Indigestion

What is indigestion?

Most people are familiar with the uneasy feeling in their stomach or lower abdomen after a meal. This uncomfortable feeling might be accompanied by a sense of bloating or even nausea and is known as indigestion. 

Indigestion refers to the phenomenon where the stomach has trouble digesting certain parts of food. The disruption in the digestive process showcases a stomach ache or an uncomfortable sensation. Indigestion in itself is not a disease, however it may be an indicator of an underlying health concern. This makes it crucial to monitor your symptoms and contact the doctor if they get too serious. Most people only experience indigestion when their eating habits are unhealthy or irregular. However, people with other severe illnesses may find themselves suffering from indigestion more regularly.

What are the causes of indigestion?

The stomach is lined with a layer of mucus. It protects the internal components and neutralises the acid in the stomach. However, sometimes, the acid may attack the layer of mucus and work at breaking it down. In many cases, the mucus won’t be destroyed, but the damage is enough to cause the feeling of indigestion. If the mucus is significantly damaged, it results in severe pain and may even lead to an ulcer. 

Certain foods usually trigger this process. These include:

• Spicy foods

• Greasy foods

• Caffeinated or carbonated beverages or sugary foods like chocolates etc. 

When coupled with overeating, eating too fast, or excessive drinking, these foods may cause a bout of indigestion. 

Other habits that may cause indigestion include:

• Smoking tobacco.

• Having an irregular sleep schedule.

• Having an improper eating schedule.

Often, we lay down right after eating or sit with a compromised posture. This also impacts the digestion process, and indigestion may be experienced. Other than that, stress also contributes to the onset of indigestion.

Sometimes, indigestion may also be caused by the use of some medication. These include painkillers like aspirin, antibiotics, or supplements like those of iron. Steroids can also cause indigestion as a side effect. 

Other than that, indigestion is tied to various diseases. These range in severity from being mild conditions to severe chronic illness. They roughly include:

• Peptic ulcers

• Constipation

• Blockage within the intestine or a reduction in blood flow 

• Stones in the gallbladder

• Thyroid problems

• Gastritis

What are the common symptoms of indigestion?

Most people recognise indigestion as a queasy feeling, but that’s not all. It can cause a severe level of discomfort and pain. 

Bloating:

Generally, a feeling of fullness is associated with indigestion. This may occur after a meal or while you are eating one. This fullness is sometimes also called bloating. It may persist for a few hours, or it could vanish soon as you take your medicine. 

Nausea:

Indigestion is quite commonly accompanied by nausea. If it gets more serious, then gagging may also be experienced, leading to vomiting. 

Burping:

Belching, more usually known as burping, is also a symptom of indigestion. It occurs when there is excess air trapped between the oesophagus and stomach. In some cases, it may also be released as gas. 

Regurgitation:

While suffering from indigestion, many people complain that they can feel their food coming up. This is called regurgitation, and it occurs when swallowed food moves up the oesophagus. It can leave a very acidic taste in the mouth and irritate the throat as well. 

Abdominal Pain:

Abdominal pain is a widely experienced sign of indigestion. It may occur as a burning sensation or an underlying uneasiness in the upper abdomen. You may feel as though the abdominal muscles are cramping up as well. 

A gurgling stomach:

A gurgling feeling in the stomach may also be present. Sometimes, it is accompanied by a faint roaring sound as well.

These are symptoms that do not signal an emergency. However, if you experience severe signs, you should immediately contact a doctor. These severe symptoms include:

• Excessive weight loss

• Uncontrolled vomiting

• Sweating

• Yellowing skin and eyes

• A dry throat and complications in swallowing

• Constant and exacerbated abdominal pain

• Difficulty breathing

A lot of the time, symptoms of indigestion are confused with heartburn. Heartburn induces pain and unease behind the breastbone, and it may be an indicator of acid reflux. However, the two conditions are pretty different from each other and must be treated keeping that in mind. Pregnant women and people with chronic illnesses are at a greater risk of indigestion.

How can indigestion be treated?

Treating indigestion is something that begins at home. Most of the measures you can take against it are preventative. With a few simple changes to your lifestyle, you will reduce your chances of developing indigestion by tenfold.

Keep your medication close:

When suffering from indigestion, your first instinct will be to reach for medication. The medicines customarily used to treat ingestion are antacids. These are available over the counter and include Pepto Bismol, Mylanta, Maalox, etc. They may come with side effects like a constipated stomach or diarrhoea, so many people prefer treating indigestion naturally. 

Schedule and Plan your meals:

If what you eat and when you eat has an impact on your digestive system, you should schedule your meals at fixed times with spaced out intervals to give your body time to digest.

Planning and scheduling meals on time is especially important for dinner, giving yourself enough time before going to bed and eating meals that are easier to digest, eating late and heavy meals does not give you enough time to burn or digest the food you have consumed.

Scheduling your meals is important especially for those with busy schedules, it allows you to give yourself time and ensure that you eat and chew slowly.

Get in your physical activity:

One of the easiest ways to avoid indigestion is to walk after every meal, even if it is a short walk around the office, home or garden. Body movement is vital after meals to help with digestion, as it supports and stimulates the stomach and intestines allowing food to pass through easily.

Stay hydrated:

In order to ensure our bodies function at its best, it is vital that our bodies receive the required amount of water based fluids. The benefits and impact of water on the body are endless, but it is most important to understand that water keeps the heart pumping as well as makes up our blood and passes through the body to remove waste and toxins. When the body is dehydrated, important processes such as sweating and urinating cannot occur, resulting in our body not being able to work properly having a direct impact on digestion.

Can I buy indigestion treatment online?

Yes! You can quickly and discreetly buy indigestion treatment online through our website.

How long does it take to treat indigestion?

Indigestion does not take long to treat. If you take your medicines on time, the unease will vanish in a few hours. However, indigestion might take longer to treat if it is caused by another illness, like an ulcer. In that case, it will decrease when the treatment for the other disease is effective. Indigestion can be an uncomfortable condition, but if you focus on your eating habits and make an effort towards a healthier lifestyle, you’ll be good to go.

Patient Information Leaflet:

Always read your patient information leaflet before starting your treatment.