Indigestion is also referred as dyspepsia. Indigestion is not a disease but may be a sign of an underlying problem, such as gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD), ulcers, or gallbladder disease, rather than a condition of its own. Indigestion has become a common problem in most of people. Indigestion is a term which is used to describe a feeling of fullness or discomfort in the upper abdomen or chest generally occurring soon after meals. Indigestion can be escorted by burning or pain in the upper stomach. Here are some common signs of indigestion which may indicate you are suffering from bouts of indigestion.
Causes of indigestion:
When food enters in the body, stomach produces a strong acid to digest food and protects against infection. Stomach, oesophagus and intestines are lined with the layer of mucous lines which act as a barrier against this acid. When the damage occurs to this mucous layer, the tissues present below layer can be irritated. Sometimes indigestion can be caused by a condition in the digestive tract such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcer disease, cancer, or abnormality of the pancreas or bile ducts.
Indigestion symptoms can also be triggered by:
- Smoking
- Drinking excess alcohol
- Stress and anxiety
- Not eating regular meals, as acid levels can build up if meals are missed
- Medicines such as aspirin and anti-inflammatory medicines used to treat arthritis
- Eating certain foods can relax the valve (sphincter) at the join between your oesophagus and stomach or cause direct irritation to the lining of your oesophagus
Diseases which cause indigestion:
- GERD
- Ulcers
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Chronic pancreatitis
- Thyroid disease
- Stomach cancer (rare)
- Gastroparesis (a condition where the stomach doesn’t empty properly; this often occurs in diabetics)
- Stomach infections
Signs and Symptoms of stomach indigestion:
Indigestion can be caused by several causes. Symptoms of indigestion may be varying depending on what’s causing your indigestion or they may be regular and last a long time.
If you have indigestion problem then you may have the following symptoms:
- Heartburn or burning sensation in your chest
- Stomach discomfort or pain in the tummy
- Bloating (full feeling)
- Growling stomach
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Acidic feeling in the throat
- Uncontrollable burping
- Uncontrollable feeling of wanting to pass gas
If you have any of following symptoms, you should visit your doctor for advice:
- Severe pain or the pain gets worse or changes
- Unintended weight loss
- Unexplained and continual indigestion symptoms for the first time and you are aged 55 or older
You need to seek urgent medical attention if you vomit blood, even if it’s only present in the vomit as specks of blood or blood that looks like coffee grains.
Treatment of indigestion:
Some people may experience relief from symptoms of indigestion by:
- Eating several small, low-fat meals throughout the day at a slow pace
- Eating more than three hours before bed if you have a peptic ulcer
- reducing your stress levels
- Cutting down on consuming coffee, carbonated beverages, and alcohol
- Sleeping in a more upright position, propped up on a pillow (the action of gravity reduces reflux)
- Not overeating, or eating too quickly
- Stopping use of medications that may irritate the stomach lining—such as aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs
- Stopping smoking
Medication:
Over-the-counter medicines (Non-prescription medicines):
Without a prescription, you can buy a range of indigestion treatments from retail drug store. Antacids are medicines that can often relieve symptoms of indigestion. Rennie and Mucogel are the examples of antacid brands. Diarrhoea and constipation are common side effects of antacids.
If antacids don’t work, you can also use H2 blockers, famotidine (Pepcid) and ranitidine (Zantac). These work by reducing the amount of acid that produced by stomach.
Prescription-only medicines:
If your symptoms continue after taking antacids or H2 blockers, your doctor can prescribe another type of medicine called proton pump inhibitors. These drugs reduce acid production from the stomach. Examples proton pump inhibitors include omeprazole (eg Losec) and lansoprazole (eg Zoton).
Other medicines include bismuth (eg De-Noltab) and sucralfate (eg Antepsin), work by coating your stomach lining to protect it from the acid. However, these are used less often than H2 blockers and proton pump inhibitors.
Some simple home remedies for indigestion:
- Drink ginger tea. You can prepare this by either diluting ginger powder in hot water or by boiling a few slices of fresh ginger. This will ease you stomach ache and also help food to properly flow in your digestive tract.
- Heat water and put it in a bottle. Roll the bottle in your tummy to induce proper circulation in the area. This will surely give you some relief.
- Have cardamom. It is a known cooling agent. It will help your body digest food faster and it will also help you expel gas that gives an uncomfortable feeling when not properly removed.
- If you are lying down, keep your head elevated.
- Drink cinnamon tea. Mix cinnamon powder in a cup of hot water. It stimulates proper functioning of the digestive system.
- Relax since stress can trigger some of the signs of indigestion.
- Loosen your pants or your belt. Wearing tight pants or tight belt squeezes the stomach further. This adds to the uncomfortable feeling you are experiencing.
- If you have not taken any meal, take some biscuits or crackers. They can help neutralize the acids in your stomach.
