It may surprise you, after eating dinner, that you always develop pain in the right side of your neck. Pain in the neck after eating dinner is most likely the result of heartburn or may be a sign of gallbladder disease. Neck pain that develops after you eat is not actually in your neck, but rather in your abdomen or chest that is being reflected to your neck. If you develop right neck pain after eating dinner often, call your doctor for an appointment.
Heartburn
Heartburn is a painful, burning sensation that develops in your chest bone that can range from mild to severe. It may also leave a sour taste in the back of your throat and in your mouth. Despite the name of the condition, heartburn is not related to your heart but is given that name because the pain is felt in the general region of where your heart is located. Occasional heartburn is considered normal, but if you develop heartburn more than twice a week, you may have a more serious condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
Cause
You may experience right neck pain from heartburn after dinner because of the amount of food or the types of food you're eating. Common triggers for people who are prone to heartburn include over-eating, eating too fast, eating fried foods, high-fiber foods, acidic foods and foods that are spicy. MayoClinic.com states that it is common for the pain to be felt across your chest and into your neck shortly after eating a meal. Heartburn is the result of a malfunction of the sphincter muscle that separates the esophagus from the stomach.
Gallbladder Disease
Pain felt in the right shoulder, neck and chest are typical signs of gallbladder disease. Your gallbladder is a sac that is located by the liver that holds bile until your body needs it for digestion. Bile is used to help break down fat so that your body can absorb it and store it for energy. If the gallbladder becomes inflamed or develops gallstones, you're considered to have gallbladder disease. About 90 percent of people with gallbladder disease do not have any symptoms, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Gallbladder Attack
Most gallbladder attacks come on suddenly after eating and are caused by an infection of the gallbladder or by a gallstone becoming lodged in the duct of the gland. You may experience intense pain in your neck or right side of your chest, along with nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite. In some cases the only treatment for a gallbladder attack is to remove the gallbladder before the infection spreads.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Gallbladder disease
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse; Gallstones; July 2007
- MayoClinic.com; Heartburn; April 2011
- FamilyDoctor.org; Heartburn; November 1996
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse; Heartburn, Gastroesophageal Reflux (GER), and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD); May 2007
