Nausea After Eating Meal

Many a time your sumptuous meal turns into a bitter experience when you are hit by a nausea attack within a couple of minutes after the meal. This attack may culminate in vomiting or "throwing up", leaving you a distasteful experience of an otherwise pleasant food memoir.

The Facts
Nausea and stomach pain are signs that indicate something is amiss in your digestive system. After you chew and swallow food, it travels to your stomach, where it mixes with stomach juices before entering the small intestine. In the small intestine, food and drink mix with bile, break down and get absorbed into the intestinal wall to provide needed nutrients for your body. Gastrointestinal symptoms often first develop in the stomach or upper abdominal area, since that's where major food breakdown begins.

Causes
Nausea and stomach pain may arise from various health conditions, including indigestion, food poisoning, and viral gastroenteritis. Also called dyspepsia or upset stomach, indigestion is a common, short-term disorder that often occurs after eating too rapidly, overeating, or consuming a lot of fatty, spicy or greasy foods. Food poisoning develops when you consume germ-contaminated food or drink. Most cases of food poisoning occur due to bacteria-infected foods. Viral gastroenteritis causes inflammation of the lining of your stomach and intestines due to a viral infection.

Symptoms
Nausea and pain in the upper abdominal area may be the only symptoms you experience if indigestion is the culprit. Other symptoms that could also arise with a case of indigestion include a feeling of fullness before you actually eat a lot of your meal, a burning sensation in your stomach and bloating. Although nausea and stomach pain may be your initial symptoms, food poisoning and viral gastroenteritis typically go on to produce more serious symptoms, such as severe abdominal cramping, diarrhea and vomiting, as well as a fever and chills, depending upon the severity of the infection.

Considerations
You can prevent many cases of nausea and stomach pain by exercising, good eating habits and practicing proper hygiene. As a rule, avoid eating a lot of greasy, spicy food, especially before you go to bed. Limit your intake of caffeine, chocolate, alcohol and soda in case you are prone to disorders from these.

Prevention
Washing is a key preventative measure when dealing with contagious gastric illnesses. Wash foods thoroughly during meal preparation and always sanitize work surfaces, particularly if you're preparing meat products. Frequent, thorough hand washing can also help minimize your chances of developing severe gastrointestinal illnesses.

Warning
Nausea and stomach pain that lead to diarrhea or vomiting could cause severe dehydration, especially in babies, young children and elderly individuals. Avoid this potentially serious condition by monitoring your fluid intake. Stick with electrolyte fluids in order to best replace the salt and minerals leaving your body (Electral). Talk to your doctor if you have severe nausea and stomach pain that gradually worsens or doesn't go even away after 24 hours, as it could indicate a more serious health condition, such as gall stones or stomach cancer.