Indigestion or dyspepsia is a broad term that describes discomfort or pain in the upper abdomen or chest.
Signs and Symptoms
Someone with indigestion may experience any of the following symptoms:
- Abdomen pain or discomfort.
- Bloating and an uncomfortable sense of fullness.
- Belching.
- Nausea and vomiting after food.
- Loss of appetite.
- Sense of fullness soon after starting to eat.
- Reflux.
- Heartburn (a burning sensation in the chest).
One of the most common symptoms of indigestion is heartburn – a reflux of acid from your stomach back up into your food pipe or some times throat. Reflux occurs as a result of the valve that separates the food pipe and the stomach does not close completely.
Reflux can presents itself in one of the following ways:
- Heartburn.
- Chest pain.
- Coughing and wheezing.
People with severe reflux may experience:
- Regurgitation of stomach contents into the mouth when bending over or stooping.
- A burning pain on swallowing, usually when drinking hot fluids.
Heartburn is usually more troublesome after a meal, especially a large or spicy meal. The pain is aggravated by bending over or lying down after a meal. Pregnancy can also cause heartburn as does being over weight.
Trigger Factors
Indigestions can be caused by a disease in the digestive tract but in the majority of people, it is a result of:
- over eating.
- eating too quickly or during stressful situations.
- eating fat, greasy or spicy foods. Onions, cabbage and cucumbers can also cause indigestion.
- smoking or drinking too much alcohol, as well as fizzy carbonated drinks and caffeinated beverages.
- taking medications that irritate the stomach e.g. aspirin, ibuprofen, diclofenac.
- mental stress and anxiety.
Prevention
- Identify the trigger factors and try to avoid them.
- Eating small meals at regular times.
- Avoid over eating.
- Avoid excessive alcohol, fizzy carbonated drinks and caffeinated beverages.
- Avoid foods you associate with causing you indigestion.
- Try to avoid stressful situations.
- Avoid medications that can cause you indigestion.
- Do not take aspirin for headaches, alcohol hang overs, colds and flus. Take Panadol instead.
- Quit smoking. If you need help to quit smoking, speak to your pharmacy. There are effective over the counter medications such as Nicorette and Nicobrevin to assist with smoking cessation. Alternatively call the toll free QUITLINE 0800 778 778 for advice.
How to Avoid Heartburn?
As well as the above mentioned trigger factors,
- eat your evening meal well before going to bed so that it has time to digest.
- eat slowly and chew food properly.
- avoid bending down or lying flat after meals.
- raise the head of the bed with bricks. This can help to stop reflux occurring at night.
- avoid being over weight. There are a wide variety of weight management options available.
- exercise regularly.
- avoid tight fitting clothings.
Treatment Options
In the events that the above self help options is not enough to control the symptoms of indigestion, there are very effective over-the-counter medicines available from your pharmacies to relieve the symptoms.
- antacids such as Titralac. They work by “neautralising” or soaking up the access acid in your stomach. Antacids such as Mylanta are useful for indigestions with belching and bloating while Gaviscon is great for heartburn.
- if antacids is not very effective at relieving the indigestion symptoms, there are the more effective antisecretory agents such as the H2-antagonists e.g. Zantac , or Proton-Pump inhibitors e.g. Losec available. They work by reducing the level of stomach acid produced.
- natural indigestion remedies such as Solgar Digestive Enzymes, Solgar Advanced Acidophilus Plus will help to promote better digestion.
Warning Signs
Indigestion can sometimes be a sign of a more serious disease such as peptic ulcer, inflammatory bowel disease, heart attack, cancer. People should consult their family doctor if they have any of the following symptom:
- heartburn and are over 40 years of age.
- difficult or painful swallowing.
- choking attacks.
- chest pain with shortness of breath, sweating or pain radiating to the jaw, neck or arm.
- severe pain in the upper right abdomen.
- yellowing of the skin (jaundice).
- unexplained weight loss or anaemia.
- black tarry stools or blood in vomit.
- suffer from indigestion regularly (every day or week).
- indigestion symptoms persist for more than two weeks and are not responding to antacids or H2-antagonists.
- unremitting pain in the abdomen for more than six hours.
- a change in the pattern of pain.
Disclaimer: This information is intended for New Zealand residents and is of a general nature only. No person should act in reliance on any statement contained in the information provided and at all times should obtain specific advice from a health professional. To the extent permitted by law, Uni-Health Pharmacy Limited, their employees and agents accept no liability (even if negligent) for any injury, loss or damage caused by reliance on any part of this information. All rights reserved. In particular no alterations, additions or adaptions of this publication are permitted without written consent of ibuy pharmacy Limited.