If you’re feeling nauseated after eating, the good news is that there are ways to address it, no matter the cause. These six tips may help manage queasiness after meals.
1. Limit or Avoid Foods Linked to Nausea
Certain foods are more likely to cause nausea than others, depending on the time of day and how sensitive your digestive system is. Examples include:
- High-fat, greasy, or fried foods can be tough to digest and may lead to nausea, especially if you eat a lot of them, according to Dr. Nahar. “Eating heavy, carb-laden meals at night may contribute to nausea due to slowed digestion during sleep, particularly in those prone to acid reflux,” she says.
- “Spicy foods, caffeine, and acidic foods like citrus and tomatoes can trigger acid reflux, leading to post-meal nausea,” she adds.
- Dairy products can also cause nausea and bloating, especially if you’re lactose intolerant, says Nahar.
- Artificial sweeteners and processed foods may irritate your digestive system, Nahar says.
- Having coffee on an empty stomach or eating foods high in sugar might also lead to nausea for some people, adds Charoen.
- For people with gastroparesis, a high-fiber diet — particularly raw vegetables — can be problematic, as the stomach struggles to empty properly, leading to slower digestion and increased discomfort, Charoen says.
2. Don’t Lie Down After Eating
Avoid lying down right after you eat and try doing some light activity, like a short walk, instead. This can help you digest food better, especially around dinnertime, says Nahar.
3. Try to Manage Stress
“With somatic symptoms, it’s always important to consider the possibility of a psychological cause,” says Sean Hershey, LCSW, a chronic pain therapist based in New York City. “Stress, emotional factors, or even learned neural pathways could prompt a symptom like nausea.”
To manage stress- or anxiety-related nausea, it helps to address the underlying cause. Charoen recommends regular exercise and relaxation techniques such as yoga, deep breathing, or meditation to help manage stress or anxiety, which in turn may reduce nausea symptoms. “If symptoms persist, consider consulting a therapist for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which can be highly effective in managing stress and its impact on digestion,” she says.
4. Try Herbal Teas to Calm Your Stomach
Many herbal teas can help ease nausea, says Charoen. She suggests ginger, peppermint, or chamomile tea, which may help soothe your digestive system and help your stomach move things along. Chamomile or peppermint tea in particular may help ease digestive discomfort related to stress, Charoen adds.
5. Consider Over-the-Counter Medications
Over-the-counter (OTC) medications may help manage occasional nausea, Charoen says. “Pepto-Bismol [bismuth subsalicylate] can relieve upper stomach discomfort and nausea, while Tums [calcium carbonate] is useful for [symptoms] caused by acid reflux,” she says. “If nausea is associated with bloating and gas, Gas-X [simethicone] may provide relief.”
6. See a Doctor
The Takeaway
- Nausea after eating can have a number of causes ranging from mild to serious, such as eating too much or too quickly, stress, anxiety, certain medications, acid reflux, gastroparesis, gallstones, stomach ulcers, or food intolerances.
- Strategies like limiting greasy or high-fat foods in the evening and avoiding lying down for a few hours after meals can prevent nausea after eating.
- While over-the-counter medications might offer relief for occasional nausea, it’s important to talk to your doctor if you have persistent or severe nausea, or if it’s accompanied by other symptoms like unexplained weight loss or persistent vomiting.