What causes nausea and vomiting after eating?
Nausea and vomiting after eating can have multiple causes, but the main ones include the following: First, overeating or eating too quickly may trigger gastric retroperistalsis, leading to nausea and vomiting. Second, consuming large quantities of cold or raw foods can provoke a protective reflex in the gastric mucosa, resulting in severe nausea and vomiting.
Third, another protective mucosal reflex occurs when toxic substances are ingested—this reflex induces vomiting to expel the toxins from the stomach. Additionally, certain underlying diseases may cause postprandial vomiting, such as gastritis or benign peptic ulcers.
Impaired receptive relaxation of the stomach (i.e., failure of the stomach to relax adequately in response to food intake) may also lead to vomiting after meals. Finally, gastric cancer—particularly linitis plastica (“leather bottle” stomach)—can cause nausea and vomiting due to both impaired receptive relaxation and diminished gastric motility.