Why does your stomach hurt when you eat

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SEO LP – What could be the cause of stomach cramps after eating
What are the treatments for stomach cramps?
Explore our other posts on stomach cramps
Visit the Sydney Gut Clinic
Consult our specialists for diagnosis and treatment of abdominal cramps
Overeating and your digestion

SEO LP – What could be the cause of stomach cramps after eating

What are the treatments for stomach cramps?

Mild abdominal cramps can be treated with home remedies or OTC medicine. Home remedies like apple cider vinegar, ginger, and chamomile tea, in particular, are known to relieve mild pains and bloating in the abdomen.
Stomach cramps that occur as a result of allergies and intolerances can be avoided by dietary changes. After tests and diagnosis, your doctor will prescribe you a customised diet, limiting the foods that trigger the allergy.
Dietary changes are also effective to control overeating. In cases where it is uncontrollable, it is recommended to consult a dietician or a therapist to identify the underlying cause for overeating.
If you have IBS, your doctor may prescribe you special medication like fibre supplements, laxatives, or antidiarrheal medication. Pain-relieving medication will be prescribed for IBS patients experiencing severe pains, cramps, and bloating.

Explore our other posts on stomach cramps

Visit the Sydney Gut Clinic

If stomach cramps are persistent and if you experience them very often, it is necessary to treat the underlying cause behind them. Schedule an appointment with us to get an accurate diagnosis of your condition.

At Sydney Gut Clinic, we have a team of gastrointestinal specialists trained to identify the causes behind symptoms you experience and direct you to the best treatment options.

FAQ

Which foods can trigger abdominal cramps?

Refraining from eating food you are allergic to can help alleviate cramps. The most common foods that cause allergies are protein-based food like cow’s milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, and tree nuts.

In addition to this, limiting your intake of spicy and oily foods can also help alleviate stomach cramps.

How can you treat stomach cramps after eating?

There are many treatment options available depending on the cause of stomach cramps. The most common treatment options are:

Consuming lactose-free food
Gluten-free diets
High-fibre diets
Medication

When should you be concerned about abdominal cramps?

If your cramps continue after OTC medication and at-home remedies, seek medical attention. Additionally, cramps may signal a severe condition if you also experience the following symptoms:

Severe diarrhoea
Fever
Severe pain
Blood in stools
Nausea
Vomiting

Which conditions can cause stomach cramps?

Stomach cramps are often a result of your body reacting to medical complications in the digestive tract. Most of the time they are triggered as a result of certain types of food.

If cramps occur outside your dietary habits, it may mean a different gastrointestinal condition like inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal obstruction, or even food poisoning and intestinal infections. Visit a gastrointestinal specialist to get an accurate diagnosis of the stomach cramps you experience.

Consult our specialists for diagnosis and treatment of abdominal cramps

Sydney Gut Clinic services are only available to patients in Australia.

Overindulgence can be a pain in your stomach. Skip the bellyache after your next big feed with these quick fixes.

Overeating.

Most of us have done it at some point, even with the best of intentions not to.

Sometimes that holiday meal is so delicious we can’t stop, or the dessert table is too tempting to ignore.

You feel bloated now, but don’t despair: Overdoing it once in a while isn’t going to ruin your health, though it can wreak havoc on your digestive system.

Overeating and your digestion

The average stomach ordinarily holds about one or two cups of food. When we overeat, we may be consuming twice that or even more. To make room for that extra food, your stomach stretches like a balloon. If you overeat frequently, your stomach expands easily (which is not a good thing unless you’re a competitive eater). Most people will feel discomfort as their stomach is stretched beyond its normal capacity.

Depending on what you’ve eaten, that feeling may stick around. Foods high in fat and fiber take longer to digest. So, if you’ve overeaten fried foods, expect stomach pain to linger.

As that food lingers in your belly, it can start to push up against your diaphragm, causing you to have shallow breaths. It can also cause digestive fluids to sneak back up into your esophagus. When that happens, you may experience heartburn, which has nothing to do with your heart, or a sour, acidic taste in your mouth.

Here are four guidelines to help avoid these symptoms.

Slow down. As you eat and your stomach stretches, hormones signal to your brain that you’re full. If you eat too quickly, you’ll have overeaten by the time your body gets the fullness signal. Also, try to listen to your body when you get that full feeling.

Get moving. If you’ve overeaten, take a gentle walk to help stimulate the process in your body that pushes the food down your gastrointestinal tract. Don’t run or overexert yourself, though. If you work too hard, blood will flow to your legs rather than your stomach, and digestion will slow down.

No napping. As much as a quick catnap after a big meal seems like a good idea, it’s not. If you lie down with your stomach stuffed, food can more easily work its way up your digestive tract rather than down. Lying down can worsen heartburn brought on by overeating.

Avoid bubbles. Have you ever been offered a glass of soda to settle your stomach? Just say no. Carbonated beverages add to the bloated feeling, and add more gas that your body needs to expel.