Indigestion
Indigestion, also called dyspepsia, is a term used to describe one or more symptoms counting a feeling of fullness during a meal, uncomfortable fullness after a meal, and burning or pain in the upper abdomen. Indigestion is general in adults and can happen once in a while or as often as every day. Indigestion can be reasoned by a state and condition in the digestive area such as gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcer disease, cancer, or abnormality of the pancreas or bile ducts. If the condition improves or resolves, the symptoms of indigestion habitually improve.
Sometimes a person has indigestion for what reason cannot be found. This kind of indigestion, called functional dyspepsia, is thought to happen in the region where the abdomen meets the small intestine. The indigestion may be connected to abnormal motility-the squeezing or relaxing action-of the abdomen muscle as it receives, digests, and moves food into the small intestine.
Symptoms of Indigestion
- Fullness during a meal. The person feels overly full soon after the meal starts and cannot finish the meal.
- Bothersome fullness after a meal. The person feels overly full after a meal-it may feel like the food is staying in the stomach too long.
- Epigastria pain. The epigastric area is between the lower end of the chest bone and the navel. The person may experience epigastric pain ranging from mild to severe.
- Epigastric burning. The person feels an unpleasant sensation of heat in the epigastric area.
Treatment of Indigestion
- Eating several small, low-fat meals throughout the day at a slow pace
- Refraining from smoking
- Abstaining from consuming coffee, carbonated beverages, and alcohol
- Stopping use of medications that may irritate the stomach lining-such as aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs
- Getting enough rest
- Finding ways to decrease emotional and physical stress, such as relaxation therapy or yoga
