Stomach Pain after Eating

The localization of pain after eating in the stomach is the most common, because it is this hollow, muscular organ of the human digestive system that receives everything we eat. But you are deeply mistaken if you think that you can’t have pain elsewhere after eating. For example, a headache can occur after a meal – if your blood pressure is high or your blood sugar is high…

But we study the pain after eating in the stomach, which has the most important function – the hydrolysis of the food consumed by various digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid, which are part of the gastric juice. And this is not the end of the stomach’s work: chemically processed food needs to be transformed into liquid or semi-liquid contents (chyme) and move it further – into the duodenum.

Causes of pain after eating in the stomach

Among the causes of pain in the stomach are stress, poor-quality food and intolerance of certain food ingredients, heartburn, overeating, taking medications, gastritis and other GI pathologies of various etiologies. Depending on the causes, pain after eating in the stomach begins at different times and has different duration and intensity.

Pain after eating in the stomach can cause rotavirus, and then is diagnosed with stomach flu or otherwise – rotavirus gastroenteritis. In this disease, symptoms in the form of diarrhea, stomach and abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting occur 4-5 hours after the virus enters the body.

Inflammation of the stomach and small intestine – acute gastroenteritis – is often accompanied by pain after eating. This disease can develop after eating bad quality food, from lack of regular meals, or from eating dry food for a long time.

Lactose intolerance, that is, the sugar contained in milk and dairy products, leads to quite intense pain in the stomach after eating them, as well as causing bloating and flatulence.

Gluten enteropathy or celiac disease, i.e. autoimmune disorders caused by the ingestion of wheat, rye and barley proteins (gluten), provokes not only pain after eating in the stomach and inflammation of the mucous membrane of the small intestine. With this disease (which is not always recognized by doctors) a person may suffer from weight loss, anemia, chronic fatigue and irritability, possible mucous membrane lesions in the mouth, as well as pain in the joints.

Overeating leads to pain after eating in the stomach for a very simple reason: the stomach is full, its normal operation is disturbed, and the body gives a signal of the excessive amount eaten. After all, how else can we make a person stop digging his own grave with a spoon and fork… Especially if the appetite is played out before going to bed, and the person with an overfilled stomach makes him work “overtime”.

Pain after eating in the stomach, in its upper part, may be a consequence of gastroesophageal reflux disease, that is, heartburn caused by it. This pathology is associated with the fact that part of the contents of the stomach returns to the esophagus, which in the norm should not be. And this occurs due to a disturbance of the motility of the digestive tract, in which the lower esophageal sphincter (muscle ring with valve functions) weakens and ceases to work normally. A complication of this disease is often an acute or chronic inflammation of the esophagus (esophagitis).

The cause of pain after eating in the stomach may be irritable stomach syndrome. Experts say that every eight out of ten people experience it from time to time. The main signs of irritable stomach syndrome include: stomach pain and nausea immediately after eating, belching for an hour after eating, stomach cramps, heartburn (after eating any food). Difficult-to-digest foods – anything fatty, spicy and salty – contribute to the development of this syndrome.

After a meal, pain in the stomach may be a symptom of inflammation of the mucous membrane of the lower (pyloric) stomach and duodenum – gastroduodenitis.

Pain after eating in the stomach is a companion of gastritis and peptic ulcer disease. In the first case, the stomach begins to hurt within minutes after eating (especially if the food was acidic, sharp or rough in consistency). In the second case, a person feels pain in the stomach 30-60 minutes after eating (or on an empty stomach). By the way, until very recently, physicians believed that the culprit in these diseases was hydrochloric acid of gastric juice (which corrodes the walls of the stomach). However, in the mid-1990s it was discovered that the cause of these pathological conditions is a microbe Helicobacter pylori, which lives inside the stomach of most people (but does not manifest itself in everyone). This microorganism is protected against the influence of hydrochloric acid by special enzymes, which damage the mucous membrane and make it accessible to the microbe. The result is the appearance of inflammatory foci on the mucosa, and then ulcers.

Another cause of pain after eating in the stomach may be the presence of gallstones in the gallbladder. These are cholelithiasis or calculous cholecystitis. The stones cause swelling of the mucous membranes and may block the bile duct, resulting in upper abdominal pain on the right side, especially after eating fatty foods. Disruption of the outflow of bile from the gallbladder leads to its inflammation – cholecystitis. In the acute form of this disease, patients complain of nausea and sharp right abdominal pain, which radiates to all nearby organs, to the right shoulder and shoulder blade.

Severe pain after eating in the stomach occurs with pancreatitis, which is an inflammatory process in the pancreas. The pain torments a person for several days, during which eating becomes almost impossible.

Despite the fact that the thyroid gland is located in the neck area, problems associated with it can affect everything below – including the stomach. If the thyroid gland produces too much hormone (hyperthyroidism), it speeds up the gastrointestinal tract; if the secretory function of this gland is reduced (hypothyroidism), then the digestive tract works in slower mode. Both can be the cause of pain after eating in the stomach, as well as stomach cramps, diarrhea, constipation and flatulence.

There are almost no medications without side effects, and quite often their side effects include stomach pain – after eating and taking the medication after a meal. Many osteoporosis medications, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, hormones, and others have this side effect.

Finally, a nagging pain after eating in the stomach can be caused by stress, to which, along with the hormonal, nervous and vascular systems of our body, the digestive system also reacts. It’s not for nothing that the stomach is called a “stress indicator.” When a person finds himself in a stressful situation or is in a prolonged state of psycho-emotional instability, his stomach “malfunctions”: the innervation of the stomach mucosa is disturbed, which leads to spasm of the stomach’s gatekeeper (pylorospasm) and severe pain sensations. In addition, the production of hydrochloric acid by the stomach – regardless of the amount of food consumed – increases significantly.

Pain in the child’s abdomen after eating

In many cases, it is possible to help the baby on its own, without medical intervention.

Abdominal pain is associated with infant colic, that is, irritating intestinal cramps. The discomfort can last for several hours, usually in the evening.

The main causes of colic are:

• The intestines are not fully developed;
• Swallowing air while eating;
• stress;
• intolerance of certain nutrients.

However, unpleasant discomfort after eating may have other causes, such as:

• Food poisoning;
• constipation;
• The presence of parasites.

If the pain is chronic, very severe or accompanied by other disturbing ailments, it is worth seeing a doctor.

Symptoms of Stomach Pain after Eating

In clinical practice, by the nature of pain after eating in the stomach, as well as by the time of its appearance, doctors can presumably determine what disease this pain is a symptom of.

So, pulling, pressing or sharp pain in the stomach after a meal – an hour or two after breakfast, lunch or dinner, and accompanied by sour belching or heartburn – gives all grounds to assume peptic ulcer disease. With a perforated ulcer, the pain in the stomach is unbearable and can cause painful shock.

And if the stomach begins to hurt (more accurately, it hurts) immediately after a meal, it is likely gastritis. A nagging pain after eating in the stomach is also characteristic of the chronic form of gastritis.

When the blunt pain after eating in the stomach begins a couple of hours after eating and is localized just to the right of the middle of the abdominal wall, and then develops into a contraction-like and stabbing pain, then we are talking about a duodenal ulcer.

Burning, throbbing pain in the stomach after eating manifests itself with such a rare disease as solaritis. Patients suspect that they have gastritis or peptic ulcer, but careful examination by gastroenterologists does not reveal any abnormalities of function inherent in the same peptic ulcer disease. At the same time, the pain in the ribs and belly button area may irradiate to the thoracic spine and lower abdomen, and the attack of pain may last for several hours. Solaritis is a pathological process in the solar plexus that occurs for many reasons, including inflammation of the peritoneum and inflammation of the tissues surrounding the internal organs of the abdomen (perivischeritis); in relapsed stomach ulcers; in trauma; in repeated surgical interventions; in tuberculosis.

Symptoms of pain after eating in the stomach are also present in the case of malignant tumors of the digestive system, but at first, patients with such a diagnosis are haunted by a feeling of discomfort in the stomach, heartburn, weakness, an unwarranted weight loss and loss of appetite.

Types of pain

To properly diagnose the cause of the dysfunction, you need to describe exactly where the most pain occurs. This is often not an easy task because it spreads throughout the abdomen:

• Stomach pain after eating is caused by indigestion or poisoning, as well as conditions such as reflux, pancreatitis, stomach cancer, peptic ulcers or bile duct inflammation;
• pain on the left side under the ribs after eating indicates damage to the spleen, digestive and reproductive system diseases;
• pancreatic pain after eating is one of the symptoms of cholelithiasis, pancreatitis, and in the worst case even cancer. But most often it is a symptom of excessive alcohol consumption or the result of overeating;
• Liver pain after eating is actually a gallbladder problem;
• intestinal pain after eating. Crohn’s disease is one example of a condition that is characterized by bowel pain after eating, as well as ulcerative colitis and chronic ischemic bowel disease.

Definition of abdominal pain depending on localization

Sublobar (epigastric) area

Epigastrium (epigastric region) is located in the center of the body between the rib arches, below the sternum. Pains in this area are mainly related to stomach diseases (gastritis, duodenitis, peptic ulcer). Such pains occur after eating acidic or spicy food. With gastric ulcers, painful sensations may occur during long interruptions of meals (for example, at night). The pain is usually dull, aching, and less often sharp. Pain in the epigastric area can also be caused by occasional digestive problems (indigestion, heartburn). There may also be irradiating pains in this area in case of heart disease.

Right subcostal area (abdominal pain on the right side above the navel)

Localization of pain in the right subcostal area is typical for diseases of the liver and gallbladder (cholecystitis, cholelithiasis).

Left subcostal area (painful abdomen on the left side above the navel)

The stomach is not directly in the center of the body, but is shifted to the left, so pain in the left subcostal area may also have a gastric origin (gastritis, peptic ulcer). The pancreas is also located on the left side, so pain in this area can occur with pancreatitis. Diseases of the spleen may also be the cause of the pain. Heart pain may also irradiate to this area.

The area around the umbilicus

The intestine (small intestine) makes itself felt in this area. The pain can be caused by reasons such as a lack of enzymes (problems digesting food), intestinal infection, serious inflammatory diseases (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis). It can also hurt here with pancreatitis.

Left and right lateral areas of the abdomen

Pain displaced to either side of the middle abdomen may be caused by urinary system problems. The cause may be urolithiasis or inflammation of the urinary tract. However, with kidney disease, the pain is still more often localized to the lower back. Pain on the side of the abdomen can be caused by constipation and gas in the colon (flatulence). The left side is more often an area affected by bowel disease. Pain here can also be a manifestation of colitis or diverticulosis.

Right iliac area (stomach pain below the navel and on the right side)

In this area, most people have an appendix – the worm-like appendix of the cecum. Inflammation of the appendix – appendicitis – is a dangerous disease. The development of appendicitis is usually characterized by sudden and sharp pain, but in some cases, the pain may increase gradually. Sometimes the pain is first felt in the perianal area and only then shifts to the right iliac area. There are people who have a higher appendix, so their appendicitis pain will have a different localization.

Lower abdominal pain

Lower abdomen pain is typical in diseases of the urinary system, in women – in gynecological diseases. It can be caused by kidney stones, kidney inflammation (pyelonephritis), prolapse of the ureter, gynecological problems: acute and chronic inflammations of the uterine appendages, adhesions formed after them, tumors and cysts, endometriosis, ectopic pregnancy. Depending on the localization of the problem, pain may be concentrated in the left or right iliac area or in the center (suprapubic area). Another possible cause is pelvic varicose veins (more typical for women). In this case, the discomfort in the lower abdomen occurs from time to time, intensifying after physical activity, shortly before menstruation or after intercourse.

Also the cause of pain in the lower abdomen, especially in the left iliac area may be intestinal diseases: inflammation of the sigmoid colon (sigmoiditis), irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, worms, colitis, intestinal dysbacteriosis and some other diseases.

Diagnosis of Stomach Pain after Eating

To determine the cause of pain after eating in the stomach, you need to consult a narrow specialist – a gastroenterologist. Diagnosis of pain after eating in the stomach begins with examination of the patient (with palpation of the abdomen), collecting the anamnesis and finding out a detailed list of complaints.

A general blood test and a blood chemistry test are prescribed. The presence of infectious agents – germs and viruses, as well as dysbacteriosis – is checked. In the case of chronic pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, patients undergo fecal analysis.

The study of organs located in the abdominal cavity is carried out with the help of ultrasound; pathologies of the digestive tract help to detect X-ray examination.

Fibrogastroduodenoendoscopy (FGDS) is used as a key diagnostic method for gastritis: examination of the gastric mucosa is performed with a probe, which allows taking a sample for histological examination and making a correct diagnosis. Endoscopy with mucosa sampling is also used in the diagnosis of gastroduodenitis.

Treatment of pain after eating in the stomach

Treatment of pain in the stomach associated with heartburn is aimed at neutralizing stomach acid (antacids), as well as reducing the secretion of hydrochloric acid. Doctors do not recommend that you take soda as a remedy for heartburn: its frequent use may result in stomach ulcerations, belching and bloating. The list of recommended antacid medications includes Gastal, Almagel and Almagel-A.

Gastal in tablet form has adsorptive, coating and local anesthetic effect. It neutralizes free hydrochloric acid in the stomach and reduces the activity of gastric juice. It is taken 1-2 tablets two hours after a meal and at night; for peptic ulcer, 30 minutes before a meal; the maximum single dose is 3-4 tablets; for maintenance therapy, one tablet three times a day for two months. During pregnancy it is contraindicated to take this drug.

Almagel oral suspension also neutralizes free hydrochloric acid in the stomach; it has a coating and adsorptive effect and protects the gastric mucosa. Adults and children over 15 take 5-10 ml (1-2 scoops) 3-4 times a day – 45-60 minutes after meals and in the evening before going to bed. The dose for children 10-15 years old is half of the dose for adults. The drug is contraindicated in pregnant women and children under 10 years of age. The side effect of this drug is expressed in constipation, which after reducing the dose passes.

Almagel-A drug contains an additional component – local anesthetic benzocaine. This medicine is recommended for peptic ulcer and duodenal ulcer in the acute phase, acute and chronic gastritis with increased and normal stomach acidity, gastroesophageal reflux disease, enteritis and duodenitis. Almagel A is taken in the same way as Almagel. The course of treatment is 7 days, and then switch to Almagel treatment (for two to three weeks).

In chronic gastritis and pancreatitis, the enzyme preparation Mezim forte (dragee) is used. The active ingredient of this drug is pancreatin (from the pancreatic glands of pigs). Mezim is recommended for insufficient secretory and digestive ability of the stomach and intestines. The dosage is determined depending on the severity of the disease, the usual dosage for adults is 1-2 tablets before meals, with plenty of water.

In the treatment of chronic gastritis, steroid hormones are also used, which stimulate the adrenal cortex and help normalize the secretory functions of the gastric mucosa.

To treat pain after eating in the stomach with gastroenteritis, doctors recommend taking the same drugs based on enzymes, astringents and adsorbents. And of home remedies phytotherapists advise to drink the infusion of mint, for the preparation of which a tablespoon of dried herbs is brewed with a glass of boiling water, insists for half an hour and is taken by a third of a glass once a day.

And with irritable stomach syndrome helps infusion of chamomile apothecary: a tablespoon of dried flowers per glass of boiling water (drink a few sips three times a day after meals).

Proven folk remedy for normalization of the gastrointestinal tract and treatment of pain after eating in the stomach is an infusion of cumin fruit, which relieves spasm. One teaspoon of cumin should be brewed with a glass of steep boiling water, let stand for 20-30 minutes. Add another 100 ml of boiled water and drink half a glass twice a day.

What doctor should I see if I have stomach pain?

For outpatient treatment of abdominal pain you should see a doctor:

• if gastrointestinal diseases are suspected (this may be indicated by the connection of pain attacks with food intake) – to a gastroenterologist;
• If you suspect urinary system disease – to a urologist;
• women with suspected gynecological diseases – to a gynecologist;
• For groin pain – to a proctologist or urologist;
• In other cases, a general practitioner or general practitioner.

A pediatrician should be consulted in case of abdominal pain in a child.

Prevention of pain after a meal in the stomach

Rational nutrition is the basis of human health.

The prevention of pain after eating in the stomach and all diseases of the digestive system boils down to a few simple rules:

• Eat only healthy foods. Do not eat fatty, smoked, spicy and salty foods, as well as uncooked and canned foods;
• Observe the dietary regime in which the last meal should take place at least three hours before going to bed;
• do not overeat, eat a little (in small portions), but at least five times a day;
• consume at least 1.5 liters of liquid during the day;
• After eating, do not lie down on the couch and move around for at least 10-15 minutes.

Following these rules for the prevention of pain after eating in the stomach is a real way to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal pathologies and many other serious illnesses.

Treatment of stomach pain

For the treatment of stomach pain, in most cases, taking medication is sufficient. Regardless of the diagnosis, the patient will have to follow a gentle diet. Food intake is shown every few hours in small portions. It is necessary to exclude all products that can irritate the mucous membrane of the organ: fatty and sugary foods, alcohol and carbonated drinks, pastries and sweets, sauces and spices.

Medication treatment may include several stages:

• Antispasmodics and pain relievers;
• sorbents;
• drugs to correct the acidity of gastric juice;
• antibiotics and others.

Surgical intervention is shown for benign neoplasms that do not grow deep into the wall of the organ. Surgery may also be prescribed for peptic ulcers with the risk of perforation of the walls of the stomach. Some abnormalities in the structure of the organ also require surgical treatment if they interfere with the normal function of the digestive tract.

Q&A

Why painkillers don’t work

Let’s start with the simplest question: What should you do if you have discomfort in the abdominal area? Of course, take a pill! For many of us, the answer is… “obvious.” A person who is “too” concerned about health, much less knows “more than necessary” about it, looks strange. From the point of view of many of those around him, he simply has nothing better to do! The results are clear: 45% of Russians, feeling a pain in the stomach, seize analgesics… And only 28% take antispasmodics. Thus in the last six months every sixth person felt pain in the abdomen. Women are more often affected.

What are the dangers of analgesics for abdominal pain?

Because the true cause of the unpleasant sensations will not be eliminated, but masked. After all, in 60% of cases, the culprit of the pain syndrome is a spasm.

What is a spasm?

It is an excessive contraction of the smooth muscle cells of various organs. In our case, we are talking about the digestive system. Inflammatory process – such as gastritis, enteritis, colitis or ulcers, poisoning and other effects of pathogenic microbes, foreign body in the cavity of the digestive organ (part of a toy in the stomach or a stone in the gall bladder), imbalance of substances we need – vitamins and microelements … Because of this, our organs, somehow responsible for digestion, feel uncomfortable and painfully constricted. Analgesics don’t work on the cause of the pain, and they will only affect the transmission of nerve impulses, but they won’t take away the spasm. Plus, as said before, they will mask the pain sensations – and the doctor will not understand anything. Or he will, but too late. Because the remaining 40% of abdominal pains – 4 cases out of 10 – are conditions for which it is necessary to call an ambulance!

Acute pancreatitis, appendicitis, ruptured ulcer, ruptured blood vessel aneurysm in the abdomen, severe inflammatory diseases in women. Peritonitis – inflammation of the peritoneum, which occurs not only when the appendix ruptures, but also when gynecological diseases are “treated” by patience. A stone that came out of the gallbladder and blocked the bile duct. If you take an analgesic, the doctor will have difficulty understanding where the cause of the ailment is. And precious time, when emergency surgery should have begun, will be lost. An antispasmodic will not affect the sensations that acute cholecystitis, a perforated ulcer, or a ruptured appendix cause. The pain will not decrease.

What happens if you “treat” with an analgesic the usual chronic gastritis?

Painkillers of such action are harmful to the mucous membrane of the stomach (and other digestive organs). If you take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for just one week, one in five will get a stomach ulcer. And one in seventy will have gastrointestinal bleeding. What if these patients would also use analgesics to relieve their pain? The “harmless and safe” pain medications have their own side effects. Therefore, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and other analgesics should be taken under medical supervision! Turning them into a daily medication is dangerous. By the way, how long can you “treat yourself” with painkillers?

What to do if you have a stomach ache?

In order to react properly to stomach pain that occurs after eating, you should learn to divide your condition into stages.

Stage one is mild pain. What to do: if necessary, take an antispasmodic. But: – if the pain was once, after unaccustomed or low-quality food, eating disorders or overeating – this is one situation. But if the pain occurs with sufficient frequency, ie stomach aches sometimes or periodically, or in the morning, or after nervous stress, or even from hunger – the situation is quite different. Go to the doctor for an appointment as soon as possible!

Stage two – the pain is quite severe and/or long. What to do: Be sure to take an antispasmodic. After that – even if the abdomen hurts less or the abdominal pain stops altogether, go to the doctor urgently!

Stage three – very severe pain! Or pain that gets worse. If the abdomen hurts unbearably, the cause could be the same 40% – appendicitis, gallbladder rupture, ulcer perforation, intestinal vascular thrombosis. What to do: Call 9-1-1!