Food intolerances can cause stomach pain, but it typically subsides within a few hours after consuming the food. Lightheadedness may be a sign of food intolerances, but is most likely related to a food allergy. Most food intolerant symptoms affect your digestive tract, not cardiovascular symptoms, such as an increased heart rate, dizziness or lightheadedness. Because chronic stomach pain and lightheadedness are very general symptom, you will need to talk with your doctor about a proper diagnosis. Food intolerances have no cure aside from eliminating problem foods.
Food Intolerances
Food intolerances categorized into separate types. The first type of food intolerance is the result of your digestive not being able to digest certain aspects of a food, such as a sugar or proteins. Common examples of this type of intolerance include lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance and fructose intolerance. The other type of intolerance is when a food additive causes an adverse chemical ruction in your body when it is consumed. Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, food coloring and preservatives are examples of this type of intolerance, according to the American College of Gastroenterology.
Chronic Stomach Pain
Chronic stomach pain will only be related to food intolerances if you continue to eat foods that trigger your symptoms or if the intolerance is causing damage to your digestive system. For example, if you're intolerant to gluten, eating foods that contain this protein will cause permanent damage to the lining of your intestines. If you continue to eat gluten and your condition goes untreated, you can develop chronic stomach pain. Take into consideration that your symptoms may not be related to food intolerance but rather a digestive disease, such as irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn's.
Lightheadedness
While some food intolerances, such as MSG intolerance, may cause lightheadedness and headaches to occur, most food intolerances do not trigger this symptom. Lightheadedness is more commonly associated with food allergies. An allergic reaction to a food will affect various parts of your body. With an allergy, you can develop asthma, skin irritation, dizziness, lightheadedness, facial swelling, nasal congestion and stomach pain within minute of eating a food allergen, according to MayoClinic.com.
Consideration
If your symptoms persist and get worse, call your doctor immediately. Chest pain, the inability to breathe and swelling in your lips or face are signs of a severe allergic reaction that could cause death. Keep a food journal that documents which foods trigger adverse reactions in your body.
