Why Do I Feel Nauseous and Want to Vomit After Eating, With Poor Digestion?
During festivals or gatherings with friends, delicious food is always present. Sometimes, some people tend to overeat, leading to symptoms such as abdominal bloating or nausea. These are commonly caused by indigestion. Generally, eating sour foods can help alleviate these symptoms and aid digestion. However, if nausea and vomiting occur frequently, it is advisable to consult a doctor as it could be a sign of insufficient gastric motility. Symptoms like early satiety and bloating can interfere with normal eating habits and nutrient absorption. Furthermore, delayed gastric emptying can prolong food retention in the stomach, increasing gastric acid secretion, potentially leading to mucosal damage and, over time, gastritis. Gastritis can further exacerbate gastric motility issues, creating a vicious cycle.
There are several factors that can contribute to poor gastric motility:
- Gastric secretory dysfunction: The stomach wall contains two types of secretory cells - one that secretes digestive enzymes and the other that secretes gastric acid. When the function of these cells decreases, both digestive enzymes and gastric acid secretion are reduced, which can reflexively inhibit the contraction and motility of the stomach muscles, resulting in gastric motility disorders.
- Mental and emotional factors: Stress and emotional distress can disrupt gastric electrical activity, affecting the sympathetic nervous system and causing slow gastric muscle contraction. This can lead to food and gas retention in the stomach, causing symptoms such as bloating, belching, and nausea.
- Functional dyspepsia: Slow gastric emptying can lead to a series of symptoms known as "functional dyspepsia". When the proximal stomach's ability to accommodate and store food decreases, it cannot relax normally after eating, leading to a sensation of fullness. This is often accompanied by symptoms such as belching, bloating, and even nausea and vomiting.
- Improper eating habits: Consuming excessive amounts of certain foods like radishes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and chestnuts can overload the stomach, leading to insufficient muscle contraction and delayed gastric emptying. Overeating and eating excessive amounts of food can also lead to gastric motility issues.
- Unhealthy lifestyle habits: Habits like excessive smoking can relax the pyloric sphincter, leading to bile reflux, while alcohol consumption can damage the gastric mucosa, both contributing to gastric motility disorders.
To address these issues, it is crucial to adopt healthy eating and lifestyle habits. First, meals should not be neglected or eaten hastily. Eating regularly with scheduled meals, especially not skipping breakfast, is essential. Skipping or hastily eating breakfast can lead to early satiety and gastric motility issues. Second, avoid overeating and aim for moderate portions, with seven-eighths fullness being an ideal amount. Third, avoid excessively spicy, hot, or acidic foods and reduce high-fat foods. By establishing these healthy habits, gastric motility can be maintained, reducing the need for medications like motilium.