Indigestion

Indigestion - Causes and Relief


If you’ve ever had to suffer through indigestion, you know very well how much of a problem this condition can be. For some people, indigestion is a mild and occasional nuisance. For others, it’s a serious, bothersome condition that can affect sleep, enjoyment of meals and general well being. Here’s what you really need to know about indigestion.

Indigestion is medically known as dyspepsia and is the term used to describe one or more symptoms related to eating such as:

• feeling full during a meal
• feeling uncomfortably full after a meal
• feeling sick and bloated after a meal
• burning and pain in the upper abdomen

This is a very common digestive condition in adults and can occur every day or just once in a while. There are different causes of indigestion. Some include GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), cancer, peptic ulcer disease, and more. It’s also possible for a person to have indigestion with no obvious cause.

While indigestion is a very uncomfortable condition, there are some things you can do to find relief. For example, eating small meals several times a day instead of just three large meals can help aid digestion.

Avoiding smoking, alcohol, caffeine and carbonated beverages can also help reduce indigestion. You should also avoid medications that irritate the lining of the stomach such as aspirin.

Some people find antacids to be helpful in treating occasional indigestion and also avoid eating right before bed. When you lie down after eating, your food does not have a chance to settle and digest properly. There are also some prescription drugs that are helpful in severe indigestion cases. You will need to speak with your doctor about these to be sure they are right for your case.

Emotional stress also leads to indigestion so try to avoid it as much as possible and learn new ways to manage the stress in your life that can’t be avoided. If your indigestion continues or becomes very severe with vomiting and pain, it could be a sign that something more serious is wrong. You should see your doctor to be sure.