Stomach pain and severe bloating after eating are two common symptoms of several digestive disorders. They require a physician's assessment for a clinical diagnosis, and may require emergency medical care if the symptoms worsen quickly or you experience debilitating pain. Some causes include irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, food intolerances or a food allergy.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a condition that is mostly defined by its symptoms. Most people develop abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, bloating and stomach cramping shortly after eating anything. You may notice that your symptoms may be triggered by certain foods. The cause of IBS is not fully understood, although it is widely believed that the condition is related to a break down in the way the brain communicates to the muscles in the colon, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. IBS does not cause any permanent damage to the digestive system, but it can cause symptoms that are difficulty to live with.
Crohn's Disease
Crohn's disease is condition that is commonly confused with IBS, but has very different implications. Unlike IBS, Crohn's disease can cause permanent damage to the digestive system. This condition also causes severe abdominal pain and severe bloating after eating because of inflammation that develops throughout the digestive tract. Crohn's causes chronic inflammation anywhere in the digestive system, from the top of the throat to the anus. While the causes are not fully understood, PubMed Health says Crohn's may be a hereditary illness related to the immune system.
Food Intolerance
A less serious chronic condition that could cause severe bloating and stomach pain is food intolerance. Food intolerance occurs when your digestive system cannot digest a certain protein or sugar found in certain foods, or if your body develops a chemical reaction to an ingredient in food. For example, if you're intolerant to lactose, your small intestines fail to produce the enzyme needed to digest the sugar in milk.
Food Allergy
A food allergy can also cause stomach pain and severe bloating, but it will also cause other distinctive symptoms in the body. A food allergy is not the same as food intolerance; a food allergy is a reaction of the immune system that affects the digestive system, but is not caused by the digestive tract. A food allergy may also cause hives, facial swelling, asthma, nasal congestion and skin irritation. In severe cases, emergency medical care may be required.
