What Causes An Upset Stomach After Eating?

Many people eat when they’re short on time, causing them to race through meals. Eating quickly tends to have three effects, all of which can contribute to stomach upset. [1]

• Neglectful chewing – Digestion starts in the mouth when the teeth help pulverize food before it reaches the stomach. When you don’t chew adequately, your stomach has to work harder to break down and digest food, which can lead to digestive distress.
• Swallowing more air – Wolfing down a meal often means taking in more air along with food. As a result, you may experience increased bloating and gas that can be uncomfortable or even painful.
• Eating too much – The stomach and brain are in close communication to help keep your digestive system in balance. When you speed through meals, your stomach doesn’t have sufficient time to signal to the brain that it’s full, which can often lead to overeating.

Sometimes, soothing stomach upset is a simple matter of slowing down at mealtimes. Try setting aside at least 30 minutes to eat slowly and mindfully, focusing solely on your food. If possible, consider reserving a few minutes after eating to allow your body time to digest.

Certain foods tend to be more burdensome to the stomach than others, causing them to generate more stomach acid than usual. These foods can include: [2]

• Greasy or fatty foods
• Heavily spiced foods
• Fast food or highly processed foods

Many common beverages can also be taxing on the stomach and other areas of the digestive system. [2] For instance, coffee (and other caffeinated beverages) and alcohol are frequently linked to acid reflux symptoms like heartburn or a burning sensation in the stomach, since they tend to relax the stomach sphincter, allowing acids to travel into the esophagus. [3]

Foods and drinks like these can be especially irritating if you already have an existing digestive condition, such as gastritis. [4] If you think any of these foods are contributing to your discomfort, try reducing or eliminating them temporarily to see how you feel after meals.

You might also consider reaching out to a healthcare provider to screen for digestive conditions, which can help you better identify which foods may be irritating your stomach.

Stomach upset can often be one of the first clues to a food allergy or sensitivity. For instance, celiac disease, or the inability to digest gluten, commonly causes stomach upset.

If your digestive upset comes with any of the following symptoms, you may be more likely to have a food allergy: [5]

• A feeling of lightheadedness, weakness, or dizziness
• Swelling around the mouth, tongue, or throat
• Tingling or itching near the mouth
• Congestion
• Difficulty breathing or constriction of the throat
• Skin rashes, eczema, or hives

If you think you may have a food allergy or sensitivity, taking a Food Sensitivity Test can help you screen for possible allergens in your diet. Depending on your results, eliminating exposure to foods your immune system reacts to may help resolve your stomach issues.

Stress or anxiety is characterized by major changes in the nervous system, which can directly impact the digestive system. For instance, emotional stress may encourage the stomach to produce more acid, aggravating symptoms in people with acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). [6,7]

If you think anxiety might be exacerbating stomach upset, incorporating mindfulness practices before, during, and after eating may help provide symptom relief. When anxiety persistently affects your physical quality of life, however, it may be best to reach out to a mental healthcare professional to explore longer-term options for supporting both your mental and physical well-being.

Chronic digestive conditions are very common among Americans, affecting up to 70 million people in the United States. [8] Though it’s not always clear why they develop, many involve inflammation in various regions of the digestive system. Chronic inflammation can often contribute to stomach upset after meals.

A few well-known gastrointestinal (GI) conditions include:

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) – IBS is a prevalent digestive disorder that often comes with stomach pain, bloating, and bowel movement disturbances, such as constipation. [9] Causes can vary significantly between individuals, but common contributors may include anxiety, genetics, or immune dysfunction. [9]
• Gastritis – Rather than being a single health condition, gastritis is a clinical term used to describe inflammation of the stomach lining. The term refers to a group of digestive conditions—both acute and chronic—that can often result in severe stomach pain. [10]

While occasional gastritis is fairly common, frequent gastritis is important to address. If left untreated, some people may develop stomach ulcers or increase their risk of stomach cancer. [10]

Many people don’t immediately associate hormone disorders with digestive distress, but hormones are closely involved in digestive health.

For instance, two endocrine-related disorders can sometimes arise alongside abdominal pain after meals: [11]

• Thyroid disorders – A growing body of research suggests an intimate feedback loop between nutrition, digestion, and thyroid health known as the nutrient–GI–thyroid axis. [12] If you’re living with a GI condition like gastritis or IBS, you may be more likely to have or develop thyroid dysfunction, such as hypothyroidism. [12]
• Diabetes – Many people with diabetes have gastroparesis, a condition that can be caused by nerve damage resulting from high blood sugar levels over time. [13] Diabetes that presents with gastroparesis can cause feelings of early fullness, bloating, or stomach pain even after eating a small portion of food. [13]

Thyroid conditions and diabetes both require a long-term management plan in close cooperation with a healthcare provider. If you’re concerned about your endocrine health, an at-home hormone test may help you determine whether you should reach out to a healthcare provider for further evaluation and treatment.

Usually, the cause of stomach upset after eating is relatively benign. But if stomach pain is persistent or worsens over time, it’s important to reach out to a healthcare provider. How long does indigestion last, exactly? It can vary, but frequent digestive pain is a known symptom of several structural or underlying digestive conditions, including: [11]

• Stomach ulcers
• Celiac disease
• Pancreatitis
• Blockage in the intestines

Likewise, acute symptoms that accompany abdominal pain after eating shouldn’t be ignored. If you experience any of the following, reach out to a healthcare provider immediately: [11,14]

• Vomiting or vomiting blood
• Bloody or black stool
• Weight loss or loss of appetite
• Difficulty swallowing

When indigestion symptoms are mild or infrequent, several home remedies may help ease your discomfort, including: [11]

• Relaxing before having a meal – Anxiety can be very disruptive to the body, so making an effort to relax before mealtimes may significantly improve digestive discomfort. Whether you dedicate five minutes to deep breathing exercises or talk to a loved one before eating, grounding yourself can help encourage your stomach to settle during and after meals.
• Getting to know your food triggers – You might try jotting down what and when you eat to better identify foods or eating habits that could be contributing to discomfort. For a more concrete understanding of possible triggers, food allergy testing or food sensitivity testing may help identify ingredients that may not sit well with your stomach.
• Eating smaller portions – To avoid overwhelming your stomach, try breaking meals into smaller portions eaten more frequently throughout the day.
• Trying peppermint tea – Certain herbs, such as peppermint and chamomile, may have stomach-soothing properties for some people. You might try drinking these before or after a meal to help support digestion.

In other cases, you may benefit from more comprehensive lifestyle interventions. For instance:

• Auditing your medications – If you’re taking a medication that irritates your stomach for a preexisting health condition, consider speaking with a healthcare provider about whether a less irritating alternative may be available.
• Prioritizing weight management – Many people who carry excess weight struggle with frequent indigestion. If applicable, modifying your diet and lifestyle may help support healthy weight management and reduce digestive discomfort.

If you discover your indigestion is caused by a food reaction, thyroid disorder, or another health condition, it’s important to work closely with a healthcare provider to address the root cause of your stomach discomfort.

When you’re confronting symptoms that are difficult to trace, testing can be a transformative strategy for understanding what may be going on with your health. At-home test kits from Everlywell can help you determine whether food sensitivities, thyroid conditions, or other health concerns could be contributing to your digestive distress.

Each Everlywell at-home test is processed through CLIA-certified labs and physician-reviewed to help ensure you receive trustworthy, clinical-grade results.

Start getting a clearer picture of your health and well-being by exploring Everlywell’s complete range of at-home test kits today.