Abdominal cramps, or tight pain, after eating may indicate a variety of conditions. If your pain persists, worsens or becomes severe, seek medical attention promptly. If not, discuss your symptoms with your doctor for best results.
Gas in the Digestive Tract
Though gas is a normal part of healthy body function, it causes pain for some people. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), swallowing air while eating and the breaking down of food contributes to gas, which usually alleviates via belching or flatulence, which is typically odorless. Those who experience pain in response to digesting food may confuse it with heart disease if it occurs on the left side of the body or as symptoms of gallstones or appendicitis if it occurs on the right side.
If you experience pain after eating, try slowing down while you eat and avoiding foods most likely to cause gas, such as spicy foods. If you've recently added fiber to a low-fiber diet, you may experience pain while your body adjusts. In this case, increase fiber-rich foods gradually to lessen symptoms.
Gastric Ulcers
Ulcers are open sores or lesions that usually appear on the skin or mucous membrane areas of the body. Gastric ulcers, also known as stomach ulcers, occur in or surround the stomach. According to UMMC, the most common symptom of a gastric ulcer is burning pain in the abdomen, which may occur between or following meals. Pain from ulcers may last for a few minutes or up to several hours. Since dietary lifestyle is a contributing factor toward developing ulcers, a healthy, balanced diet may help prevent or relieve ulcers. However, ulcers are also commonly associated with bacterial infection.
Ulcers are typically treated through dietary lifestyle changes, medications, antibiotics or, in severe cases, surgery. The sooner your ulcer is diagnosed and treated, the better as they tend to worsen or recur over time.
Chron's Disease
Crohn's disease is an inflammatory disease of the bowels that causes inflammation of the lining of your digestive tract, which may results in abdominal cramping, diarrhea and malnutrition. According to the Mayo Clinic, abdominal cramps associated with Crohn's disease are caused by inflammation and ulcers that cause your bowels to swell and thicken. Since the digestive tract is inflamed, eating, particularly of fatty foods, can cause immediate pain. In severe cases the pain may lead to nausea and vomiting.
Smoking, genetic history of Chron's disease and age (the disease is most common in adults in their twenties and thirties) are risk factors for Chron's disease. Effective treatment plans are available for Chron's disease.
