Early Satiety

About the Symptom

It describes a feeling of fullness after eating very little food, an inability to eat a normal-sized meal and/or nausea when eating a normal-sized meal. Early satiety can have many causes including delayed emptying of the stomach, certain tumors, reflux disease or stomach ulcers.

When to See a Doctor

Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms

• Abdominal bloating sensation
• Abdominal pain

Possible Causes

Generally, Early satiety can be related to:

• Functional Dyspepsia

  A condition where symptoms like pain, bloating or indigestion persist without any obvious cause identified.

• Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

  A condition where stomach acid flows back up the esophagus (food pipe). It can be caused or worsened by obesity, alcohol, and caffeine. Eating habits also play a role - eating large meals quickly or lying down after meals are known triggers.

• Pregnancy

  Pregnancy is the term used for the period when a fetus (baby) is developing inside the mother's uterus (womb). It typically lasts about 40 weeks (just over 9 months), measured from the last menstrual period to delivery. It occurs as a result of sexual intercourse, when the egg released by the female ovary is fertilized by a sperm. Pregnancy is medically divided into three parts (trimesters). The first sign of pregnancy is typically a missed period. Morning sickness (nausea/vomiting) may accompany it.

• Gastritis
• GIST
• Aerophagia (Swallowing Air)

• Infectious enteritis

• Diabetes Mellitus

Related Serious Diseases

Sometimes, Early satiety may be related to these serious diseases:

• Acute Appendicitis

  Acute appendicitis happens when the appendix (a small, tube-like structure attached to a part of the colon) gets inflamed. This usually occurs because the appendix gets clogged with fecal material or calcium. The appendix swells with inflammation and becomes infected with gut bacteria. It can affect anyone and is most common in young adults.

• Heatstroke

Doctor's Diagnostic Questions

Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:

• Do you get full quickly after eating a small amount of food?
• How long have you been feeling full after eating only a little?
• Have you felt full after eating very little?
• How has your symptom of feeling full changed?

Find Similar Symptoms

References

• Parkman HP, Hallinan EK, Hasler WL, Farrugia G, Koch KL, Nguyen L, Snape WJ, Abell TL, McCallum RW, Sarosiek I, Pasricha PJ, Clarke J, Miriel L, Tonascia J, Hamilton F; NIDDK Gastroparesis Clinical Research Consortium (GpCRC). Early satiety and postprandial fullness in gastroparesis correlate with gastroparesis severity, gastric emptying, and water load testing. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2017 Apr;29(4):10.1111/nmo.12981. doi: 10.1111/nmo.12981. Epub 2016 Oct 25. PMID: 27781342; PMCID: PMC5367988.

  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nmo.12981

• University of Miami Health System

  https://umiamihealth.org/en/treatments-and-services/gastrointestinal/early-satiety#:~:text=Early%20satiety%20occurs%20when%20you,stomach%20is%20slow%20to%20empty.