I Have Pain in My Stomach After Eating Rice

Rice is served in a variety of dishes, including soups, casseroles and even desserts. It is a staple food that is typically easy on your digestive system and is commonly recommended to treat diarrhea. Stomach pain after eating rice is not a common symptom for most people and needs to be assessed by your doctor. The pain may be related to a food allergy, food intolerance or food poisoning, depending on your symptoms and frequency of the pain. Stop eating rice until you can be seen by your physician.

Rice is rarely eaten alone. If the stomach pain is related to a food allergy, you may be allergic to rice or another food served with the rice. For example, many rice dishes are made with butter, soy and wheat products. If you're allergic to any of these ingredients, your stomach pain may be related to a reaction to these products, not the rice. If you notice that you develop common allergy symptoms, such as hives, throat swelling, sneezing, asthma and digestive complications from eating plain rice, you may have an allergic to the proteins found in rice. Food allergies are incurable and are treated by avoiding foods that trigger your symptoms.

Food intolerance can cause similar digestive symptoms as a food allergy, but it is a different condition. If you are intolerant to rice, the condition is triggered by a defect in your digestive system, not a malfunction of your immune system. Food intolerance occurs when your intestines cannot properly digest the proteins found in rice because of an insufficient amount of certain enzymes. If you're intolerant to rice, you will develop gas, bloating, diarrhea, stomach pain, cramping, nausea and vomiting within a few hours after eating rice.

If you develop stomach pain after eating rice as an isolated instance, you may have food poisoning. Food poisoning will cause stomach pain within two to four hours after eating rice that is contaminated with an infectious organism. Food poisoning symptoms include severe stomach pain, excessive vomiting, nausea and diarrhea. In some cases, food poisoning can cause a low-grade fever. Symptoms typically last for one to 10 days and should be evaluated by your doctor to confirm the diagnosis.

If you develop blood in your vomit or diarrhea, call your doctor right away, as this may be a sign of a more serious condition. If you develop diarrhea from eating rice, you may become dehydrated. Increase the amount of fluids you drink to ensure you remain hydrated.