What Causes Stomach Pain Every Time You Eat

What Is Stomach Pain

The stomach is the organ responsible for most of your foods digestion. Breaking down food swallowed through your esophagus and sending the resulting mixture onto the small intestine is the stomachs primary function.

Most everyone has had a stomach ache after eating at some time or another. The causes are usually quite benign, ranging from overindulging to simply eating something that didnt agree with you. However, frequent stomach pain after eating is a sign of a deeper problem and shouldnt be ignored.

Stomach aches and pains can happen at almost any point during this process. While some of this is usually normal, see a doctor right away if youre experiencing:

• Unintentional weight loss

Can Stomachaches Be Prevented

Not all belly pain can be prevented. But to help avoid common types of stomachaches:

• Wash your hands before eating or preparing food, and after using the bathroom.
• Don’t overeat, and try not to eat right before going to sleep.
• Drink plenty of water and eat fiber-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, to keep food moving through your digestive system.
• Avoid foods that have passed their expiration date or or weren’t stored properly.
• If you have a food allergy or intolerance, avoid eating foods that make you sick. If you have a food allergy, always carry two epinephrine auto-injectors, and know when you should use them.

What To Expect At Your Office Visit

Your provider will perform a physical exam and ask about your symptoms and medical history. Your specific symptoms, the location of pain and when it occurs will help your provider detect the cause.

LOCATION OF YOUR PAIN

• Where do you feel the pain?
• Is it all over or in one spot?
• Does the pain move into your back, groin, or down your legs?

TYPE AND INTENSITY OF YOUR PAIN

• Is the pain severe, sharp, or cramping?
• Do you have it all the time, or does it come and go?
• Does the pain wake you up at night?

HISTORY OF YOUR PAIN

• Have you had similar pain in the past? How long has each episode lasted?
• When does the pain occur? For example, after meals or during menstruation?
• What makes the pain worse? For example, eating, stress, or lying down?
• What makes the pain better? For example, drinking milk, having a bowel movement, or taking an antacid?
• What medicines are you taking?

OTHER MEDICAL HISTORY

• Have you had a recent injury?
• Are you pregnant?

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How Is Indigestion Diagnosed

A healthcare provider will review your medical history, symptoms and lifestyle. Try to explain your indigestion in as much detail as possible. Note the type of discomfort and where you feel it. Also tell your healthcare provider when you experience indigestion. For example, does it occur after a meal or on an empty stomach? Is it worse in the morning or at night? Do certain foods make it worse?

Your healthcare provider will do a physical exam. Theyll check your belly for swelling or tenderness. They may use a stethoscope to check your stomach for growling or gurgling.

Other diagnostic tests may include:

• Blood tests, to assess your liver, kidney and thyroid function.
• Breath test, to check for H pylori.
• Imaging exams, to check for blockages or other problems in the intestines. Imaging exams may include X-ray,CT scan or upper endoscopy.
• Stool test, to check poop for H. pylori or other bacterial infections.

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Celiac disease is an immune reaction to eating gluten that can impact sufferers in different ways. One is stomach pain after you eat gluten, Bedford says. BTW: Your stomach can also hurt if you have a mild gluten intolerance , but this is different from Celiac disease. With Celiac, a persons small intestine becomes damaged when they eat gluten with a gluten intolerance, someone may simply have a physical reaction like diarrhea or gas after eating gluten. Your doctor can help you determine what might be at the root of the problem.

If youre struggling with chronic pain after you eat and are also dealing with weight loss, anemia, vomiting, trouble swallowing, or blood in your poop, it could be a sign of an ulcer, Gabbard says. Ulcers, which are sores that develop in the lining of your esophagus, stomach, or small intestine, are usually treated with acid-reducing medication and antibiotics in some cases, so you really need to see a doctor about this.

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Consulting With Your Local Gastroenterologist

Most symptoms of stomach pain after eating may be alleviated with dietary and lifestyle changes. However, it is always best to have any persistent or troublesome symptoms evaluated by a medical professional.

As the leading gastroenterology specialists in our community, Saratoga Schenectady Gastroenterology Associates, we aim to provide the best in care standards to our local patients. Setting up an appointment is easy and convenient, and we look forward to meeting with you.

Saratoga Schenectady Gastroenterology Associates has grown in to one of the largest, most medically advanced practices in New York State, providing the highest quality care to the Greater Capital Region since 1981.

Sudden Stomach Cramps With Diarrhoea

If your stomach cramps have started recently and you also have diarrhoea, the cause may be a tummy bug . This means you have a viral or bacterial infection of the stomach and bowel. It should get better without treatment after a few days.

Gastroenteritis may be caused by:

• coming into close contact with someone whos infected
• eating contaminated food

If you have repeated bouts of stomach cramps and diarrhoea, you may have a long-term condition, such as irritable bowel syndrome .

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What Naturally Reduces Bloating

Here are additional suggestions to decrease bloating: Eat slowly, and consume smaller, more frequent meals. Chew your foods well. Drink beverages at room temperature. Have your dentures checked for a good fit. Increase physical activity during the day. Sit up straight after eating. Take a stroll after eating.

Unexplainable Stomach Pains After Every Meal

Unexplainable stomach pain after every meal is a concerning symptom that may alarm you.If you develop chronic stomach pain every time you eat, you need to see a gastroenterologist to determine the cause.The stomach pains can be related to various conditions but are most likely the result of a food allergy, food intolerance or irritable bowel syndrome 1. If you notice blood in your stool or in your vomit, call your doctor immediately and visit the emergency. These symptoms may be a sign of a serious complication.

If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.

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How Long Will Indigestion Last

Indigestion might go way as soon as you change your diet and habits. If you do take medication for your upset stomach, only do so with your healthcare providers approval. Some medications, especially acid reducers, can have long-term side effects. These may include an increased risk of infections or low levels of important nutrients.

Diagnosis Of Stomach Pain After Meals

Your doctor will ask you a number of questions about your diet, lifestyle, and medical history. All of these can significantly affect the digestive system.

Doctors can use computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans to diagnose gastrointestinal pain, but it is not always easy to generate accurate images of the digestive system using these methods.

Not all belly pain can be prevented. But to help avoid common types of stomachaches:

• Wash your hands before eating or preparing food, and after using the bathroom.
• Dont overeat, and try not to eat right before going to sleep.
• Drink plenty of water and eat fiber-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, to keep food moving through your digestive system.
• Avoid foods that have passed their expiration date or or werent stored properly.
• If you have a food allergy or intolerance, avoid eating foods that make you sick. If you have a food allergy, always carry two epinephrine auto-injectors, and know when you should use them.

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Stomach Pain After Eating: Causes And Natural Treatments

Mealtimes are supposed to be enjoyable occasions when we can spend time with family and close friends. However, it can be very frustrating if immediately after eating, you suffer from stomach cramps, discomfort, or abdominal pain. Very often there are some simple home remedies that can help you relieve and treat the post-meal intestinal pain.

Lets look at the most common reasons for this type of pain as well as ideas on how to relieve stomach ache after eating.

Abdominal Pain Treatment And Home Remedies

The treatment for abdominal pain depends on its cause, and may include:

• Medications to lower inflammation, prevent acid reflux, or treat ulcers or infection
• Surgery to treat a problem with an organ

Over-the-counter pain relievers like aspirin and ibuprofen can irritate your stomach and worsen your pain. Donât take them unless a doctor has diagnosed the cause of your belly pain and recommends their use.

Some diet and lifestyle changes may help belly pain caused by gas and indigestion. Here are some things you can try:

• Eat smaller portions at more frequent meals
• Eat slowly

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Right Or Left Lower Abdominal Pain In Women

Sudden onset of right lower abdominal pain or left lower abdominal pain can indicate a ruptured ovarian cyst in a woman who is mid-cycle. This kind of pain could also be a sign of ovarian torsion, which is the rotation of the ovary and part of the fallopian tube, or possibly a twisting of the ovary due to compromised blood supply. Seek treatment immediately at the nearest emergency department. Surgery to remove the ovary may be required.

Stomach Pain After Eating: What Causes It

• When to see a doctor

There are some rules about eating that most of us heard growing up: Clear your plate before you leave the table. Dont swim on a full stomach. If you swallow a watermelon seed, youll grow a watermelon in your stomach. Unfortunately, these rules are based on myths and old wives tales, and they arent especially helpful. What we could have used was some practical advice to avoid stomach pain after eating.

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Causes Of Diarrhea After Eating

Having diarrhea right after you eat is called postprandial diarrhea. You might experience this for a few days, in which case it is acute, or you may have had it for a long time and it is a chronic condition.

Diarrhea after you eat can be caused by many things, ranging from the stomach flu to a more serious disease. So it’s important to bring any new or ongoing digestive symptom to your doctor’s attention so that you can get the treatment you need.

This article discusses several reasons why you may be having diarrhea after you eat. It also provides some steps you can try when you have diarrhea to help you feel better and possibly prevent more bouts of diarrhea in the future.

Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin

Heres How The Digestive System Works

Or how digestion should work when everything goes according to plan.

Your body employs multiple organs to turn the food you eat into energy. When everything is going well, you should barely notice this process, which is good because it can actually take a pretty long time. The Mayo Clinic estimates that it takes two to five days for a mouthful of food to go through all the various digestive processes and come out the other end looking unrecognizable.

First, though, this all starts with one bite. Between the chewing action of your mouth and the enzymes and lubrication from your saliva, you start to break down what youre eating, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases explains. Once the bite is small enough to swallow, your tongue pushes it to the back of your throat into your esophagus, which begins to contract automatically in a motion called peristalsis.

The first organ the newly chewed food encounters after this is the stomach. Muscles in your stomach walls churn the food and release acid and enzymes, slowly mixing the food into a paste called chyme. Your stomach gradually releases the chyme into the small intestine, which reduces it further by mixing it with enzymes from the pancreas and from bacteria, along with bile from the liver, all while pushing the chyme further through the digestive tract. The walls of the small intestine absorb the extracted nutrients and water, which move into your bloodstream.

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Noisy Abdomen / Rumbling

A noisy gut does not always mean youre hungry. There may be other reasons why your stomach is churning and gurgling. The digestive system causes belly noises, known as borborygmi when fluids or air moves around your small and large intestines.

Borborygmi Definition: The term for the gurgling or rumbling noises made by the movement of gas and fluids in the intestines. During the process called peristalsis, the small intestine and stomach muscles contract and move contents forward in your gastrointestinal tract. These gas noises in stomach can occur both when the stomach is empty and when its full.

Peristalsis Definition: A series of wave-like contraction and relaxation of stomach muscles. Two hours after the stomach contents are emptied, the brain signals the digestive muscles to begin peristalsis again. The belly noises and contractions of an empty stomach can make you hungry. A noisy gut may be louder in this case because the intestines and stomach are empty the stomach noises and pain are not muffled. Take note that you may swallow a lot of air because of eating too fast or talking while eating. This can lead you to have louder stomach rumbles after eating.

Other Causes: Stress Anxiety And Medications

There is an incredible connection between the mind and the body and the things we put into it. If you dont have any of the above conditions but feel sick after eating, read on to discover how stress, anxiety, and normal medications may be causing your problem.

• Stress and anxiety: Irritable bowel syndrome is a frustrating condition that causes abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. It currently has no known specific cause, but there is thought to be a link between IBS, sensitivity to stress, and regulating the response to stress. Research shows that 5090 percent of IBS sufferers also have a psychiatric disorder like anxiety or depression.
• Medications: There are a variety of medications that can lead to stomach pain after eating and/or digestive issues. NSAIDS, nitrates, calcium channel blockers, oral antibiotics, and birth control pills may cause GERD and reflux or irritate the lining of the stomach. Long-term use may lead to gastritis, ulcers, bleeding, or stomach perforation.

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Overeating And Your Digestion

The average stomach ordinarily holds about one or two cups of food. When we overeat, we may be consuming twice that or even more. To make room for that extra food, your stomach stretches like a balloon. If you overeat frequently, your stomach expands easily . Most people will feel discomfort as their stomach is stretched beyond its normal capacity.

Depending on what youve eaten, that feeling may stick around. Foods high in fat and fiber take longer to digest. So, if youve overeaten fried foods, expect stomach pain to linger.

As that food lingers in your belly, it can start to push up against your diaphragm, causing you to have shallow breaths. It can also cause digestive fluids to sneak back up into your esophagus. When that happens, you may experience heartburn, which has nothing to do with your heart, or a sour, acidic taste in your mouth.

Here are four guidelines to help avoid these symptoms.

Slow down. As you eat and your stomach stretches, hormones signal to your brain that youre full. If you eat too quickly, youll have overeaten by the time your body gets the fullness signal. Also, try to listen to your body when you get that full feeling.

Get moving. If youve overeaten, take a gentle walk to help stimulate the process in your body that pushes the food down your gastrointestinal tract. Dont run or overexert yourself, though. If you work too hard, blood will flow to your legs rather than your stomach, and digestion will slow down.

Food Allergies May Be A Cause Of Pain After A Meal

It is estimated that 10 to 20 percent of us have food sensitivities. Food sensitivity reactions, also called delayed hypersensitivity reactions and in the past called serum sickness, occur when IgA, IgG and IgM antibodies are triggered in response to foods, chemicals, and bacterial toxins. The most common antibody reactions are IgG to mold and foods exposure to molds and foods is quite high compared to pollens. These IgA, IgM and IgG responses are called delayed sensitivity reactions because the symptoms they cause can take from several hours to several days to appear, which makes it very difficult to track down the offending food or substance.

Allergies and intolerances are directly associated with the health of the small intestine. Most everyone alive today has several food sensitivities they are not aware of that could be hampering their health. Mineral imbalancesand high heavy metal levels could be the cause of your food sensitivities. Correcting the imbalances through diet and supplements will improve your tolerance to foods.

You may also need to try a very specific diet, like a low FODMAP diet . If you want a systematic approach to gut healing you can try the Gut Thrive in Five protocol.

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