The last thing you expect after enjoying a great meal is stomach pain, but it can and does happen.
There are many causes why you experience discomfort or pain in your stomach after you eat. If the discomfort or pain typically goes away on its own, this is most likely caused by the food you eat. If you are experiencing other symptoms or the discomfort does not go away even if you already changed your diet, this might be due to some medical condition.
Eating satisfies hunger, and too much eating can make you feel full. This is a natural physiological response of your body. There are cases when people tend to feel uncomfortable after eating. This is most likely because of the heaviness felt in the stomach.
Do you know that the walls of your stomach are just made of smooth muscle tissues? If your stomach expands beyond its normal volume capacity, you will most likely feel discomfort or distention, usually in the upper abdominal region.
Although the symptoms may vary depending on the individual, here are the common symptoms of fullness after eating (1):
- Acid reflux
- Bad breath
- Belching
- Bloating
- Disinterested
- Epigastric soreness or discomfort
- Fatigue
- Flatulence
- Heartburn
- Nausea
- Stomach pain
These symptoms may be typical, but if you are experiencing these for a few days, you need to seek medical attention from your doctor. This may be due to a certain medical condition.
You need to seek immediate medical attention if you experience the following symptoms (2):
- Blood in your stool
- Chest pain
- Difficulty swallowing or breathing
- High fever
- Throwing up blood
As mentioned earlier, the symptoms felt may vary among different individuals. It is very important to know and differentiate the possible causes of stomach pain after a meal to know the right course of treatment.
Possible Causes of Stomach Pain After Eating and Treatment Options
1. Food Poisoning
One of the indications that you are a victim of food poisoning is stomach pain. You might also experience diarrhea, lack of energy, high temperature, and vomiting. These symptoms can be felt a few hours after you eat your meals. But there are cases when these symptoms only exist after a few days or weeks.
The good news is that food poisoning can be treated at home, by getting some rest and drinking lots of fluids. Food poisoning can go away on its own. You will eventually get better after a few days. If you lost lots of fluids, you just need to replace them with, of course, fluids and electrolytes. You need to avoid consuming drinks with alcohol and caffeine, as well as foods that are fatty and spicy (3).
2. Acid Reflux
Acidic foods such as processed cheese, chocolates, tomatoes, onions, garlic, mint, and certain fruits can irritate your stomach. Drinking beverages such as carbonated drinks, tea, coffee, and alcohol can also cause acid reflux. Smoking, eating large meals, and taking certain medications are just some of the risk factors for acid reflux.
One of the most effective ways of treating this disease is to avoid foods and drinks that prompt symptoms. For instance, if this is due to eating large meals, then you need to reduce your food consumption. If this is due to the foods or drinks you eat or drink, then you need to avoid these. If this is due to your medication, then you have to ask your doctor for an alternative or maybe a remedy for acid reflux (4).
3. Overeating
Do you know that your stomach can hold only around one to two cups of food? If you consume more than that, then you are already overeating. If you eat a lot, your stomach stretches. And if you tend to overeat every time you eat your meals, your stomach will most likely bend easily. If your stomach is expanded beyond what is normal, then you will probably feel discomfort or pain.
To avoid pain or discomfort, you need to eat more slowly. Hormones take time to signal your brain that you are full. But if you eat slowly, you give your brain time to perceive the feeling of fullness. And that’s what makes you stop from eating. If you think you already overeat, you should get your body moving. It can help in stimulating the food in your gastrointestinal tract. It might help in digestion (5).
4. Gastritis
This is a medical condition wherein your stomach lining becomes inflamed. It can cause vomiting, indigestion, stomach pain, and sickness. Gastritis may occur gradually or suddenly. It is usually caused by the use of various medications such as anti-inflammatory drugs, excessive alcohol consumption, overstress, and chronic vomiting.
Gastritis can be reduced if you take antacids or other drugs such as H-2 blockers or proton pump inhibitors. You are also suggested not to eat hot and spicy foods. Since gastritis may have different causes such as H. pylori infection and pernicious anemia, various treatments may be available such as taking antibiotics or B12 vitamin shots (6).
5. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
IBS happens when there is gut inflammation. IBS can make you experience weight loss, rectal bleeding, nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, anemia, and abdominal pain. It is a long-term condition that can be treated with lifestyle changes and medication.
If the signs and symptoms for IBS are mild, you can control these by making changes in your lifestyle and diet and by managing stress. You can avoid foods and drinks that trigger this condition. You can eat foods high in fiber. You should get better sleep, exercise regularly, and drink lots of fluids (7).
6. Stomach Ulcer
The soreness of the stomach lining can cause stomach ulcer. Stomach ulcer can cause your middle stomach to experience burning pain. Usually, this condition is caused by an infection. This may also be due to medications such as ibuprofen, aspirin, or naproxen. Stomach ulcers may be treated depending on its cause.
Stomach ulcers may be due to an infection or long-term use of anti-inflammatory drugs such as mentioned above. Most of these ulcers can be treated by medications prescribed by your doctor. In some cases, surgery may be required, especially if the symptoms don’t heal and continue to return, you experience tearing through the stomach and bleeding (8).
7. Stress
Stress and stomach pain are related in various ways. If you are stressed, your muscles become tense. This can create discomfort and pain in your stomach. If you take deep breaths before eating, it can make your muscles relax. Eating calmly can help to avoid stomach pain.
8. Food Allergy
If you eat a certain food that you are allergic to can irritate your stomach and cause stomach pain or discomfort. The milder form of allergy is food intolerance. Both food intolerances and allergies are due to different kinds of foods. Usually, intolerances include wheat, lactose, and gluten.
In case of stomach distress due to food intolerances or allergies, you can try home remedies such as drinking chamomile tea, mint leaves, ginger root, seltzer, lime, and apple cider vinegar. You can also apply a heating pad or a hot pack in your abdomen to minimize the pain (9). If you think you have an allergy with a certain food, you can note it in your food diary. So the next time you eat foods, you are aware of what you should not eat.
9. Indigestion
Indigestion is pretty common after eating. This can make you feel sick, bloated, and suffer from pain. The acid in your stomach helps break down the foods you eat. But sometimes, this can irritate your stomach lining, which eventually causes indigestion. Caffeine, alcohol, sugary drinks, and rich or fatty foods can worsen your indigestion.
Avoiding foods or drinks that trigger indigestion can help you prevent the same. You also need to avoid eating large meals, instead, divide these meals into five to six meals. Pain relievers such as ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen sodium should also be avoided. Being overweight can also put pressure on your abdomen, which can cause indigestion that is why you need to maintain a healthy weight (10).
10. Trapped Gas
Certain foods and sugary beverages can usually cause wind and bloating in your stomach. Beans, broccoli, cabbage, and onions are just a few, which can lead to gas pain. If you suck sweets, chew gum, or eat while your mouth is open, you will most likely swallow air. And this can make you feel uncomfortable and stretched.
There are many ways on how to get rid of this gas pain. You can let the gas out, pass stool, eat slowly, avoid foods and drinks that trigger this, quit smoking, drink tea, take peppermint supplements, use clove oil, apply heat, and many more (11).
While all of these causes are possible, one of the most common reasons for your discomfort are the foods and drinks that you are eating. Unfortunately, there is a long list of foods that cause these uncomfortable digestive problems.
Foods And Drinks That Often Cause Bloating
Listed below are 10 of the most common foods and drinks that are highly associated with bloating as well as tips or alternatives in which you could avoid these digestive issues altogether.
1. Cruciferous Vegetables
In the family of cruciferous vegetables, you will find our beloved broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, garden cress, and many, many others. These are all highly nutritious foods rich in several different vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin C, Vitamin K, fiber, potassium, iron, etc.
But one thing that you should know about cruciferous vegetables is that they also contain FODMAPs – short for fermentable sugars. Fermentable sugars are a specific type of sugars that our gut is, unfortunately, unable to fully digest, leaving them to be excessively fermented by our gut microbiome (12).
The process of fermentation releases hydrogen gas which leads to the forever uncomfortable symptoms of bloating, gas, and other digestive issues as well (13). Cooking your cruciferous vegetables rather than eating them raw may help reduce the bloating. And if you want to replace them, then do rely on alternatives such as zucchini, spinach, cucumbers, lettuce, and sweet potatoes.
2. Dairy Products
Dairy products are an excellent source of animal-based protein and calcium, among other healthy nutrients that we need in our daily diet. Unfortunately, many people are faced with a health issue called lactose-intolerance (14).
Lactose intolerance means that your gut is unable to break down a specific sugar called lactose found in dairy products and milk. If you too are lactose-intolerant, then upon consumption of any dairy product whatsoever, you will experience abdominal discomfort, bloating, gas, cramps, and even diarrhea.
While some people can bear eating small quantities of some dairy products, they cannot eat others without struggling with the previously mentioned issues. Luckily, today we have a large variety of lactose-free dairy products including alternatives for milk, cheese, yogurt, and even ice cream.
3. Beans
Beans belong to the family of legumes. A naturally rich source of protein, fiber, healthy carbs, vitamins, and minerals it seems as if beans have it all within them (15). And yet, beans too can easily cause digestive issues, including bloating.
The reason for that, you ask? Once again, we have the famous FODMAPs to point our finger at. FODMAPs are found in the healthy and nutritious beans as well, thus easily causing bloating, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, pain, and flatulence.
But before you write off beans from your diet, know that there is a way to take advantage of all of their nutrients without having to deal with bloating and other digestive discomforts. To do that, do soak and sprout the beans and change the soaking water a few times before cooking. Also, some bean types are easier to digest than others including pinto and black beans. You can replace beans by using quinoa, meat, and grains as high-protein and high-fiber sources in your diet.
4. Garlic and Onion
We can hardly imagine a salad or dish without garlic and/or onion. Apart from having many health benefits, the most common reason as to why we use so much garlic and onion is because of their incredible flavor.
But, they too, can easily cause bloating. For example, onion carries a special type of soluble fiber within it called fructan. And so, if you have fructan-intolerance, then you are very likely going to experience bloating, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps upon consuming large quantities of onions (16).
Fructan is also present in garlic, so the same rule applies here as well. Besides, fructan is a type of FODMAPs, so even if you do not have fructan-intolerance, you are likely going to experience abdominal discomfort and bloating (17).
Cooking both garlic and onion can reduce these unwanted effects. And if you are fructan-intolerant, then you might want to think about replacing garlic and onion in your usual dishes by adding other herbs and spices instead.
5. Spicy Foods
Spicy foods are stimulants to your digestive system. They can increase body temperature and improve circulation. Some people can eat spicy foods comfortably, while others experience gastrointestinal burning and cramping. The main reason for this is the agricultural chemicals, such as the capsaicin, used to grow chili peppers that are usually the cause for stomach discomfort.
One way to get rid of this discomfort due to spicy foods is to drink peppermint tea. It helps in reducing symptoms of acid reflux, heartburn, vomiting, stomach pain, and tension headaches. This can also be used to treat nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, gas, gastrointestinal cramps, and irritable bowel syndrome. Ginger root is also said to be good in treating various stomach conditions such as nausea, vomiting, motion sickness, and heartburn (18).
6. Mushrooms
There is hardly a dish in which mushrooms would not be a great addition to it. That is, however, bad news to those who tend to bloat easily. Yes, mushrooms too can cause you to bloat, unfortunately.
Mushrooms contain polyols, which are a type of sugar alcohol that we mentioned being linked as a cause for bloating. But mushrooms also contain an indigestible sugar called raffinose that can be fermented in the large intestine, thus resulting in the release of hydrogen gas which then leads to bloating and even diarrhea.
If you find mushrooms to be the cause of your bloating, we recommend limiting your mushroom consummation to eating only a small amount. You can replace mushrooms by adding zucchini, tofu, eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes, etc. to your dishes (19).
7. Apples
Apples are perhaps one of the most popular snacks in the world and one of the most nutritious also. Being a great source of multiple vitamins including Vitamin C, several antioxidants, and fiber, eating an apple a day has been linked to multiple health benefits. Besides, apples have a great satiety index, with it being 200, which means that an apple can keep you full for a long time without introducing too many calories in your system (20).
Unfortunately, because apples contain fructose, which is a type of FODMAPs, and their high fiber levels, they are known to cause bloating and flatulence in some people. If that is the case, you may want to try eating cooked apples for a change.
Replacing your daily apple with banana, clementine, blueberries, strawberries, or orange might be a good idea as well.
8. Wheat
Over the last couple of years, wheat has been the subject of much controversy. The main reason – the high levels of gluten that it contains, which is not good news for anyone struggling with gluten-intolerance. Despite that, many people continue to use wheat in their daily diet.
For anyone with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, wheat is linked as the cause of bloating, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, pain, flatulence, and many other uncomfortable digestive issues (21). And as if that is not enough, wheat is also filled with FODMAPs, only adding to it causing digestive issues, even in those who are not sensitive to gluten (22).
Luckily, there are many alternatives for wheat that we can use in our diet. From pure oats, quinoa, and buckwheat, to almond and coconut flour. Do explore the many alternatives to wheat bread as well.
9. Caffeine and Carbonated Beverages
Caffeine is typically found in coffee and tea. Some people tend to experience pain or discomfort once their stomach becomes irritated. Occasional stomach pain due to caffeinated products is usually due to indigestion. If the pain is experienced every time you ingest beverages with caffeine, it might be a sign of a certain digestive condition.
The most common side effects if you consume excess caffeine are anxiety, dizziness, irritability, feeling jittery, tremors, trouble sleeping, and a fast heart rate. Abdominal and stomach bloating, on the other hand, are not common side effects of caffeine. To avoid stomach pain or discomfort due to caffeine, the best thing to do is to avoid drinking or eating foods containing caffeine (23).
Many of us are also true fans of carbonated beverages such sodas, energy drinks, among others. But because of their high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), it should not come as a surprise why you are feeling so bloated after drinking a glass of any carbonated beverage of your choosing (24).
Bloating should not be the only reason to consider replacing carbonated beverages with other alternatives, thinking of how many artificial sweeteners and added sugars they contain – ingredients that can do you a lot of harm. Instead, rely on plain water to keep you hydrated throughout the day. Drink fruit-infused water, unsweetened tea and coffee to soothe your thirst as well.
10. Alcohol
Alcoholic drinks, especially those carbonated, such as sparkling wine or beer, can cause stomach bloating. These can even lead to heartburn. Alcohol may offer health benefits, only when consumed in moderation, but it is unhealthier in your entire well-being.
Anyone who is a long-time drinker of beer is faced with an issue called beer belly later in life. But do you know what a beer belly represents? A beer belly is created by the increased belly fat due to the continuous consumption of beer, but also, it occurs as a result of the effect of bloating.
Beer is a carbonated drink. This is the first clue as to why beer leads to bloating. But that is not all – beer is also filled with FODMAPs, which only adds to the effect of bloating. Besides, beer often contains gluten as well, which will lead to digestive issues within those who are struggling with gluten-intolerance (25).
Of course, to avoid the feeling of discomfort due to alcohol, you need to eliminate this. It may be hard to overcome an alcohol addiction, but if you are ready to stop this, you will most likely achieve it. Well, overcoming this addiction won’t happen overnight; instead, it is a gradual process, so you need to be patient with yourself (26).
Also, having a beer or two a week might not do you much harm. But if you want to eliminate beer from your diet, then we highly recommend drinking more water throughout the day. And On occasions when you do need to consume an alcoholic beverage, we recommend drinking a glass of red or white wine which is less likely to cause any bloating.
Bottomline
There are many reasons why you feel discomfort or pain after you eat. Usually, this is due to the foods and drinks you consume and a simple lifestyle change can make a huge difference. For common indigestion or heartburn, you should benefit from OTC medications. However, if your symptoms have persisted for several weeks, you need to consult a doctor as soon as possible.
References:
(1) https://www.avogel.ca/en/health/digestive-problems/fullness-after-meals/
(2) https://www.healthline.com/health/heaviness-in-stomach#symptoms
(3) https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/understanding-food-poisoning-treatment#1
(4) https://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/guide/what-is-acid-reflux-disease#1
(5) https://healthblog.uofmhealth.org/digestive-health/4-ways-to-stop-digestive-discomfort-after-a-supersized-meal
(6) https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/digestive-diseases-gastritis#1
(7) https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/irritable-bowel-syndrome/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20360064
(8) https://www.healthline.com/health/stomach-ulcer#treatment
(9) https://www.verywellhealth.com/soothe-stomachaches-from-food-allergies-4105229
(10) https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/indigestion/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20352215
(11) https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321504.php
(12) https://www.ibsdiets.org/fodmap-diet/what-are-fodmaps/
(13) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20659225
(14) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3401057/
(15) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10479216
(16) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3934501/
(17) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21631395
(18) https://www.livestrong.com/article/521984-remedies-for-upset-stomach-from-spicy-food/
(19) https://warmchef.com/8-mushroom-substitutes-that-you-should-know/
(20) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7498104
(21) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24440147
(22) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18456565
(23) https://www.livestrong.com/article/471900-does-caffeine-cause-stomach-pain/
(24) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3213184/
(25) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6164820/
(26) https://www.helpguide.org/articles/addictions/overcoming-alcohol-addiction.htm
