question: If your stomach is in the upper left quadrant of your abdomen, why is it that your lower abdomen becomes distended after you eat a full meal?
comment: Full stomach and upper intestine pushing down on a load of more squishy intestines, probably. The weight has to be supported somehow.
passages: Abdominal distension (or "distended abdomen") can be a sign of many other conditions, including:
  
  BULLET::::- Ascites
  
  BULLET::::- Capillaria philippinensis
  
  BULLET::::- Celiac disease
  
  BULLET::::- Coccidiosis
  
  BULLET::::- Cystic fibrosis
  
  BULLET::::- Diverticulitis
  
  BULLET::::- Eosinophilic gastroenteritis
  
  BULLET::::- Fasciolosis
  
  BULLET::::- Gastroparesis
  
  BULLET::::- Giardiasis
  
  BULLET::::- Hookworm disease
  
  BULLET::::- Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis)
  
  BULLET::::- Kidney stones
  
  BULLET::::- Kwashiorkor
  
  BULLET::::- Lactose intolerance
  
  BULLET::::- Obstructed bowel
  
  BULLET::::- Ovarian cancer
  
  BULLET::::- Polycystic liver disease
  
  BULLET::::- Pregnancy
  
  BULLET::::- Premenstrual syndrome
  
  BULLET::::- "Pseudomonas aeruginosa" infection
  
  BULLET::::- Small bowel bacterial overgrowth syndrome
  
  BULLET::::- Strongyloidiasis
  
  BULLET::::- Tropical sprue
  
  BULLET::::- Weight gain
  
  BULLET::::- Whipple's disease
  
  Section::::Diagnosis.
   Section::::Physiology.:Parasympathetic activation.
  
  In response to the arrival of food in the stomach and small intestine, the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system increases and the activity of the sympathetic nervous system decreases. This shift in the balance of autonomic tone towards the parasympathetic system results in a subjective state of low energy and a desire to be at rest, the opposite of the fight-or-flight state induced by high sympathetic tone. The larger the meal, the greater the shift in autonomic tone towards the parasympathetic system, regardless of the composition of the meal.
  
  Section::::Physiology.:Insulin, large neutral amino acids, and tryptophan.
   BULLET::::- In two reported cases, prompted by patients' reporting an absence of appetite suppression and of weight loss, investigation revealed that the band had not enclosed the stomach at all, instead enclosing only perigastric fat, with the effect that the passage of food was not restricted at all. In these cases, the patients experienced no additional adverse symptoms.
   This variant is the most commonly employed gastric bypass technique, and is by far the most commonly performed bariatric procedure in the United States. The small intestine is divided approximately below the lower stomach outlet and is re-arranged into a Y-configuration, enabling outflow of food from the small upper stomach pouch via a "Roux limb". In the proximal version, the Y-intersection is formed near the upper (proximal) end of the small intestine. The Roux limb is constructed using of the small intestine, preserving the rest (and the majority) of it from absorbing nutrients. The patient will experience very rapid onset of the stomach feeling full, followed by a growing satiety (or "indifference" to food) shortly after the start of a meal.
   BULLET::::- Postprandial abdominal distension usually refers to bloating of the abdomen following a meal, especially a large one. It is generally harmless, but tends to be uncomfortable. Instances of its sudden onset or prolonged duration can, however, be symptoms of certain severe adverse gastro-intestinal conditions such as irritable bowel disease.Postprandial abdominal distension is also a documented side effect of some medications.
  
  Section::::Usages of postprandial.:Medical.:Processes.
   The small intestine is normally in length. As the Y-connection is moved further down the gastrointestinal tract, the amount available to fully absorb nutrients is progressively reduced, traded for greater effectiveness of the operation. The Y-connection is formed much closer to the lower (distal) end of the small intestine, usually from the lower end, causing reduced absorption (malabsorption) of food: primarily of fats and starches, but also of various minerals and the fat-soluble vitamins. The unabsorbed fats and starches pass into the large intestine, where bacterial actions may act on them to produce irritants and malodorous gases. These larger effects on nutrition are traded for a relatively modest increase in total weight loss.
   Gastroparesis (delayed gastric emptying) may occur and is due to metabolic causes (e.g. poorly controlled diabetes mellitus), decreased gastric motility (e.g. due to head injury) or pyloric obstruction (e.g. pyloric stenosis). Delayed gastric emptying usually only affects the emptying of the stomach of high-cellulose foods such as vegetables. Gastric emptying of clear fluids such as water or black coffee is only affected in highly progressed delayed gastric emptying.
   When the patient ingests just a small amount of food, the first response is a stretching of the wall of the stomach pouch, stimulating nerves which tell the brain that the stomach is full. The patient feels a sensation of fullness, as if they had just eaten a large meal—but with just a thimble-full of food. Most people do not stop eating simply in response to a feeling of fullness, but the patient rapidly learns that subsequent bites must be eaten very slowly and carefully, to avoid increasing discomfort or vomiting.
   Section::::Function.
  
  Section::::Function.:Digestion.
   In most mammals, intestinal absorption of nutrients is thought to be dominated by transcellular transport, e.g., glucose is primarily absorbed via the SGLT1 transporter and other glucose transporters. Paracellular absorption therefore plays only a minor role in glucose absorption, although there is evidence that paracellular pathways become more available when nutrients are present in the intestinal lumen. In contrast, small flying vertebrates (small birds and bats) rely on the paracellular pathway for the majority of glucose absorption in the intestine. This has been hypothesized to compensate for an evolutionary pressure to reduce mass in flying animals, which resulted in a reduction in intestine size and faster transit time of food through the gut.
   BULLET::::- Mealtimes are stressful or too long, interfering with other activities.
  
  Feeding tubes can decrease the risk of aspiration by enabling persons to avoid liquids or foods that are difficult to swallow and provide adequate calories without the stress and time commitment of prolonged meals. Gastrostomy tubes do not prevent people from eating by mouth. Once a tube is in place, the general goal should be to maintain weight at the 10–25th percentile.
  
  Section::::Management.:Education and socialization.
   Section::::Myths about the causes of post-prandial somnolence.
  
  Section::::Myths about the causes of post-prandial somnolence.:Cerebral blood flow and oxygen delivery.
  
  Although the passage of food into the gastrointestinal tract results in increased blood flow to the stomach and intestines, this is achieved by diversion of blood primarily from skeletal muscle tissue and by increasing the volume of blood pumped forward by the heart each minute. The flow of oxygen and blood to the brain is extremely tightly regulated by the circulatory system and does not drop after a meal.
  
  Section::::Myths about the causes of post-prandial somnolence.:Turkey and tryptophan.
   Gastrostomy may be indicated in numerous situations, usually those in which normal (or nasogastric) feeding is impossible. The causes for these situations may be neurological (e.g. stroke), anatomical (e.g. cleft lip and palate during the process of correction) or other (e.g. radiation therapy for tumors in head & neck region).
   Gastroparesis can be diagnosed with tests such as barium x-rays, manometry, and gastric emptying scans. For the x-ray, the patient drinks a liquid containing barium after fasting which will show up in the x-ray and the physician is able to see if there is still food in the stomach as well. This can be an easy way to identify whether the patient has delayed emptying of the stomach. The clinical definition for gastroparesis is based solely on the emptying time of the stomach (and not on other symptoms), and severity of symptoms does not necessarily correlate with the severity of gastroparesis. Therefore, some patients may have marked gastroparesis with few, if any, serious complications.
   Section::::Paleobiology.:Physiology.:Digestion.
  
  The digestive tract of "Scipionyx" is generally short but wide. The overall length of the intestines — shorter than what was expected — indicates "Scipionyx" could process food very efficiently. The efficiency would be improved by the visible intestine folds, the "plicae circulares", enlarging the absorption surface. Dal Sasso & Maganuco emphasised that a short tract does not necessarily imply that the processing time was short too; retention could have been prolonged to optimise digestion. Most extant vertebrate predators are capable of extracting about 75% of the energetic value of the prey flesh.
   The placement of the band creates a small pouch at the top of the stomach. This pouch holds approximately ½ cup of food, whereas the typical stomach holds about 6 cups of food. The pouch fills with food quickly, and the band slows the passage of food from the pouch to the lower part of the stomach. As the upper part of the stomach registers as full, the message to the brain is that the entire stomach is full, and this sensation helps the person to be hungry less often, feel full more quickly and for a longer period of time, eat smaller portions, and lose weight over time.
   Section::::Development in humans.:Eating positions.
  
  Eating positions vary according to the different regions of the world, as culture influences the way people eat their meals.
  
  For example, most of the Middle Eastern countries, eating while sitting on the floor is most common, and it is believed to be healthier than eating while sitting to a table.
  
  Eating in a reclining position was favored by the Ancient Greeks at a celebration they called a symposium, and this custom was adopted by the Ancient Romans. Ancient Hebrews also adopted this posture for traditional celebrations of Passover.
  
  Section::::Development in humans.:Compulsive overeating.
   Procedures that are restrictive shrink the size of the stomach or take up space inside the stomach, making people feel more full when they eat less.
  
  Section::::Types.:Restrictive procedures.:Vertical banded gastroplasty.
  
  In the vertical banded gastroplasty, also called the Mason procedure or stomach stapling, a part of the stomach is permanently stapled to create a smaller pre-stomach pouch, which serves as the new stomach.
  
  Section::::Types.:Restrictive procedures.:Adjustable gastric band.
   The gastric phase is a period in which swallowed food and semidigested protein (peptides and amino acids) activate gastric activity. Ingested food stimulates gastric activity in two ways: by stretching the stomach and by gastric contents stimulating receptors in the stomach. Stretch activates two reflexes: a short reflex mediated through the myenteric nerve plexus, and a long reflex mediated through the vagus nerves and brainstem.
  
  Section::::Gastric Phase.:Distention (Stretching) Path.
  
  1.) Vagovagal Reflex
   Transient gastroparesis may arise in acute illness of any kind, as a consequence of certain cancer treatments or other drugs which affect digestive action, or due to abnormal eating patterns. The symptoms are almost identical to those of low stomach acid, therefore most doctors will usually recommend trying out supplemental hydrochloric acid before moving on to the invasive procedures required to confirm a damaged nerve.
   After surgery, patients feel fullness after ingesting only a small volume of food, followed soon thereafter by a sense of satiety and loss of appetite. Total food intake is markedly reduced. Due to the reduced size of the newly created stomach pouch, and reduced food intake, adequate nutrition demands that the patient follow the surgeon's instructions for food consumption, including the number of meals to be taken daily, adequate protein intake, and the use of vitamin and mineral supplements. Calcium supplements, iron supplements, protein supplements, multi-vitamins (sometimes pre-natal vitamins are best), and vitamin B (cyanocobalamin) supplements are all very important to the post-operative bypass patient.
   Section::::Motility.:Contraction patterns.
  
  The patterns of GI contraction as a whole can be divided into two distinct patterns, peristalsis and segmentation. Occurring between meals, the migrating motor complex is a series of peristaltic wave cycles in distinct phases starting with relaxation, followed by an increasing level of activity to a peak level of peristaltic activity lasting for 5–15 minutes.
  
  This cycle repeats every 1.5–2 hours but is interrupted by food ingestion. The role of this process is likely to clean excess bacteria and food from the digestive system.
  
  Section::::Motility.:Contraction patterns.:Peristalsis.
   Pain is the most common presenting symptom. It is usually described as sharp right upper quadrant pain that radiates to the right shoulder, or less commonly, behind the breastbone. Nausea and vomiting can be associated with biliary colic. Individuals may also present with pain that is induced following a fatty meal and the symptom of indigestion. The pain often lasts longer than 30 minutes, up to a few hours.
   The most obvious effect of the removal of the stomach is the loss of a storage place for food while it is being digested. Since only a small amount of food can be allowed into the small intestine at a time, the patient will have to eat small amounts of food regularly in order to prevent gastric dumping syndrome.
   The crop is the largest portion of the digestive tract, and is highly extensible. From the crop, food passes to the small muscular stomach for crushing, and then goes past a digestive caecum before entering the relatively brief intestine.
  
  Section::::Anatomy.:Circulatory system.
  