ADAM Health Encyclopedia

Satiety - early

Definition

Satiety is the satisfied feeling of being full after eating. Early satiety is feeling full sooner than normal or after eating less than usual.

Alternative Names

Abdominal fullness prematurely after meals

Causes

• Delayed stomach emptying
• Gastric outlet obstruction
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Heartburn
• Stomach or abdominal tumor

Home Care

Follow your health care provider's recommendations. A liquid diet may be helpful. A detailed diet log (recording what was eaten, how much, and when) may be needed. Small, frequent meals may be more tolerable than large, less frequent meals. A diet high in fat may worsen the feeling.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Call your doctor if:

• The feeling lasts for days to weeks and does not get better.
• You have other symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, or bloating.
• You have fever, chills, or weight loss or gain.

The doctor will examine you and ask questions such as:

• When did this symptom begin?
• How long does each episode last?
• What other symptoms do you have (for example, vomiting, excessive gas, abdominal pain, or weight loss)

Tests that may be performed include:

• Blood studies for anemia, such as a complete blood count and blood differential
• Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD)
• Stool tests for bleeding
• X-rays studies of the stomach, esophagus, and small intestine (abdominal x-ray and an upper GI and small bowel series)
• Stomach-emptying studies