Nausea is an uneasiness or discomfort of the stomach often before vomiting. While vomiting is forceful voluntary or involuntary stomach emptiness through the mouth. Nausea can be associated with or without vomiting. The Timing of Nausea with or without can find out the cause of it. Nausea after eating may indicate food poisoning, gastritis, or bulimia. The timing of Nausea or vomiting after a meal is very important to know the cause of nausea. The cause of nausea varies from age to age.
In children, nausea may be due to infection or food poisoning. While in adults, it may be due to gastritis, bulimia, food poisoning, or salmonella infection. While pregnant women, nausea is the most common pregnancy symptom. They have nausea with or without vomiting due to increased blood flow and hormonal imbalance. Thus, the cause of nausea or vomiting depends on the timing of nausea and the age of the patient.
What Are The Causes Of Nausea After Eating?
Nausea after eating is not a disease, but a symptom of other underlying health disorders. Following diseases may have nausea after eating
- Food intolerance or allergies
- Motion sickness
- Emotional stress
- Gallbladder disease
- Pain in any part of the body
- Food poisoning
- Overeating
- Medication-induced vomiting
- Infections
- Heart attack
- Brain tumor
- Ulcers
- Brain trauma
- Cancers
- Appendicitis
- Bowel obstruction
- Bulimia or other psychological illnesses
- Early trimester of pregnancy (nausea occurs in approximately 50%-90% of all pregnancies)
- A reaction to certain strong smells or odors
- excessive amounts of alcohol intake
How The Digestive System Works, How Food Is Digested?
The digestive system is a collection of the organs that work together to digest the food and drink which you take. The process of digestion starts from the mouth, where food is broken down into small pieces so that it can easily be swallowed. This semi-solid food travels down towards the stomach and intestines via peristaltic contraction in the esophagus ( a food pipe).
Any type of food (carbohydrates, proteins, or lipids) which you are taking, are digested and turning the nutrients into energy (in form of glucose or ATP) that the body can store for future or use for body functioning.
Gastrin and secretin Hormones are produced along with acid production in the stomach to digest the food. This digested acidic food now moves toward the intestine where bile juice and other digestive juices further break down the food for the final absorption and extraction of essential nutrients. The food which left undigested or needs to be passed out is called waste products. This waste food passes into the large intestine for excretion through the anus.
This whole process of digestion takes place in all human beings and all the organs work in a sequence. Any problems during this digestive process can cause nausea after eating.
Therefore, the timing of nausea after eating is very important to find out the underlying pathology. During any problem in the digestive system, the body reacts by forcibly emptying the stomach through vomiting. If nausea is associated with the vomiting then the color of vomiting helps a lot in finding the problem.
Associated Symptoms of Nausea
Nausea or vomiting is itself a symptom of many digestive diseases but it can be associated with the other symptoms depending on the disease or part that is involved. It may have the following symptoms
- Fatigue
- Stomach Pain
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Heartburn
- Bloating or gas
- Chest discomfort
- Body aches
How Nausea After Eating Can Be Diagnosed?
The causes of nausea are wide-ranging. But the exact timing of nausea after eating can help a doctor make a diagnosis. The cause of nausea varies from patient to patient, depending on the time of nausea and associated symptoms.
Depending on the suspected cause, a doctor can make a full diagnosis by
- Complete blood test
- Urine tests
- skin tests
- swallowing tests
- a colonoscopy or upper endoscopy
- a CT scan or MRI of the abdomen
When to See a Doctor
Nausea is not a serious condition to be concerned about. If nausea or vomiting persists more than 5 days and also associated with the above-mentioned symptoms then you must consult your health care provider to find out the cause of it before starting treatment.
But the children having nausea or vomiting need more attention. You must go to your nearby pediatrician if
- Your child is under 6 months and having vomiting
- Your child is above 6 months and has vomiting and high-grade fever
- a child having vomiting for more than 8 hours
- a child is vomiting containing blood in it
- Your child has abdominal pain
- Your child has weighed loss
- Your child has a headache
- Your child has not produced urine over 8 hours
How It Can Be Treated?
Treatment and management of nausea depend on the cause of nausea after eating.
People with GERD or heartburn may be required acid-blocking medication or antibiotics for the stomach bacteria, H. pylori.
People with a history of allergic or food poisoning should avoid certain foods.
In the case of bacterial infection, antibiotics are given to get rid of it.
In the case of a stomach virus, people should stay hydrated and avoid such food that causes nausea.
In the case of gall bladder disease, surgery is an ultimate option.
Prevention
Your daily food habits must be healthy to stay healthy and strong. Some tips are there that can help to prevent nausea after eating. They include
- Limited eating when you’re feeling nausea or vomiting
- Continuing to drink, when feeling nauseated
- Take the food that is easy to digest such as rice, bread or crackers
- Avoid milk or high fiber diet
- Do the walk of at least 15 minutes after each meal
- Try to add the ginger in your daily food habits.
- Take small, more frequent meals
- Avoid junk food
- Make sure the food you’re taking is clean and hygienic
HP Thoughts: You might suspect that you are experiencing an upset stomach or having colic leading you to expel what you ate. It could be something worse, though — Gastrointestinal Bleeding.
