Stomach Problems After Eating

What Causes Stomach Problems After Eating?

Stomach problems after eating can happen for dozens of reasons. You can have stomach problems after eating because you've eaten too much. You may have stomach problems after eating because you ate when you were in a hurry. Or you may experience stomach problems after eating when you eat something that, as the popular saying goes, "doesn't agree with you."

But stomach problems after a meal occur often, probably indicate some underlying condition, disease, or disorder that may need medical attention.

Causes of stomach problems after eating First of all, your stomach problems may not even be caused by something happening in your stomach, but you'll feel pain or discomfort in the general area known as the stomach. We'll get to some of those possibilities in a minute.

Stomach acid problems - Sometimes stomach acid will get through the valve between the stomach and esophagus and work its way upward toward the throat. Since stomach acid is extremely strong, it irritates the lining of the esophagus. This condition is also described by many people as "heartburn" or indigestion. Acid reflux is more likely to occur if you lie down shortly after eating.

Stomach acid reflux can become a serious, chronic stomach problem known to medical professionals as gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD.

Stomach cramps pain - Pain from stomach cramps occurs in the muscles of the stomach and abdomen when you exercise or perform strenuous physical activity shortly after eating. When your mother told you never to go swimming for at least half an hour (or an hour, or two hours) after a meal because you could suffer stomach cramps pain, she knew what she was talking about.

Stomach ulcers - If you have a stomach ulcer, it's most likely to cause stomach problems after eating because food you've eaten irritates the ulcer. A stomach ulcer is a form of gastritis, which means the lining of the stomach or the upper intestines has become irritated and inflamed.

Stomach gas - When most people think of gas, they think of flatulence, which occurs lower in the gastrointestinal tract. But stomach gas is odorless, and is typically composed of carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and sometimes methane. Stomach gas comes food we eat, liquids we drink (especially carbonated beverages), and even the air we breathe through our mouths (swallowing air is known as aerophagia). Stomach problems after eating occur when enough of these gases accumulate.

Stomach bloating - Bloated stomach and stomach gas often go hand-in-hand. This problem results from bad eating habits, like eating too much or eating too fast. You can also get a bloated stomach by eating foods that are processed differently by your digestive system in the same meal.

"Stomach flu" - The medical name is viral gastroenteritis. This condition is caused by germs which get into the stomach. When you have stomach flu or a "stomach virus," you often throw up shortly after eating because your body is trying to get rid of harmful germs that have invaded your digestive system. Stomach pain and nausea are typical problems after eating when you have stomach flu.

Stomach cancer - Unfortunately, stomach problems after eating could be a symptom that a tumor has formed in your stomach. See stomach cancer.

You can also experience "stomach" problems after eating if you have a disorder or condition that originates in other organs in the area of the abdomen. There are several such problems related to the colon, including

• Diverticulitis, in which small pouches form in the lining of the colon and then become inflamed. Discomfort after eating is a symptom of diverticulitis.
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS (also popularly called a "spastic" colon) - When you have this condition, your intestines and colon don't properly absorb fluids from the food that passes through them.

Heart trouble - Stomach problems after eating can be a possibility of heart trouble. Certain foods increase your blood pressure, which also raises the workload on your heart. This can sometimes trigger chest pain and discomfort in the upper abdomen.

Gallbladder problems - Gallbladder problems often occur shortly after a meal: especially if the meal was rich, fatty, and high in cholesterol content.

Pancreatitis - When you have pancreatitis, you feel discomfort upper abdomen 6-12 hours after eating. The pain then radiates to the sides and back. An increased heart rate, nausea, and fever often accompany the pain.

Food poisoning - The length of time before trouble starts depends on what you've eaten. Some contaminated foods cause stomach problems within 30 minutes after eating them. Others take hours. Food poisoning often causes stomach pain, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and in some cases, a fever and headaches.

Also see our articles on upset stomach and sour stomach.