Nausea after eating

Nausea is a very unpleasant symptom and it may occur due to numerous factors. It is commonly associated with vomiting even though these two problems may also occur separately.

Nausea after Eating: Causes

There is a variety of factors and medical conditions which can contribute to occurrence of nausea after eating. This is a symptom of almost all gastrointestinal diseases and it may also occur due to illnesses of some other organs. And finally, nausea can be also considered a physiological reaction (pregnancy).

The food we consume every day may be contaminated with many infective agents (viruses, bacteria and parasites). By consuming contaminated food one generally experiences nausea and additional symptoms and signs of food poisoning depending on the type of infective agent responsible for food contamination.

People who exercise know that it is not recommendable to perform any kind of physical activity (especially sports) immediately after a meal. Exercising, particularly if it is of high intensity and if it is performed vigorously and immediately right after eating, in almost all cases leads to nausea. One is due to wait for a while after eating to start practicing. This way the food will partially or totally leave the stomach and there will be no problems.

In pregnant women nausea after eating is considered a normal physiological reaction. Nausea (no matter if it occurs after eating or is not related to meals) is a common feature of the first trimester of a pregnancy and it generally withdraws once a woman enters the second trimester.

This type of nausea can be also a side effect of many medications. The most common drugs that cause nausea after eating (as well as nausea between meals and nausea nonrelated to meals) are chemotherapeutics. Furthermore, even patients who take anti-inflammatory medications may experience nausea after eating. And finally, nausea after eating can be a side effect of certain antibiotics.

Treatment of Nausea and Vomiting after Eating

It is essential to identify the underlying cause of nausea after eating and only then a patient can be prescribed appropriate treatment.

Patients suffering from food poisoning may be treated with several medications depending on the infective agent and complications of food poisoning (nausea, diarrhea, fever etc). Exercising and any kind of sports activities should be avoided right after meals. In case nausea after eating is associated with intake of certain medications these medications can be either replaced or a patient can be prescribed additional drug which will reduce the intensity of nausea. And finally, nausea in pregnancy may be alleviated with suitable diet. The only thing a pregnant woman can do is to wait for nausea to withdraw on its own.