7 Causes of Pressure in the Chest After Eating and How to Fix It

Any pressure or tightness in your chest can quickly sound alarm bells. If the discomfort seems to only come on after eating, though, you could be dealing with an issue in your esophagus or GI system.

Because the stomach and esophagus sit so close to the chest, discomfort in those areas can sometimes be felt in your chest, Aditya Sreenivasan, MD, a gastroenterologist with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, tells LIVESTRONG.com.

Experts call this kind of pain noncardiac chest pain — pain around your breastbone or heart that isn't actually related to the heart.

Noncardiac chest pain might feel like squeezing, heaviness or burning, and it can last for a few minutes to a few hours.

Here's a look at the things that can cause you to experience this kind of pressure or heaviness in the chest after eating food.

Heartburn or acid reflux is the most common cause of chest discomfort after eating, Dr. Sreenivasan says. When a person has chronic heartburn (more than twice per week), it's called gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD.

Heartburn often causes a burning sensation in the chest, especially after a big meal. That's because the esophagus — the tube connecting the throat to the stomach — is located right next to the heart. When acid splashes into it from the stomach, you can feel the pain radiating toward your chest, per the Cleveland Clinic.

The pain might feel worse when you lie down or bend over. The acid can also leave a sour or unpleasant taste in your mouth.

Anyone can get heartburn. But you're more prone to getting it if you have overweight, and it often strikes during pregnancy.

Certain foods are known for triggering heartburn too, including fried and fatty fare, which is why you might feel chest tightness after eating fast food or chest pain after eating pizza or steak.

Eating too much or too quickly can make your stomach hurt, and it can make your chest feel heavy or uncomfortable too.

Again, it's because your stomach and your chest are so close to each other that pain from one area can be felt in the other, Dr. Sreenivasan explains.

Abdominal gas or bloating can create a feeling of pressure in your stomach that radiates up into your chest. (You might feel it in your back too.)

"The most typical area would be right under the left rib cage," Dr. Sreenivasan says.

Often, gas pains are sharp or jabbing.

Gas and bloating can happen for a number of reasons, and most people will experience it from time to time. It's more likely to hit from eating too much or eating too fast, or if you have a food intolerance, the Cleveland Clinic notes.

Carbonated drinks, constipation or swallowing too much air (like from chewing gum or drinking from a straw) can also give you gas.

A chronic disease of the esophagus, eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) happens when white blood cells build up in the esophagus, leading to inflammation and tissue damage. This can lead to heartburn-like chest pain, trouble swallowing and food getting stuck in your throat, the National Library of Medicine says.

Anyone can develop EoE. But it's more likely to occur in white people assigned male at birth and in people with seasonal allergies, asthma, eczema or food allergies.

When a person has frequent or persistent stomach pain with no obvious medical cause, they may be diagnosed with functional dyspepsia. It's marked by pain or burning in the upper abdomen (which can sometimes be felt in the chest) and feeling full quickly, but symptoms can also strike when a person isn't eating, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Experts don't fully understand why some people get functional dyspepsia. But it's more common in people assigned female at birth, those who frequently take NSAID pain relievers, smokers, people with anxiety or depression and those who have a history of severe stomach infections.

Hiatal hernias happen when the upper part of the stomach bulges through the large muscle separating the chest and abdomen. It's common in adults over 50, especially those with obesity, the Mayo Clinic notes.

Hiatal hernias don't always cause symptoms. But larger ones can cause heartburn and abdominal or chest pain after eating, an unusual feeling of fullness, acid reflux, trouble swallowing or shortness of breath.

Unchecked stress is notorious for causing noncardiac chest pain, the Cleveland Clinic notes. But unlike the culprits mentioned above, anxiety-driven chest pressure doesn't just happen after you eat.

Instead, you might experience discomfort, heart palpitations, or a pounding sensation when your anxious feelings start to intensify.

You should let your doctor know if you're experiencing frequent or severe chest pain after eating, or if at-home measures aren't doing enough to help you feel better, Dr. Sreenivasan says. They may want to conduct tests to determine if you have an underlying GI problem, or if the issue is heart-related.

Also let your doctor know if you're experiencing symptoms like unexplained weight loss, bloody stool or rectal bleeding, food getting stuck in your throat, or anemia. These could be signs of a more serious GI condition.