Pain after eating

If you suddenly notice that after another meal you experience pain, nausea, heaviness - this is a clear sign that something in your body has "gone wrong". Usually, pain after eating is observed in the abdominal area, which, first of all, indicates problems with the digestive organs. But there are also cases when pain occurs in completely atypical places, for example, in the chest, back, or headache.

It is not normal to experience pain after eating. Although it is impossible to say that there is any serious disease if the pain occurs once. If pain occurs constantly in some part of the body after eating, then there is a reason to go to the doctor and get examined. Pain after eating most often occurs in the abdominal part of the body, which is a signal of a gastrointestinal tract disease. But, surprisingly, pain can also occur in completely atypical places, for example: in the throat, in the spine, in the liver, in the side, and so on. Let's take a closer look at the types of pain after eating, their causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention.

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Causes of pain after eating

The cause of pain after eating is, first of all, a disease of some internal organ of a person. But pain can also occur in cases of:

• Consumption of spicy foods.
• Consumption of fatty foods.
• Eating food that is too hot or too cold.
• Overeating.
• Consumption of products containing lactose (if the body does not tolerate it well).
• Consumption of foods high in gluten.

But this is only what concerns the products. Pain can arise not only because of the quality of food, but also because of problems caused by some internal organ. Let's consider in order the causes of pain in different parts of the body when a person's internal organ is diseased.

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Stomach pain after eating

Abdominal pain after eating can occur for several reasons: the occurrence of acute gastritis or exacerbation of chronic gastritis, gastric ulcer or duodenal ulcer, inflammation of the pancreas.

Thus, when chronic gastritis worsens or acute gastritis appears, the patient feels pain in the abdomen. Each of these types has its own characteristics both in manifestation and, accordingly, in treatment.

Acute gastritis occurs when a strong irritant gets into the mucous membrane, which results in an inflammatory process of the stomach. Chronic gastritis develops over a long period of time and makes itself known during an exacerbation, which occurs due to nervous tension, sudden changes in the atmosphere, consumption of spicy or fatty foods, as well as alcohol.

The symptoms of acute and chronic gastritis have certain characteristic differences. It happens that gastritis may not cause any pain for some time, but it will make itself known sooner or later.

In acute gastritis the following is observed:

• on an empty stomach or some time after eating - increased pain;
• heartburn;
• changeable nature of the pain syndrome: sometimes paroxysmal, sometimes prolonged and excruciating;
• nausea after eating;
• repeated vomiting (often with a sour taste, sometimes ˗ bitter ˗ due to bile);
• weakness in the body;
• increased sweating, headache, fever;
• increased heart rate, low blood pressure;
• constipation or diarrhea.

During an exacerbation of chronic gastritis the following is typical:

• dull, pressing pain;
• the appearance of pain in the stomach immediately after eating;
• rumbling and bloating;
• heaviness in the stomach;
• belching with an unpleasant odor;
• lack of appetite.

Chronic gastritis with low acidity, or as it is called in medicine - anacid gastritis - very often causes abdominal pain, especially during periods of exacerbation. What is this pain characterized by? In this case, the pain after eating is of a nagging nature, which manifests itself in the epigastric region of the abdomen. With anacid gastritis, the pain is accompanied by rumbling, heaviness in the stomach, nausea, bloating, belching and other unpleasant sensations. These symptoms are clearly manifested precisely when overeating. Of course, it is necessary to adhere to a certain diet, which includes the use of lean meat, juices, coffee, vegetables. It is better to steam dishes.

Gastritis with high acidity (hyperacid gastritis) is also accompanied by pain, although not always. Pain occurs not only after eating, but sometimes on an empty stomach. A person feels heaviness and pressure in the epigastric region or moderate pain. With hyperacid gastritis, it is necessary to adhere to certain requirements: eat often in small portions (at least 4 times a day), exclude fatty, smoked, fried foods, spices, foods that irritate the gastric mucosa. Food should be warm, but not hot or cold.

Treatment of gastritis

Treatment of gastritis is aimed, first of all, at eliminating the factor of its development or exacerbation - this can be either improper nutrition or infection. The methods of treating gastritis, regardless of its type, are as follows: taking medications prescribed by a doctor, following a diet and eating rules. It is necessary to remember that with any type of gastritis, you cannot eat fried, smoked, spicy, fatty foods, and it is also necessary to completely exclude alcohol consumption and, preferably, stop smoking. With hyperacid (with increased acidity) gastritis, the pain goes away after eating, if the patient drank milk or another dairy product. A diet for gastritis should include: pureed soups, jelly, kissels, chopped products, etc. You should refuse products that are difficult to digest (fat, sour cream, cream) and cause fermentation (fresh pastries, grapes).

Gastric and duodenal ulcers

With a stomach ulcer, pain is often localized on the left side or in the upper abdomen. It is important to note that with both an ulcer and gastritis, the patient may feel pain on an empty stomach. If the pain appears on the right side of the midline, it is a sure sign of a duodenal ulcer. Often, with a peptic ulcer, the pain radiates to the back or is felt in the sternum after eating. The nature of the pain with a peptic ulcer is very different, but often people complain of aching, dull pain or cramping and stabbing. To reduce pain, it is recommended to take special enveloping drugs before eating, which can be replaced with oatmeal or jelly.

A sharp, acute pain under the ribs after eating, which can be described as a "dagger stab" in the stomach, is a distinctive feature of a perforated ulcer of the stomach and duodenum. In this case, urgent hospitalization is necessary, since the disease is very dangerous and the patient may die.

Treatment of ulcers is prescribed after the cause of the disease is determined:

• if an infection (Helicobacter pylori) is detected, a course of antibiotics is prescribed to eliminate this bacterium;
• in case of increased secretion, the patient undergoes a course of medications that reduce the amount of acid secreted;

We would like to highlight several folk remedies for the treatment of peptic ulcer disease:

• An effective method of treating ulcers is the use of sea buckthorn oil. It is taken an hour before meals for three weeks to a month.
• A herbal decoction of mint leaves, chamomile flowers, flowering linden and yarrow helps to heal ulcers.
• A pleasant treatment for ulcers is eating walnuts with honey.

Prevention of pain after eating with an ulcer or gastritis is a healthy lifestyle. It is necessary to be as little nervous as possible, not to burden yourself with intense physical activity, and also not to carry heavy things. It is necessary to eat often in small portions, the products should be fresh and not heavy for the stomach.

Pain in the epigastrium after eating

If the pain in the epigastrium after eating is characterized by severe attacks, reaching the point of loss of consciousness, this may be a clear sign of pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas. Sometimes a person has to completely refuse food intake for several days to bring the inflamed pancreas back to normal.

With pancreatitis, pain usually appears on the left side, in the left hypochondrium. This pain often radiates to the back and is of a girdle nature. The patient suffers from frequent gas formation and a feeling of heaviness in the abdominal region.

For effective treatment of pancreatitis, the patient is strictly prohibited from consuming meat broths and alcoholic beverages until complete recovery. Pickles, fried, smoked, fatty foods must be excluded from the diet.

We would like to share some folk remedies that have a beneficial effect on the treatment of this unpleasant disease:

• Sauerkraut juice has a very beneficial effect on the treatment of pancreatitis;
• carrot and potato juice is often recommended for inflammation of the pancreas. To prepare this drink, you need to put a couple of potatoes and a couple of carrots through a juicer, after washing the vegetables well. You don't have to peel the potatoes, just cut out the eyes;
• a decoction of birch buds, knotweed, oregano, centaury and St. John's wort, immortelle and calendula flowers, elecampane and burdock roots, nettle leaves, and coriander fruits - has healing properties in the treatment of the pancreas.

Pain in the epigastrium and chest after eating can occur with a disease such as esophageal spasm. This disease can be characterized as a neuromuscular disease of the esophagus. The main symptom of esophageal spasm is pain, which can occur after strong emotions, as well as immediately after eating. Pain can also occur during sleep, radiating to the neck, shoulder blade or back. With this disease, dyspeptic disorder is often observed, which is characterized by heartburn and belching.

When diagnosing esophageal spasm, an X-ray examination of the esophagus is performed. Treatment of this disease is complex: the doctor prescribes a diet and special medications (antispasmodics). The diet involves frequent meals, in which the food should not be hot or cold. Products should be steamed or boiled. It is good to eat dairy products, as well as vegetables and fruits in the form of puree. But it is necessary to refuse sour plant products. It is forbidden to eat fatty meats, as well as various sauces and mayonnaise. Alcohol and coffee are also contraindicated.

Pain after eating on the left side

Pain after eating on the left side indicates not only a disease of the pancreas, which we discussed above, but also problems with the large intestine. It should be noted that pain on the left does not always indicate a disease. Excessive accumulation of gases in the intestine on this side can cause unpleasant pain symptoms that disappear after the gases are released.

If the pain on the left is also accompanied by diarrhea or constipation, there is blood in the stool, and there is also a slight fever, then there is a high probability of inflammatory bowel disease.

Pain in the esophagus after eating

Pain in the esophagus after eating may occur due to injury or damage to the esophagus. It happens that the esophagus can be injured by a foreign body, such as a probe or tracheostomy tube.

Pain in the esophagus also occurs due to severe damage to the walls of the esophagus, which can result from a chemical burn, peptic ulcer, or tumor.

Esophageal pain is characterized by a sharp pain behind the breastbone after eating, which often intensifies when coughing, taking a deep breath, or swallowing.

If you have an esophagus disease, you should watch your diet: food should be small, soft; you should not eat solid food, as well as coffee, fried foods, citrus fruits, or fatty foods.

For esophageal diseases, it is good to brew a herbal infusion that includes: chamomile and calendula flowers, celandine, St. John's wort, centaury and immortelle, plantain leaves, rose hips and oat seeds.

Sore throat after eating

Pain and any discomfort in the throat after eating may occur with a hernia of the esophageal diaphragm. If the patient also suffers from frequent attacks of heartburn and a lump in the throat, there is also a possibility of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Symptoms of a lump in the throat, which are also accompanied by apathy, severe pain in the esophagus, weight loss, irritability, as well as swelling in the laryngeal region ˗ should cause alarm. In this case, it is necessary to immediately contact a doctor who must conduct a thorough examination to accurately determine the disease. After the diagnosis is made, you can proceed to the prescribed treatment.

Pain in the lower abdomen after eating

Pain in the lower abdomen after eating may indicate irritable bowel syndrome. This disease includes functional bowel disorders. So, a person suffering from an intestinal disease has:

• an unpleasant feeling and pain in the lower abdomen, which decreases after defecation;
• rumbling and flatulence;
• constipation or diarrhea, as well as their alternation;
• a feeling of incomplete emptying after using the toilet or a sharp urge to defecate.

It should be noted that people with an unstable nervous system, overly emotional people, and those who often find themselves in stressful situations are predisposed to this disease. But this is not the only group of people who can suffer from irritable bowel syndrome. This also includes those who lead a sedentary lifestyle, abuse poor-quality food and fast food, do not eat foods rich in fiber, are obese, as well as women who have gynecological diseases, experience premenstrual syndrome or menopause.

Symptoms of pain after eating in irritable bowel syndrome

Symptoms of pain include intestinal spasms and excessive gas formation, which causes severe stretching of the intestinal walls.

Characteristic signs of irritable bowel syndrome are:

• a painful sensation around the navel after eating, which goes away after a bowel movement;
• constipation and flatulence;
• diarrhea (often in the morning);
• belching, heaviness in the stomach;
• nausea.

Such symptoms usually appear after prolonged nervous tension, stress, and also after physical exertion. Frequent intestinal disorders are accompanied by tinnitus, dry mouth, headache, weakness in the muscles of the body and insomnia.

Diagnosis of pain after eating in the lower abdomen

In order to accurately determine the cause of pain after eating in the lower abdomen, the doctor prescribes the following types of examinations:

• coprogram (stool analysis);
• biochemical blood test;
• sigmoidoscopy – examination of the rectum and sigmoid colon using a rectoscope;
• irrigoscopy - examination of the intestines using X-rays. During this examination, the intestines are filled with a special contrast agent during the analysis;
• colonoscopy – examination of a section of the intestine up to one meter long.

For effective treatment of lower abdominal pain after eating, you should follow a diet that includes vegetables, fruits and dairy products; it is useful to eat dishes from meat and fish products, either steamed or boiled. It is necessary to exclude spicy, smoked dishes, chocolate, coffee and alcohol from the diet, as well as cabbage and flour products, as they contribute to excessive gas formation.

For this diet, the doctor may prescribe medications to relieve spasms, as well as to improve digestion; laxatives or, conversely, constipating medications. If necessary, treatment of intestinal dysbacteriosis is carried out.

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Pain in the side after eating

Pain in the side after eating, or more precisely in the right hypochondrium, may indicate that some organ: the liver or gallbladder (sometimes the stomach or duodenum) has a disease. It is necessary to take into account: if the pain does not stop during the day, and even worsens after eating fatty foods, then there is a possibility of such a gallbladder disease as chronic cholecystitis. Symptoms of this disease are bowel disorder, belching, nausea, a feeling of distension and heaviness after eating in the right hypochondrium, as well as pain radiating to the back and right collarbone. Cholecystitis can be both acute and chronic.

Acute cholecystitis develops mainly due to infection: E. coli, staphylococcus, lamblia. In this case, pain can radiate to the back or spine after eating. Chronic cholecystitis often occurs due to the appearance of stones that irritate the walls of the gallbladder; changes in the composition of bile, as well as disruption of its outflow.

In case of cholecystitis, the patient should adhere to a diet: fractional meals, warm dishes and drinks. The diet may include: stewed vegetables, pasta, dairy products, low-fat steamed dishes, honey, vegetable soup, vegetable oil, coffee with milk and weak tea. It is forbidden to eat smoked foods, fatty foods, broths, too hot or cold food, citrus fruits, alcohol.

Treatment of cholecystitis is carried out as follows: the doctor prescribes bed rest and detoxification therapy, which involves the intravenous administration of special detoxifying blood substitutes, as well as saline solutions. When treating this disease, complete abstinence from food for a certain period of time is necessary. The doctor usually prescribes antispasmodics, antibiotics and painkillers to suppress gastric secretion. If the treatment complex does not lead to positive results, the patient is prescribed surgical treatment.

Back pain after eating

Back pain after eating can occur for several reasons: stomach ulcer, acute gastritis, acute cholecystitis, pancreatitis, kidney inflammation. In this section, we will consider the causes of pain after eating with inflamed kidneys.

Inflammation of the kidneys is often accompanied by the following symptoms: pain in the lower abdomen and side, back pain after eating, chills, fever, nausea, frequent urination. With pyelitis (inflammation of the kidneys), the patient should adhere to a strict diet. In this case, it is necessary to completely exclude salty and spicy foods, spices and alcohol from the diet. You should avoid fried and smoked foods, as well as canned and pickled foods.

To prevent pain, you need to drink a herbal infusion three times a year, which includes the following herbs: lingonberry leaf, horsetail and bearberry. You need to include one glass of water with two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in your daily diet.

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Pain in the right hypochondrium after eating

A dull, long-lasting pain in the right hypochondrium may indicate a liver disease, namely, fatty liver disease. Steatosis develops when a large enough amount of fat accumulates in the liver. The fat is not excreted from the organ, thereby disrupting the functioning of the liver, which leads to pain. The main causes of this disease are alcohol abuse, poor nutrition, and metabolic disorders.

Symptoms of steatosis (fatty hepatosis) are: nausea, vomiting, heartburn, belching, bloating, alternating diarrhea and constipation, pain reaction to fatty and spicy foods; patients also complain of a feeling of fullness in the epigastric region after eating.

Treatment of steatosis includes: following a diet in which fatty foods and alcohol are avoided. Food should be rich in protein and vitamins, cottage cheese is very useful. Among medications, attention should be paid to vitamins B1, B12, B6 and vitamin E, as well as folic acid, essential and lipoic acid.

Headache after eating

Pain after eating can manifest itself not only in the digestive tract, but also in those organs that take an active part in the digestion process, but also in completely atypical parts of the body. For example, there are often cases when a headache occurs after eating. One of the main causes of this pain is high blood pressure. People suffering from diabetes are also prone to headaches after eating food that contains sugar. Also, a headache can be an allergic reaction to some product. In this case, you should be very careful to determine which product causes a headache. Sometimes, after eating poor-quality food, people experience heartburn in the gastrointestinal tract, during which some people also suffer from a headache.

If you observe a similar reaction of the body after another meal, you should immediately consult a doctor to determine the causes of the pain and find ways to eliminate it.

Heart pain after eating

If you notice that you have heart pain after eating, then you need to urgently review your diet and the quality of the foods you eat. Although the likelihood of heart pain after eating is very low, since this organ often makes itself known under severe stress or after intense, prolonged physical exertion. However, heart disease can also develop with frequent consumption of fatty foods and overeating. Prevention of heart pain after eating includes: exercising (in moderation), eating fruits and vegetables, eliminating fatty foods, and maintaining a proper sleep and wakefulness regimen.

People suffering from heart disease and hypertension sometimes feel headaches, pain under the shoulder blade and in the left arm after a heavy meal. This usually happens when overeating, when a full stomach begins to put pressure on the heart. For this reason, patients experience increased blood pressure, and an attack of angina is also possible.

Pain after eating in a child

There is no need to worry about the occurrence of pain in a child after eating. Children can often have stomach pain due to indigestion, rapid swallowing of food, overeating, constipation. But still, the risk of developing a serious disease is possible. Here it is necessary to rely on the symptoms of the pain.

Parents should be very attentive to such symptoms in a child as:

• Vomiting and abdominal pain.
• Blood in the stool.
• Sudden weight loss.
• Pain during or immediately after eating.
• The child's reaction to pressure on the stomach.
• Recent abdominal trauma.

In such cases, it is better to immediately consult a doctor. The doctor needs to find out the type of pain in the child: it can be one-time or periodically recurring (recurring). In case of one-time pain, those that are accompanied by vomiting with the release of bile, as well as those in which touching the stomach causes a painful reaction, are more dangerous. The nature of the pain after eating will help determine what treatment to prescribe: medication or surgery. For example, if vomiting occurs earlier than abdominal pain, it may be gastroenteritis, which is effectively treated with medications. Acute appendicitis is characterized by the onset of pain earlier than vomiting. In this case, treatment is only possible with surgical intervention.

The reasons for pain after eating in a child vary depending on the age of the child.

For example, newborns who suffer from vomiting and bloating may have a gastrointestinal obstruction.

Babies under six months often suffer from colic in the abdomen. This is caused by air entering the stomach. After the gases are released, the pain stops.

Children from six months often suffer from viral infections of the stomach and intestines. In this case, the pain is accompanied by an upset stomach, vomiting, fever and nervous excitement. The child may also lose appetite. But usually the infection goes away on its own after a few days.

With respiratory diseases, children also sometimes suffer from abdominal pain. At the same time, there is also a high temperature, vomiting, headache, runny nose.

There are cases of inguinal hernia formation in children. When it is present, the child suffers not only from pain in the lower abdomen, but also from vomiting. Inguinal hernia is treated surgically.

Recurring pain in children, or chronic pain, can also occur for various reasons. If a child has poor lactose absorption, he or she may suffer from abdominal pain after consuming dairy products. If a child often drinks carbonated drinks or coffee, he or she may also suffer from pain. But sometimes stress can be the cause of recurring pain in a child. In this case, it is necessary to pay special attention to the emotional health of your child.

A consultation with a doctor is necessary if symptoms such as frequent vomiting, diarrhea, fever, bloating are observed. However, if the pain is a one-time occurrence and is not accompanied by the listed symptoms, a visit to a doctor is not necessary at all.

In order to prevent the occurrence of pain in a child after eating, he should consume liquid food, fresh natural juices, and foods rich in coarse fiber to avoid constipation.

In any case, if you notice that eating is accompanied by pain or any unpleasant feelings, the first thing you need to do is consult an experienced doctor, since only he, having done all the necessary tests and diagnostics, can give you the correct diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment.