Pain in the upper abdomen after eating
Abdominal pain after eating, which is mainly restricted to the upper abdomen, can be caused by excessive filling of the stomach. In addition, abdominal pain after eating in the upper abdomen region can be a first indication of the presence of a so-called irritable stomach. In this case, the affected patients feel a pronounced feeling of fullness in addition to the pain and suffer from nausea.
The occurrence of additional nausea is also not uncommon. Furthermore, inflammatory processes or ulcers of the stomach can lead to abdominal pain in the upper abdomen immediately after eating. Abdominal pain in the upper abdomen that does not occur immediately but two to three hours after eating is usually caused by deeper sections of the gastrointestinal tract.
If the complaints can be assigned to the middle section of the upper abdomen, diseases of the pancreas are likely. Typically, these abdominal pains radiate from the affected patients in a belt-shaped manner into the back. Probably the most common cause of postprandial abdominal pain, which occurs mainly in the area of the right upper abdomen, is diseases of the gallbladder (inflammation of the gall bladder) or obstruction of the draining bile ducts. Especially elderly patients suffering from abdominal pain after eating should be examined for the presence of gallstones in the upper abdomen.
Stomach ache and diarrhoea after eating
A possible cause for the occurrence of abdominal pain after eating can be the so-called “irritable bowel syndrome“. This disease is a functional disorder of the large intestine in which no pathological changes in the intestinal walls can be detected. Patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome often notice abdominal pain after eating.
The occurrence of diarrhoea, which is observed in temporal relation to food intake, is also a typical symptom of this disease. The large intestine of the affected patients reacts more sensitively than usual to various stimuli, such as worries, grief, stress or different foods. Usually the abdominal pain in the affected patients occurs a few hours after eating.
In other words, exactly at the time when the chyme enters the colon. Usually the abdominal pain is felt in the area of the lower left abdomen after eating. The quality of the pain can range from a strong feeling of tension to pronounced cramps.
In addition, those affected suffer from a constant alternation between constipation (constipation) and diarrhoea. The reason for diarrhoea in patients with irritable bowel syndrome is excessive sensitivity of the nerves and muscles of the colon. This usually results in a spontaneous, involuntary contraction of the intestinal walls.
On the one hand, the affected persons may perceive these contractions as abdominal pain, on the other hand they cause the intestinal contents to be transported too quickly. Due to the rapid passage, the intestinal walls are not able to absorb sufficient fluid. This leads to the development of diarrhoea.
Women are much more frequently affected by irritable bowel associated abdominal pain and diarrhoea after eating than men. For many women, the abdominal pain occurs mainly during menstruation, or worsens during this period. Patients suffering from abdominal pain and diarrhoea after eating should avoid flatulent foods (such as onions).
In addition, care should be taken to ensure a sufficient intake of dietary fibre. In this way, the stool volume can be increased and the consistency of the stool improved. It has also been observed that regular intake of small portions of food prevents the development of abdominal pain and diarrhoea after eating.
There can be many reasons for the development of abdominal pain after eating, which is associated with severe nausea. Among the most common reasons for the occurrence of such symptoms are diseases of the stomach. Patients who suffer from inflammatory changes in the stomach lining (inflammation of the stomach lining, gastritis) often experience abdominal pain in the middle upper abdomen and pronounced nausea after eating.
In addition, post-meal abdominal pain, which occurs together with severe nausea, can often be observed in pregnant women. Various infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (caused by viruses or bacteria) can also cause abdominal pain and nausea after eating. In this context, patients should take care to eat only light foods during the infection.
In particular, fatty foods should be avoided for the time being. In addition, severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting after eating can be the first signs of food poisoning. The affected patients usually develop severe stomach pain and pronounced cramps within six hours after eating. In the further course of the disease, pronounced nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhoea may occur.
