If you get diarrhea and nausea after eating certain food, you should be evaluated by your doctor. The most common causes of diarrhea and nausea after eating certain foods are food intolerances or a food allergy. If you develop diarrhea and nausea after eating every meal, you may have a more severe gastric condition. Excessive diarrhea and vomiting can lead to dehydration. Keep your doctor informed of any symptoms you develop.
Consideration
The University of Maryland Medical Center says that more than 25 percent of the people in the United States believe they're allergic to a specific food but are actually intolerant. Food intolerance is more common than food allergies but is easily mistaken because of similar symptoms between the two conditions. Because diagnosing between the two conditions may be difficult, your doctor may recommend testing.
Food Intolerance
Food intolerance is a defect of the digestive system. When you eat foods, your small intestines secrete certain enzymes to break down the complex proteins and sugars found in the foods. If your body lacks a particular enzyme, such as lactase, you develop common food intolerance symptoms and are considered lactose intolerant, according to the American College of Gastroenterology. Common symptoms include gas, bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. You can be intolerant to virtually any food.
Food Allergy
A food allergy is different from food intolerance because it's a malfunction of the immune system, according to MayoClinic.com. During a food allergy, your immune system overreacts to certain proteins found in various foods, causing the production of histamine. This leads to inflammation and common food allergy symptoms. The most common foods that cause an allergic reaction include: wheat, soy, tree nuts, milk, peanuts, eggs and seafood. A food allergy causes more symptoms to develop aside from just diarrhea and nausea, such as hives, asthma or nasal congestion.
Elimination Diet
If you suspect that certain foods are causing vomiting and diarrhea, you may want to discuss the option of implementing an elimination diet with your doctor. The intention of an elimination diet is to identify the foods that cause adverse reactions. An elimination diet is not intended to diagnose a condition. AskDrSears.com says you should discuss with your doctor which foods to eliminate. Remove those foods from your diet completely for up to two weeks. Slowly introduce each food, one at a time, and observe how your body reacts. Document your findings and discuss them with your physician.
