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Causes of Stomach Pain after Eating
- Eating very spicy or heavy food
- Food intolerance — this is the most probable cause of stomach pain after eating. It is also referred to as non-allergic food hypersensitivity. It includes the metabolic, gastrointestinal, and pharmacologic responses to a certain compound found in different foods or a particular food.
- Food allergy — if you eat a food or a food with an ingredient that you are allergic too you may experience intense stomach pain after eating the food. Some of these foods can include eggs, shellfish, peanuts, walnuts, and more. If you are not sure what is causing these stomach pains keep a food diary and after a few days you should be able to know what is causing the problem
- Food poisoning — the stomach pain after eating food that is spoiled or causes food poisoning will be a sharp type of pain
- Heartburn
- Following a diet that is unhealthy
- Going to sleep immediately after eating can disrupt the process of digestion
- Constipation — if you have had less than three bowel movements during the week you may feel stomach pain after eating along with bloating.
- Consuming food too fast
- Keeping your stomach empty for too long and then eating a large amount of food
- Ulcers — eating acidic foods can cause the soft tissue in the lining of your stomach to erode and when you eat foods that are too spicy or too hot it can cause stomach pain after eating because of the stomach ulcer.
- Gastroenteritis — this is also known as the stomach flu and can cause stomach pain after eating along with vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea.
- Celiac disease — this is a reaction of the immune system after you consume gluten. This is a protein that is found in graham flour, barley, and wheat. Each time you eat gluten your small intestine triggers an immune response, causing inflammation of the lining of your small intestine. This can lead to stomach pain after eating and bloating
- Appendicitis — with this medical condition you would have intense in your right side and along with the stomach pain after eating you may also have a mild fever, nausea, and vomiting.
- Microorganisms — this is also a common reason to have stomach pain after eating. It is the chemical reaction between various microorganisms and your body fluids. Your body tries to throw out the bacteria that is harmful to avoid infections so that is why you may experience stomach pain after eating and may be accompanied by vomiting or nausea.
- Lactose intolerance — this is a medical condition in which your body is not capable of producing an enzyme that is required to break down lactose. This enzyme is called lactase. Lactose is a milk sugar and is found in every dairy product. If you do not know you are lactose intolerance you may experience stomach pain after eating if you eat any of these foods.
- Bloating — if you feel bloated, which is the result of gas that is generated from eating certain foods, it can cause stomach pain after eating. This gas can be caused by bacteria in your large intestine that is breaking down foods or swallowing air while you are eating. If your stomach pain is caused by bloating it is important that you see your physician because the bloating could be a symptom of certain medical conditions that could be serious.
- Diarrhea — if you are experiencing diarrhea it is possible that you will have stomach pain after eating along with bloating and stomach cramps.
What is the Treatment?
In order to get the proper treatment for the stomach pain after eating you need to see your physician who will take your medical history, do a physical examination, and may also run some diagnostic tests to find out the underlying cause. Once the cause has been found then your physician can start the correct treatment if any is needed. If the stomach pain after eating has been ongoing for several days you should see your physician to find out the cause.
Home Remedies for Stomach Pain after Eating
There are many simple home remedies that you can use to help with stomach pain after eating like:
- Drink water with your meal and afterwards to keep yourself hydrated
- Take a short walk after eating
- Do not immediately go lay down after eating to take a nap
- Drink a cup of warm mint tea
- Adding a spoon of fennel seed to boiling water and when it becomes lukewarm drink a glass of it
- Take an antacid
How to Prevent the Stomach pain?
- Stick to a healthy diet
- Follow regular meal times
- Eat slowly
- Consume small portions instead of eating a large amount of food
- Try to have two to three hours between the last time you ate and when you go to sleep
- Avoid drinking carbonated drinks, alcohol, and coffee with food
- Try to avoid eating spicy foods and greasy, fried, fatty foods
- After you eat sit straight for at least thirty minutes
