Nutrition

8 Top Reasons for Experiencing Stomach Pain After Meals

At times we all have an experience with overindulging. Typically, this usually happens during a meal, because the food is just so nice. But doing so might cause nausea, indigestion problems and a feeling of fullness that can make a person quite uncomfortable. However, when you experience pain in the stomach after eating just enough food regular amounts as you normally do, it may possibly be a sign that there is another problem.

Some problems associated with indigestion and stomachache that aren’t serious won’t need any medical attention. Usually, problems we experience with our stomachs can be treated with over-the-counter medicines at home. These are mostly mild pains, cramps, nausea and such.

When experiencing any pain that can be categorized between moderate to severe, it’s important to contact the doctor. These could very well be symptoms or signs of an underlying condition that could end up being serious.

Some reasons why people may experience pain in the stomach after meals

There can be many reasons for these problems, including the following:

Allergies to certain foods

This can happen if the body mistakenly reacts to specific foods when it sees these as being harmful or sees it as some foreign invaders. In such a case, it would cause the immune system to release certain antibodies in order to fight against it. When this happens, we may experience a wide variety of different symptoms, as well as pain in the stomach.

Some foods that are commonly found to cause allergies could be such as:

  • Wheat
  • Eggs
  • Tree nuts and peanuts
  • Shellfish and fish
  • Soy
  • Milk

Intolerance to certain foods

An intolerance or sensitivity towards food can happen when your digestive system does not agree with specific foods. There won’t really be any specific signs of this condition, but the digestive system will get irritated or won’t properly digest certain foods and cause pain.

A lot of people experience intolerance of lactose that normally means they can’t consume dairy products and milk. When they do, they may develop symptoms similar to an upset stomach.

GERD

It’s also known as gastro-esophageal reflux disease. This consist of a long-lasting/chronic problem with the digestive system and is seen when acid from the stomach push back into the esophagus. These refluxes of acid will irritate the esophagus’ lining and could lead to damage.

Celiac disease

Usually, this is if the body develops a response caused by the immune system towards gluten. Generally, this is a protein that may be found in rye, wheat, and barley. With regular exposures to it, the small intestine’s lining can get damaged. It’s possible to experience symptoms similar to an upset stomach. Yet, it might cause other complications that could be serious.

IBS/irritable bowel syndrome

This condition is common and chronic and typically affects the large intestine, it may cause:

  • Gas
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Bloating
  • Cramping
  • Abdominal pain

Generally, people with this condition would require management over a long time period.

Peptic ulcers

Normally with this condition sores develop inside the stomach lining at the top part of the small intestine. The symptom that is most commonly seen with this condition is a burning pain on the stomach. This condition may be further aggravated through foods that are overly spicy.

Crohn’s disease

It’s a chronic, serious inflammatory IBD bowel disease that normally leads to inflammation within various areas of your digestive tract. Ordinarily, it will cause different symptoms including blood in the stool, severe pain, and diarrhea. This disease can be potentially serious with complications that are life-threatening.

Constipation

When a person experiences constipation, it means that your stool isn’t moving quickly enough through your digestive tract. Thus, it can’t be eliminated. If a problem with constipation becomes chronic, this is when you have less than three bowel movements weakly, it may lead to stomach bloating and pain. When eating regular meals but the body can’t digest the constant intake of food, you may experience symptoms that would become worse over time.

Complications that might occur

The possibility of certain complications depends on the reason for your pain, it can include such as:

  • Allergies to food causing allergic reactions that are severe, like anaphylaxis which usually would prevent you from breathing. This is considered a medical emergency.
  • GERD would result in difficulty to swallow due to esophagus damage.
  • Peptic ulcers may cause some bleeding internally and lead to infections that are serious.
  • Chronic constipation generally causes anal fissures and hemorrhoids as part of the problems.
  • Crohn’s disease is usually associated with complications that are very serious, including fistulas and bowel obstruction which will require repairs surgically. With this, it’s also possible to increase the risk of developing colon cancer.

Tips for prevention

Different things to try for preventing pain on the stomach after meals can include:

  • Make sure your portions of food are in controlled amounts.
  • Avoid eating anything which used to cause problems for you previously.
  • Your diet should be rich in vegetables and fruits that have a higher content of fiber.
  • Sufficient water must be taken with your meals, as well as in between.
  • It might be better to have five to six smaller meals every day, instead of three standard meals.
  • Reduce or avoid your alcohol and caffeine intake.
  • Try and practice to eat mindful, chewing each mouthful thoroughly.
  • Make sure to look for ways to reducing your stress levels as it could increase eating and digestive issues.

At any time when you are not sure what the reason may be for pain on the stomach after meals, or when symptoms are persistent over a period of time, it is important to visit the doctor for proper diagnoses.

If you have any questions, please ask below!