Abdominal Pain after Eating: My stomach hurts after I eat?

Severe abdominal pain after eating is a common condition. This pain could affect the left or the right side of your abdomen; it might start as a slow pain and then increase in the intensity slowly. Though sometimes the stomach does react to the different kinds of food that we eat, there are instances when over eating or even eating something that you are not used to can lead to a sharp stomach pain after meal. Abdominal cramps after eating do not usually occur right after a meal and there would be a small gap of at least half an hour because there are a few minutes of incubation time. Contradictory to popular belief food is not the only thing that is responsible to cause such kinds of abdominal pains. The speed and the way in which you eat also contribute certain stomach disorders. There are certain microorganisms that can be responsible for severe abdominal pain after eating. Besides they could also make a person bloat after eating by causing a chemical reaction with the body fluids. This might even lead to a feeling of nausea and vomiting after a meal. Drinking large quantities of soft drinks and fruit juices can dilute the stomach acids and make it react with the bacteria in the food leading to indigestion. Indigestion further leads to sever abdominal pain after eating. Right abdominal pain after eating could also arise from an intestinal obstruction. Sometimes if you spend long time periods without eating your intestines may contract and then suddenly when you eat a big meal your intestine will not be able to let it pass through and digest it. Treatment for such severe abdominal pain after eating would mainly include changing the diet and eating habits. Best is to avoid over eating and eating unhealthy fast foods that can cause you to bloat up. Added to this make sure that you eat a lot of vegetables and fruits as part of your diet so that there would be enough fibre in the food to help indigestion. Make sure that you eat nearly six small meals in a day instead of three big ones. Eating candied ginger is considered to be a very useful digestive. After your meal you can drink one cup of green tea or some tea with lemon since it will help you to make your stomach relax. Avoid drinking water right after your meal and avoid sleeping soon after your meal. Make sure that there is at least a two hour gap between your meal and your bed time.

answered by G M

The cause of the pain will depend on where exactly it occurs. Many people use the word stomach to mean their abdomen, but actual stomach pain will occur in only one part of the abdomen. If the source of the pain is actually in your stomach and tends to get worse a couple of hours after you eat, the most likely cause is a gastric ulcer. If the pain is not really in your stomach, there are several possibilities that need to be looked into. There are several organs in your abdominal area, and any one of them could be the source of the pain. Which part of your abdomen is hurting gives a good indication of the source of the pain. For example, gall bladder problems are quite common, and usually cause pain or discomfort in the upper right area of the abdomen. Sometimes this pain may also be felt in the patient's upper back.

You have not specified exactly which part of your abdomen hurts, nor have you provided any other information. There are almost always accompanying symptoms that help in reaching a diagnosis - factors such as appetite, weight loss, any foods that aggravate or relieve the pain, and so on. Ideally, you should visit your doctor, as it takes a lot of questions before one can obtain enough information to make a diagnosis and prescribe any treatment.

Read more about: Gall Bladder Symptoms

answered by G M