Ice cream is a pleasure food that you might decide to avoid if you develop symptoms that are associated with gastritis. Gastritis is inflammation of the stomach lining, usually resulting from a bacterial infection, although frequent use of pain relievers or drinking too much alcohol can also cause it. Symptoms include gnawing or burning pain in the upper abdomen, nausea and vomiting. Eating ice cream should not cause any adverse reactions in healthy adults. If you develop indigestion after eating ice cream, consult your doctor. Digestive conditions that cause pain or discomfort include milk allergy, food poisoning, lactose intolerance and inflammatory bowel diseases.
Milk Allergy
The most common cause of symptoms after eating ice cream is a milk allergy. Milk is a difficult food to avoid because it is widely used in many foods, such as cheese, custard, butter, creamer, cookies, pasta, cream sauces and salad dressing. Symptoms occur minutes to hours after consuming a milk product and range from mild to severe. They can include wheezing, vomiting, hives and digestive problems such as diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and cramps, according to MayoClinic.com. Some reactions are life-threatening, so if your symptoms are severe or your throat swells and you have difficulty breathing, you need to go to the emergency room immediately.
Food Poisoning
Food poisoning occurs when you ingest food that is contaminated with an infectious organism. Food poisoning is very unlikely with ice cream because microorganisms cannot live below freezing temperatures. However, ice cream could become contaminated if you use an infected utensil or an unwashed, infected bowl to serve it in. Symptoms may develop as soon as four hours after eating but may take up to 36 hours before you begin to vomit, have diarrhea and severe stomach pain. If you think you have food poisoning, call your doctor immediately.
Lactose Intolerance
Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest the sugar in milk. Common symptoms include gas, bloating, diarrhea, nausea and cramping, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Symptoms related to lactose intolerance are the result of undigested sugar entering the colon, where it interacts with bacteria. You may be able to eat ice cream without developing symptoms if you take lactase, an enzyme supplement, when you eat it or other dairy products.
Consideration
If you notice severe indigestion or abdominal pain every time you eat ice cream and other foods that are high in fat or milk, you may have an inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn’s. Inflammatory bowel diseases cause chronic inflammation throughout the digestive system that can be aggravated by many foods, including dairy products. Crohn's disease is a serious condition that requires a doctor's care.
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