12 Reasons Why You Have Nausea After Eating

Those who have recovered may continue to spread the virus for up to 2 weeks , and people who are infected but are asymptomatic can also shed virus particles.

What Causes Nausea After Eating?

Any number of conditions can make you sick to your stomach after a meal. These might include causes from food poisoning to illness to pregnancy.

Many causes of nausea after eating are common and can resolve on their own or be managed effectively. But for some conditions, like bacterial infections or certain diseases, you may need help from a doctor to find relief.

A closer look at your other symptoms can help pinpoint what’s causing your nausea. Once the problem is identified, your doctor can help you find a treatment that will stop you from getting sick to your stomach. Then you can enjoy your meals free of nausea.

There are many conditions that can make you nauseated after eating. Whether it’s a one-time illness, a food intolerance, or a stomach condition, determining the cause can help you avoid potential triggers and discover what to do to start feeling better.

Food allergies and intolerances

Certain foods, like shellfish, nuts, or eggs, can fool your immune system into identifying them as harmful foreign invaders. If you have a food allergy, your immune system launches a series of events that leads to the release of histamine and other chemicals when you eat one of these trigger foods.

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These chemicals produce allergy symptoms, ranging from hives and mouth swelling to nausea. Other common food allergies include milk, wheat, soy, fish.

Food intolerances, unlike food allergies, are not life-threatening. But they can still cause uncomfortable symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, bloating, and other symptoms.

As much as 20 percent of the population may be affected by food intolerances. People commonly experience food sensitivities to dairy, gluten, food additives, and specific types of carbohydrates known as fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs).

Food poisoning

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , an estimated 1 in 6 Americans gets sick from food poisoning every year. The CDC says food poisoning can happen when:

• food is not heated to the necessary temperature
• the refrigerator is warmer than 40°F (4.4°C)
• cooking surfaces and hands are not cleaned prior to handling food
• when raw products like meat, seafood, poultry, and eggs come into contact with ready-to-eat foods.

Food poisoning symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea typically start within 30 minutes to a few hours after you’ve eaten contaminated food. But some types of food poisoning cause symptoms that appear days or weeks later.

Stomach virus

Norovirus, which is sometimes nicknamed the “stomach flu,” infects the intestines and triggers gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms like nausea and vomiting, as well as diarrhea. Symptoms usually start 12 to 48 hours after being exposed to the virus and typically last a few days.

This stomach bug is easy to both catch and spread. People can catch the virus through contact with virus particles in the vomit or feces of an infected person. For example, you can become infected by eating food prepared by someone with the virus or prepared on a contaminated surface.

Those who have recovered may continue to spread the virus for up to 2 weeks , and people who are infected but are asymptomatic can also shed virus particles.

You can also get this virus from food prepared with or sourced from contaminated water . This typically includes fruits, vegetables, and shellfish that are consumed raw, like oysters.

Pregnancy

One of the earliest physical signs that you’re pregnant is an uneasy, queasy feeling, which often starts during the second month of your pregnancy. Changing hormone levels trigger pregnancy nausea.

About 70 percent of pregnant women experience nausea. Though its official name is “morning sickness,” nausea can strike at any time of day, including mealtimes. Sometimes the smell or taste of certain foods is enough to make your stomach roll. The feeling is temporary, and it won’t harm you or your baby.

Less commonly, some pregnant people experience a more severe form of morning sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum. This condition causes frequent vomiting and can cause bodyweight loss, dehydration, and an imbalance in the nutrients your body needs.

If you experience extreme nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, talk with your doctor or obstetrician about options for treatment.

Acid reflux

A burning feeling behind your breastbone, known as heartburn, is the hallmark symptom of gastroesophageal disease (GERD), but this condition can cause nausea, too.

GERD happens when the muscular valve between your esophagus and stomach malfunctions, allowing stomach acid to leak up into your esophagus. This disease is common and affects about 20 percent of the adult population in the Western world.

You may also experience heartburn, indigestion, a feeling of fullness, or a sour taste in the back of your mouth, among other symptoms .

GERD may occur more frequently in individuals with hiatal hernia, a condition where a part of the stomach is pushed up into the chest cavity.

Anxiety and stress

Anxiety and stress don’t only take a toll on your emotions. They can affect your physical health, too — including your digestive system.

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America lists GI issues as a symptom of generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorders. Nausea can also be a symptom of social anxiety disorder and other phobias.

According to an older but well-cited 2009 review, some studies suggest a relationship may exist between gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and anxiety and depression.

The digestive tract and the brain are connected by nerves. This is known as the gut-brain connection. When you’re stressed, hormones and chemicals are released into the body, where, over time, they may enter the digestive tract and have a negative, inflammatory effect on your gut microbiome.

Cancer treatment

Some chemotherapy drugs cause nausea as a side effect. Nausea can occur with medications taken orally and those given through an IV.

Chemotherapy can also cause anticipatory nausea and vomiting, where an individual becomes nauseated in the presence of certain triggers. The chance of developing anticipatory nausea and vomiting can increase with the number of chemotherapy sessions you’ve experienced.

The risk for nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy can depend on the different drugs used in your treatment, in addition to other factors.

According to a 2017 review , people under the age of 50 and women also have a higher risk of becoming nauseated by chemotherapy drugs. Individuals with a history of motion sickness, low alcohol intake, and vomiting during pregnancy may also have a higher risk.

If nausea after chemotherapy is especially troublesome, talk with your doctor about your treatment options.

Gallbladder diseases

Your gallbladder is an organ that sits on the upper right side of your abdomen. It helps your body digest fats. Gallstones and other gallbladder diseases can affect your ability to digest fats. As a result, you’ll feel sick to your stomach, especially after you eat a rich, fatty meal.

If you have a gallstone, you may also feel pain as the gallstone moves through to the bile duct. This pain can range from dull to intense or involve periods of increasing pain.

Sometimes, a gallstone can temporarily block the bile duct, resulting in biliary colic. The pain tends to increase 2 hours following a meal but may also occur at other times. Nausea and vomiting can accompany pain in your abdomen.

Cholecystitis is an infection of the gallbladder that happens when the gallbladder becomes inflamed. It causes more severe symptoms, including nausea and vomiting along with abdominal pain, fever, chills, jaundice (the yellowing of the eyes and skin), and more. This condition requires immediate medical attention.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

IBS is a chronic disorder of the GI tract that involves disturbances in bowel habits and abdominal pain. Symptoms can include abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, and nausea. It’s the most commonly diagnosed GI condition. Nausea is a common complaint in people with IBS.

IBS is classified as one of three types :

• diarrhea-predominant (IBS-D)
• constipation-predominant (IBS-C)
• alternating both diarrhea and constipation (IBS-A)

Sometimes, it may be brought on by a viral infection. In this case, it’s considered post-infectious IBS.

According to a review of IBS research , diet modification and exercise may help relieve some of IBS symptoms. Medications may also help, and relaxation techniques, acupuncture, and cognitive-behavior therapy have been shown to be helpful for some patients.

Treatment plans for this condition depend on the individual’s specific symptoms.

Motion sickness

Some people are especially sensitive to motion sickness. If you’re among them, the motion of a moving vehicle can make you feel sick. Eating before or after your ride can make your nausea even worse.

Motion sickness is caused by motion you haven’t adapted to. This means the signals your brain receives about your body movement and the environment around you may be in conflict. Sometimes, feelings of motion sickness can persist even after you’ve stopped moving.

You may also develop motion sickness from perceived motion while you’re standing or sitting still. This can occur if you view something in motion or take part in a virtual reality experience.

Nausea caused by motion sickness typically resolves after the triggering motion stops or within 24 hours .

Having nausea once in a while after you eat isn’t cause for alarm, but you should call a doctor if it doesn’t go away within a week. Call right away if you have any of these other more serious symptoms:

• blood in your vomit or stool — it may appear bright red but can also look like black stools or coffee grounds in vomit
• chest pain
• confusion
• diarrhea that lasts for more than a few days
• extreme thirst, little urine production, weakness, or dizziness, which are signs of dehydration
• fever of over 101.5°F (38.6°C)
• intense pain in the abdomen
• rapid heartbeat
• severe vomiting or trouble keeping food down
• jaundice or yellowing in the eyes or skin

In children under age 6, call their pediatrician if:

• vomiting lasts for more than a few hours
• you notice signs of dehydration, like few or no wet diapers, no tears, or sunken cheeks
• your child is running a fever higher than 100°F (37.8°C)
• diarrhea doesn’t go away

In children over age 6, call your child’s pediatrician if:

• vomiting or diarrhea lasts for more than a day
• you notice signs of dehydration, like your child isn’t urinating or producing tears or they have sunken cheeks
• your child is running a fever of over 102°F (38.9°C)
• your child has very low energy

Look for these other symptoms, which can help pinpoint the cause of your nausea:

Possible cause	Additional symptoms
Food allergy	hives, itching, swelling of the mouth or throat, trouble breathing, wheezing, stomach pain, diarrhea, and vomiting
Food poisoning or stomach virus	vomiting, watery diarrhea, cramps, and low fever
Gallbladder disease	pain in the upper right abdomen; vomiting, especially after eating
Acid reflux and GERD	a burning feeling in your chest, burping up a sour liquid, the feeling that something is in your chest, and coughing
IBS	cramping pain in the abdomen, diarrhea, and constipation
Motion sickness	vomiting, dizziness, cold sweat, and an uneasy feeling
Pregnancy	tender and swollen breasts, missed period, and fatigue
Stress or anxiety	muscle aches, fatigue, loss of sex drive, sleep problems, sadness, and irritability

Your doctor will ask you to describe your symptoms, including when you feel nauseated, how long the feeling lasts, and what seems to trigger it.

Consider keeping a food diary if you commonly experience nausea after eating and aren’t sure of the cause.

In addition to what you ate, note the symptoms you experienced, how long they lasted, and how soon after eating they started. Keeping a diary of what you eat and how you feel afterward can help your doctor make a diagnosis.

Depending on what condition your doctor suspects, you might need tests, like:

• blood or urine tests
• a skin test to see if you have food allergies
• upper endoscopy to see whether your esophagus is swollen, which is a sign of GERD
• CT, X-ray, or ultrasound scans to check your organs for signs of disease
• colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, or upper or lower GI series to look for problems in your GI tract

The cause of your nausea will determine how you treat it.

Cause	Treatment
Cancer treatment	Take the anti-nausea medication your doctor prescribes. Eat smaller meals made up of bland foods, like clear broth, chicken, or oatmeal. You can also consider acupuncture.
Food allergy or sensitivity	Avoid the food that triggers your symptoms and read ingredient lists carefully to avoid reactions.
Gallbladder diseases	Take medication to dissolve gallstones or have surgery to remove your gallbladder, known as a cholecystectomy.
GERD or heartburn	Avoid spicy and fatty foods, lose weight, and take antacids or other medications to reduce excess stomach acid.
IBS	Avoid foods that bother your stomach.
Motion sickness	When you travel, sit in a location where you’ll feel the least amount of movement, like near the front of a train or over a wing in an airplane, and wear a motion sickness wristband or patch.
Pregnancy nausea	Eat bland foods, like crackers, toast, and pasta. Ginger capsules may also help nausea.
Stomach virus or food poisoning	Eat bland foods, suck on ice chips, and rest for a few days until you get over the infection.
Stress or anxiety	Talk with a therapist and try relaxation techniques, like meditation and yoga.

Try these tips to avoid feeling sick after you eat:

• Suck on ice cubes or crushed ice.
• Avoid greasy, fried, or spicy foods.
• Eat mainly bland foods, like crackers or toast.
• Eat smaller meals more frequently, instead of three large meals that are spaced out.
• Relax and sit still after you eat to give your food time to digest.
• Eat and drink slowly.
• Serve foods cold or at room temperature if the smell of cooked food makes you feel queasy.

Your outlook will depend on what’s causing your nausea and how you treat it. Usually, nausea after you eat will get better once you address the source of the problem.

Last medically reviewed on December 9, 2021

12 Reasons Why You Have Nausea After Eating

No one likes feeling sick to their stomach, especially when you just finished a really good meal. But if you’re feeling nauseated within minutes or hours after eating, there may be something going on underneath the surface.

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Gastroenterologist Christine Lee, MD, helps us nail down some of the reasons behind why nausea happens after eating and what you can do to ease your symptoms.

Why you might have nausea after eating

There are many situations that trigger nausea, and this can make it difficult to figure out its exact cause. Some common causes could be related to stress, food allergies, food poisoning, unwanted side effects from medications, taking too many supplements or vitamins, or pregnancy, to name just a few. Gallbladder, liver or pancreatic disease, or diabetes and thyroid disorders can also contribute to feeling sick after chowing down on your favorite foods.

Dr. Lee offers 12 reasons you may be feeling nauseated.

1. Viral or bacterial infection

Ever heard of someone catching a stomach bug? This is just that: If you’ve caught a viral or bacterial infection, your whole body is going to go through it. You might experience nausea right after eating, generally lasting 24 to 48 hours, but you may likely experience a whole slew of other symptoms, too, like fever, muscle aches and joint pain.

“It generally affects your whole body,” says Dr. Lee. “This comes on quick and it usually goes away on its own.”

2. Food poisoning

You can have a physical reaction to eating rotten food. This can happen if you leave food (like meat or dairy products) out for too long, or your food has been mishandled or contaminated by whoever’s preparing the food. Food poisoning sets on suddenly. Luckily, nausea from food poisoning resolves on its own, as well.

“Vomiting or having diarrhea is not always a bad thing in some situations,” says Dr. Lee. “It’s your body’s way of getting rid of the offending agents like an infection, toxins and other things before they’re absorbed.”

3. Food allergies

Food allergies affect everyone differently. In most cases, the first time you experience a food allergy, you may have mild symptoms. Every encounter after that can escalate much faster and cause a more intense reaction. Some examples of allergic reaction symptoms include breaking out in a rash or hives, feeling cold and clammy, a drop in blood pressure, increased heart rate and swelling of your eyes and throat in addition to nausea (or you might not feel nauseated at all).

4. Stress and anxiety

Your body can have physical reactions to stress and anxiety even if it’s been simmering for days on end. The reason you may experience physical symptoms like nausea is that your brain’s “fight or flight” response kicks in, dumping a ton of hormones into your bloodstream that forces your body to react. And everyone has varying levels of this threshold.

“Let’s say two people are watching a movie. One person enjoys horror movies but the other person is terrified,” says Dr. Lee. “The stress hormones that are activated are different between the two people. One can experience increased heart rate or other physical changes like nausea while the other is simply enjoying the movie.”

5. Acid reflux

You can get heartburn shortly after eating, especially when you’ve been eating spicy foods or a greasy or heavy meal. This burning sensation in your upper chest and throat can also sometimes cause nausea.

Acid reflux happens because there’s a large amount of stomach acid that gets splashed back up into your esophagus (throat) and it lingers there. For many, it’s normal and not a sign of anything clinically wrong. Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, is when your esophagus is harmed from excessive exposure to stomach acid resulting in chronic irritation, inflammation, ulcers and more.

6. Irritable bowel syndrome

Sometimes, your intestines just don’t move the way they need to. If you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you may have issues moving stool through your intestines. It may move too fast or slow even though your colon is structurally normal.

“If your irritable bowel syndrome is acting up and you have stool stored in your colon, then your nausea can get worse because what doesn’t go down will eventually come up,” explains Dr. Lee.

One way to identify if you have IBS is to ask yourself where the pain is coming from. If you reach for your chest or throat, you may have acid reflux. But if you reach for your belly button, your bowels may be the issue.

7. Overeating

“Your stomach can only hold so much,” says Dr. Lee. “Once your stomach is full and food is still sitting there and you continue to eat, you’re going to feel nausea.”

Overeating can occur when “eating while bored.” Instead of eating when you’re hungry, you tend to reach for snacks and other things out of habit, out of boredom or while multitasking.

“There’s so much distraction when we live busy lifestyles, so more and more people are grabbing things on the go and we’re not able to discern what we’re eating, when we’re eating or how much we’re eating,” notes Dr. Lee.

You can avoid this by trying to stick to a routine and setting aside time to have regular meals whenever possible. It’s also helpful to plate your food (vs. eating directly out of a bag or box) to maintain portion control.

8. Medications

Some medications like neurological medications, anti-seizure medications, diabetes medications and mood-altering medications can affect your appetite and eventually lead to nausea. Other common medications that cause nausea are opioid-based narcotics and other pain medications.

9. Diabetes

Having too high or too low blood sugar can cause nausea, as well. But if you’ve had a long history of diabetes, even if it’s well-controlled, you can also develop what’s called diabetes-related gastroparesis (previously referred to as diabetic gastroparesis). This means your stomach doesn’t operate and move the way it should, and digesting food can be a slow process.

10. Gall bladder disease

You can thank your gall bladder for the ability to eat all those greasy foods you love. The bile created by your liver is stored in your gall bladder. Your gall bladder then releases that bile to break down fatty foods. When you have gall bladder disease, this important process can be disrupted and lead to nausea and other symptoms.

If you have gall bladder disease, you might experience nausea 15 to 20 minutes after eating, and it’s generally accompanied by abdominal pain, diarrhea, changes in stool (poop) color and sometimes unexplained weight loss.

11. Pancreatitis

This condition can happen as a result of gallstones, alcohol use, autoimmune disorders and other reasons. Your pancreas goes to work creating enzymes to break down food every time you’re eating, but if your pancreas is inflamed or damaged, it might not create enough enzymes to get the job done.

“Disorders of the pancreas can result in abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea and unexplainable weight loss,” says Dr. Lee.

12. Chronic mesenteric ischemia

Also known as intestinal ischemic syndrome, this condition is caused when blood flow to your digestive organs is compromised. This can be caused by a buildup of plaque in your arteries or from hardening of your arteries, as well as prolonged low blood pressure, arterial inflammation and more.

Those who are more at risk for this condition include people who are older who have a smoking history, high cholesterol or other vascular disorders like coronary artery disease or peripheral vascular disease, to name a few.

How do you stop nausea after eating?

Nibbling on saltine crackers, small amounts of ginger and resting up — these are all things Dr. Lee calls conservative management. You shouldn’t try treating yourself or doing too much, but if you’re not feeling well, there are some small things you can do to ease the “sick” feeling of nausea.

The most important thing you can do is keep yourself hydrated and get rest. Plus, you should monitor when you’re feeling nauseated, what brought it on, how long it lasts and what made it feel better. This is all important information that can help your doctor determine a diagnosis.

“If it keeps coming back or fails to improve or resolve on its own, it’s not normal and you should get it checked out,” advises Dr. Lee.

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What to know about nausea after eating

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Many people will experience feelings of nausea after eating too much food in one sitting. However, feeling nauseated after eating on a regular basis can be related to a variety of conditions.

The conditions that cause nausea after eating range from mild to severe. This article will outline what these disorders are, how to tell what is causing the nausea, and how to avoid or treat it

The digestive system refers to a collection of organs that work together to break down food and drink. They digest what is consumed, turning nutrients into energy that the body can use for functioning or store for later use.

The digestion process begins in the mouth, where food is broken down so that it can be swallowed. Food then travels down the food pipe (esophagus) towards the stomach and intestines.

The digestive juices in the stomach and intestines break down the food for the final time and extract the nutrients. The waste passes into the large intestine for excretion through the anus.

Any problems during this digestive process can cause nausea after eating.

Symptoms will often develop in the stomach or upper abdominal area, where the large-scale breakdown of food begins.

Sometimes the body reacts to these problems by forcibly emptying the stomach, usually through vomiting. The problem can sometimes be identified by the color of the vomit. For example, a bright yellow or dark green color may indicate a problem in the small intestine.

Causes of how nausea develops after eating include:

Hormonal

Hormonal changes often occur during pregnancy, which induce feelings of nausea at any time of day, frequently in the morning.

Some pregnant women will experience nausea before eating a meal. Others will feel nauseated immediately after eating. Sometimes this continues throughout the day.

Feelings of nausea will typically start during the second month of pregnancy. Nausea during pregnancy is not harmful to either the baby or mother and will usually resolve by the fourth month of pregnancy.

Elevated hormone levels in pregnancy can cause changes to the digestive system and the body, which means food spends longer in the stomach and small intestine. It is possible that this may also contribute to nausea after eating in pregnancy.

The hormones of pregnancy can relax the connection between the esophagus and stomach, causing an increase in acid reflux, which can contribute to nausea. A heightened sense of smell during pregnancy can also make nausea worse.

Infection

Food can become contaminated through not being cooked thoroughly or stored incorrectly. Consuming contaminated food can cause food poisoning.

Bacteria (or in some cases, viruses) are usually the cause of contamination. Either can induce feelings of nausea within hours of eating.

Viral infections of the digestive tract, such as “stomach flu,” can also cause nausea after eating.

People can get these viruses from:

• close contact with another person infected with the virus
• eating contaminated food and drinking water

These viruses are highly contagious and cause inflammation to the stomach and intestines. They can lead to:

• fever
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• abdominal pain and cramps

Food intolerances or allergies

Some people have an intolerance to certain foods, which means that the body has difficulty digesting them.

Share on Pinterest Some food intolerances can cause a person to feel nauseated after eating.

Food intolerances do not involve the immune system but can cause nausea hours after the food is eaten. Common sources of food intolerances include:

• foods that contain lactose, such as dairy products
• gluten, such as most grains
• foods that cause intestinal gas, such as beans or cabbage

Food allergies occur when the body mistakenly identifies proteins found in certain foods to be a threat, triggering an immune system response.

Nausea caused by a food allergy can occur seconds or minutes after eating. It is often accompanied by a host of other symptoms, such as swelling to the face or lip and difficulties breathing or swallowing. These types of reactions are emergencies and require immediate medical attention.

Gastrointestinal problems

Nausea after eating and other gastrointestinal problems may occur when an organ within the digestive system stops functioning properly.

For example, gastroesophageal disease (GERD) occurs when the ring of muscle between the esophagus and stomach malfunctions, causing stomach acid to enter the esophagus.

GERD causes a burning sensation throughout the esophagus known as heartburn and may be a cause of nausea after eating.

The gallbladder is responsible for releasing bile to aid in digesting fats. Gallbladder diseases impair the proper digestion of fats and can cause nausea after eating meals high in fat.

The pancreas releases proteins and hormones necessary for digestion. If this organ becomes inflamed or injured, known as pancreatitis, nausea often occurs along with other intestinal symptoms and pain.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic condition that can cause bloating and increased gas. In some people, this can also lead to nausea after eating.

Vascular

Nausea after eating could also be a sign of arteries in the intestines narrowing. This narrowing of blood vessels restricts blood flow. Nausea after eating can be accompanied by intense stomach pains and may indicate a condition known as chronic mesenteric ischemia. This condition can suddenly worsen and become life-threatening.

Headache syndromes

Migraines can also cause nausea after eating, which can be accompanied by intense stomach pain, vomiting, and dizziness.

Cardiac

In some cases, nausea after eating can be a warning sign of a heart attack.

Psychiatric or psychological

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the most common eating disorders characterized by abnormal eating habits.

Anorexia nervosa can cause nausea due to excess stomach acid or starvation. Bulimia nervosa can cause nausea after eating from a compulsion to vomit any food consumed.

Anxiety, depression, or intense stress can also result in a loss of appetite and nausea after eating.

Motion sickness

Some people are highly sensitive to particular movements or motion, which can make them feel nauseated. Eating food before or after experiencing motion can intensify nausea in individuals with motion sickness.

Medications

Nausea is a common side effect of several medications including antibiotics, pain relief drugs, or chemotherapy drugs. Nausea should subside once the treatment is completed or stopped.

Other symptoms, which cause nausea after eating that indicate an underlying condition:

Condition	Additional symptoms
Food poisoning	vomiting diarrhea stomach pain fatigue loss of appetite fever aches
Stomach flu	vomiting diarrhea head and muscle aches fever loss of appetite weight loss
Food intolerance	vomiting diarrhea stomach pain cramps bloating or gas heartburn
Food allergy	vomiting diarrhea stomach pain skin rashes swelling – typically on the face or throat dizziness shortness of breath hay fever-like symptoms, such as sneezing
GERD	heartburn sore throat bad breath bloating or gas difficulty swallowing chronic cough
Gallbladder disease	vomiting diarrhea fever pain, typically in upper-right abdomen jaundice pale stools
Irritable bowel syndrome	diarrhea constipation stomach pain
Mesenteric ischemia	vomiting diarrhea fever bloating or gas stomach pain
Acute pancreatitis	pain in upper left or middle of the abdomen, often through to the back vomiting fever abdominal pain after eating

Typically, nausea after eating is not related to a serious condition. If it continues for more than 5 days or if some of the symptoms mentioned above occur together, people should contact a doctor to rule out an underlying condition.

Children who experience nausea after eating may need more attention. Contact a doctor if:

Share on Pinterest A nauseated child may also exhibit other symptoms that require medical attention.

• a child under 6 months old is vomiting
• a child over 6 months old is
• vomiting and has a fever over 101.4°F
• a child has been vomiting for more than 8 hours
• a child vomiting blood
• a child has not produced urine over 8 hours
• a child is abnormally sleepy
• a child has had abdominal pain for 2 hours
• a child has a headache

Diagnosis

The causes of nausea are wide ranging. But recording exact times of nausea and food consumed can help a doctor make a diagnosis.

Depending on the suspected cause, getting a full diagnosis could involve:

• blood or urine tests
• skin tests
• swallowing tests
• a colonoscopy or upper endoscopy
• a CT scan or MRI of the abdomen

Treatment and outlook will depend on the diagnosis and can vary greatly. For example, people with GERD or heartburn may need treatment with acid blocking medication or antibiotics for the stomach bacteria, H. pylori.

People with a history of allergic or intolerant reactions should avoid certain foods. In the case of a stomach virus, people should stay well hydrated and eat bland foods once nausea decreases. More severe conditions, such as gallbladder disease, may require surgery.

Prevention

Some tips that can help to prevent nausea after eating include:

• sticking to easy to digest foods, such as crackers, white rice, or dry toast. Browse cracker products online.
• limiting eating when nauseated while continuing to drink
• ginger may help. Various ginger products are available to purchase online, including ginger ale, ginger gum, or ginger candy
• avoiding milk or high-fiber foods
• trying chewing gum or sucking mints. Different brands are available to buy online.
• drinking liquids regularly but in small quantities until nausea improves
• eating smaller, more frequent meals

Last medically reviewed on January 27, 2020

• Food Intolerance
• Acid Reflux / GERD
• GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology
• Nutrition / Diet

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