After eating, stomach pain can be caused by a serious illness, dont take it lightly

Abdominal pain after eating is due to many reasons. If your cramping pain is constant or accompanied by some other symptoms, it could be caused by a serious medical condition, you need to see your doctor soon to get an accurate diagnosis.

Abdominal pain after eating is also quite common because the cause may be from eating too much, but it can also be a warning sign of a dangerous disease. Refer to the following article to find out what causes this situation and how to fix it later.

What are the symptoms of stomach ache after eating?

Abdominal pain after eating is a common symptom for many reasons

After eating, you often feel abdominal pain with specific pain symptoms such as a short-term cramping pain in the lower abdomen accompanied by nausea and fatigue. In addition to abdominal pain, you may also experience symptoms such as bloating, heartburn, belching, difficulty swallowing; mild fever and diarrhea; tension and anxiety and angina in the chest area intermittently with increasing intensity.

Common causes of stomachache after eating

The following are common causes of abdominal pain after eating, including:

Abdominal pain due to difficulty digesting food

People with indigestion often feel abdominal pain in the upper abdomen. Indigestion also makes you feel full early in the meal, gas, bloating, and nausea. If your doctor can't find a specific cause because there's no obvious medical condition, you may have a functional digestive disorder because your digestive organs aren't working as they should.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

This is acid reflux from the stomach into the esophagus. Symptoms of GERD are pain when swallowing and a burning sensation in the esophagus. Acid secreted in the stomach can damage the esophagus.

Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis can cause cramping pain after eating, often starting in the upper abdomen and spreading to the back with nausea and vomiting. There are many causes of pancreatitis, which are genetic, gallstones, alcohol consumption, and smoking can also increase the risk of the disease.

Stomach ulcers

You need to pay attention if the stomach pain after eating occurs anywhere between the breastbone and the navel, you may have a peptic ulcer. Stomach ulcers can be painful even when your stomach is empty.

Peptic ulcers can be caused by taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Ibuprofen, Aspirin, and Naproxen, especially if they are taken for a long time. The most common bacteria that cause stomach ulcers is Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori).

Gallstones cause abdominal pain

Symptoms of abdominal pain caused by gallstones appear in the middle or right lower abdomen, spreading to your back or right shoulder. The above symptoms appear after eating accompanied by nausea and vomiting. This is especially common after eating a high-fat meal or after a large meal.

Not only after eating, the stomach hurts, but when the stomach is hungry, there are also symptoms of severe pain with fever, maybe you have cholecystitis . 

Food poisoning causes stomach pain and fever after eating 

Irritable bowel syndrome

If you have chronic abdominal pain, you may have irritable bowel syndrome. Symptoms in each person can be different such as feeling of intestinal cramps, bloating, diarrhea , constipation. After eating, abdominal pain and bloating due to irritable bowel syndrome often occur in the area around the navel. Eating and drinking can stimulate strong intestinal contractions causing abdominal pain.

Food poisoning

Food poisoning also causes a common symptom of stomach cramps after eating, often appearing a few hours after eating. Other symptoms include fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. 

Certain foods cause stomach upset, such as spicy foods, acidic foods, or beverages like alcohol and caffeine.

Food intolerances or allergies

The body's immune response to food can cause a variety of symptoms, including abdominal pain after eating. Some common food allergens include seafood (especially fish), milk, and peanuts.

A milder form of allergy is a food intolerance. Certain foods irritate the digestive system and make it difficult to digest them properly. Common intolerances include gluten and lactose.

Eating too much causes stomachache

When you eat too much, you also have a feeling of fullness and discomfort in the upper abdomen. Stomach pain after eating is also a sign that you are eating too much. Eating too much often is not good for health.

How to improve stomach pain after eating?

Besides medication prescribed by your doctor, you can apply some tips to reduce stomach pain after eating, including:

• Warm compress.
• Drink plenty of water before and while eating.
• Add probiotics.
• Eat about half a banana.
• Drink ginger or cinnamon tea.
• Sit with your back against a pillow. Limit lying down after eating to avoid acid reflux .
• Divide the portion of the meal in moderation. Instead of the usual 3 big meals, try eating 5 to 6 small meals a day.
• Practice stress-relieving exercises.
• Avoid or reduce alcohol and caffeine intake.
• Avoid foods that upset your stomach.
• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, which are high in fiber.

To improve abdominal pain after eating, you should eat more fruits with fiber

When to see the doctor?

Abdominal pain after eating is often caused by eating problems, so there is no need to worry and you can treat it at home. The treatment for abdominal pain will depend on the cause of this symptom and the complications of the disease.

If after a period of lifestyle and diet changes but no effect, abdominal pain after eating continues, you should go to the hospital for examination. Because the cause of stomach pain after eating can be due to many other serious digestive problems. 

In case of severe pain along with one of the symptoms such as severe vomiting  , jaundice, fever, chills, you need to go to the emergency room immediately.

When you arrive at the hospital, your doctor may order you to perform laboratory and laboratory tests to help make an accurate diagnosis, such as complete blood count, gastroscopy and colonoscopy, abdominal X-ray, CT scan. , MRI...

In short, after eating, stomach pain can be caused by an unscientific way of eating, but it can also be a sign of disease. Therefore, you should not underestimate when experiencing abdominal pain after eating. If you can't fix it yourself, you need to see a doctor right away for timely treatment to avoid dangerous complications.