The symptoms you experienced may be related to the gastric acid present within your stomach at mealtimes. Under normal circumstances, the presence of food in the stomach induces gastric acid production.
This helps to break down and digest the food we consumed. It is interesting to know that the smell and taste of food or even the mere thought of food can induce gastric acid production.
Why Does My Stomach Hurt When I Eat a Late Meal?
Gastric acid is produced rhythmically around meal times and at night. It can also be affected by your emotions and sleep patterns.
If your stomach is empty at mealtime when your body expects food, the excessive acid produced may attack the inner lining of your stomach instead and cause discomfort or pain.
Some people may feel a burning sensation in their upper abdomen while others may experience acid reflux without food. This stressful experience may form a positive loop spiraling out of control if nothing is done.
Treatment of Stomach Pain:
The simplest way to prevent such discomfort is to eat at regular hours. If this is not possible for whatever reason, drinking sips of water when you feel the burning sensation may help.
If your discomfort becomes more regular or more severe despite the above, you may want to seek help from your doctor to exclude any ulcer disease.
-Dr Quan
