Why does eating preserved eggs cause stomach pain?

Stomach pain after consuming preserved eggs (century eggs) may result from gastric spasm, indigestion, or gastroenteritis.

1. Gastric spasm: Preserved eggs are considered “cooling” in nature and highly alkaline; they can irritate the gastric mucosa. Excessive consumption may cause gastric coldness, leading to gastric spasm and subsequent stomach pain.

2. Indigestion: This typically manifests as stomach pain or discomfort following meals—often due to overeating or ingestion of irritating foods—and may be accompanied by symptoms such as abdominal distension, nausea, and loss of appetite.

3. Gastroenteritis: Poor long-term dietary habits or infection may lead to gastroenteritis, with common symptoms including stomach pain, abdominal distension, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

For stomach pain after eating preserved eggs, symptomatic relief may be achieved under a physician’s guidance using medications that promote gastrointestinal motility and function—commonly prescribed options include domperidone tablets and Jianwei Xiaoshi tablets (a traditional Chinese medicine formulation for promoting digestion). If gastroenteritis is caused by bacterial infection, antibiotic therapy may be indicated; commonly used antibiotics include amoxicillin capsules and azithromycin tablets.