursting, cutting?
• Are there any accompanying symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence, bloating or sour belching?

Pain immediately after eating is a symptom of a stomach ulcer

If abdominal pain appears immediately after eating, then this is a defining sign of a stomach ulcer.
Typical are bursting pains or burning immediately after eating, most often between the costal arch and the navel. Associated symptoms such as loss of appetite or nausea may occur. In some patients, the stool becomes black.

Abdominal pain while eating

If a burning sensation occurs in the abdomen and esophagus during or immediately after eating, heartburn can be suspected. Heartburn can be caused by stress, foods that provoke excessive acid production, or foods that are too fatty. In some cases, the cause of this disease is a weakening of the sphincter between the stomach and esophagus. The sphincter does not prevent food from entering the stomach with gastric juice back into the esophagus.

Abdominal pain during and after eating due to gastritis

Discomfort immediately after starting to eat may be a symptom of inflammation of the stomach lining (gastritis).
Severe pain occurs when a lot of food enters the stomach. As food passes into the intestines, the pain decreases and disappears after a while.

Causes of abdominal pain some time after eating

If pain does not occur immediately after eating, but after some time, the cause may be gallstones, a duodenal ulcer, or inflammation of the pancreas.

Pain due to gallstones

If you have gallstones, you may experience discomfort a couple of hours after eating a fatty meal. The pain is felt in the upper abdomen, without going down to the navel. Gallstones can cause abdominal cramps and lead to inflammation of the gallbladder. Acute inflammation leads to severe girdling pain and can cause yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes of the face.

Pain from inflammation of the pancreas

Pain some time after eating may be a sign of inflammation of the pancreas. A nagging pain appears in the hypochondrium, which can radiate to the back. In such cases, the pain does not go away immediately, but can last the whole day.

Abdominal pain on an empty stomach

Abdominal pain that occurs between meals on an empty stomach indicates a duodenal ulcer or ulcerative duodenitis.
Pressing or burning pain appears in the hypochondrium and may decrease or disappear when eating.

Digestive problems after eating due to food intolerance

The causes of abdominal pain due to food are not always diseases of the abdominal organs. Some people simply cannot tolerate certain foods and react to eating with stomach pain. These pains can be quite severe and be accompanied by symptoms such as a feeling of fullness in the abdomen after eating, diarrhea, constipation, sugar cravings and even headaches.

The most common are lactose, fructose or gluten intolerance.
Food intolerance should not be confused with allergies, in which the immune system reacts with hypersensitivity to certain substances. Food intolerance is sometimes confused with irritable bowel syndrome .

In order to identify intolerant foods, it is useful to keep a food diary. Then you need to confirm your conclusions with medical tests.

During pregnancy, food intolerance can occur due to hormonal changes. Foods that previously did not cause problems may suddenly cause intolerance.

What to eat for stomach pain?

If abdominal pain occurs due to overeating and ingestion of incompatible and difficult to digest foods, then a gentle diet is recommended to restore digestion. This will avoid stressing the gastrointestinal tract and allow it to calm down.

Doctors recommend light, well-balanced meals. Products made from white flour and sugar should be excluded. It is better to consume flour products made from whole grains. Easily digestible fruits include bananas and ripe apples.

After the pain disappears, you can eat lean meat and dairy products. You should eat in small portions several times throughout the day and drink non-carbonated drinking water or unsweetened herbal teas. You should trust your intuition. You can use the 4b therapeutic diet .

Our website provides you with primary information. It cannot replace a doctor's consultation. Very severe abdominal pain requires attention and medical examination.