This condition may be associated with heartburn and acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Usually, indigestion occurs after eating or drinking. Indigestion happens when the digestive acid flows back from the stomach to the esophagus and stays in the chest region. If this happens, then various symptoms might be felt which may indicate indigestion.
Symptoms of Indigestion:
The following are various signs that indicate indigestion:
- Abdominal pain or mild to severe pain in the epigastric area,
- Nausea,
- Vomiting,
- Growling stomach,
- Constipation,
- Bloating in the abdomen,
- Burning sensation in the chest region known as heartburn,
- Burning sensation in the stomach or in the upper abdomen,
- Frequent coughing even if you are not ill,
- Belching and gas,
- Acidic taste in the mouth,
- Frequent drying out of the mouth, and
- Reflux of stomach content into the throat or the mouth.
Among the above-mentioned signs of indigestion, abdominal pain is one of the most overlooked. Oftentimes, these signs may become magnified in times of stress. There are several ways to diagnose this illness, some of which are: an interview with the patient; a physical examination; breath, blood, or stool tests; upper endoscopy; and biopsies.
Causes for indigestion
Many diseases list indigestion as one of their active symptoms. Diseases such as peptic ulcers, GERD, thyroid disease, irritable bowel syndrome, stomach infections, stomach cancer, gastroparesis, and chronic pancreatitis are the major diseases that have indigestion as one of their more notable symptoms.
There are also certain medications that will cause indigestion. These drugs include aspirin and many other painkillers, estrogen and oral contraceptives, antibiotics, steroid medications, and thyroid medications.
Certain lifestyles will can cause indigestion problems in most people. Eating too much, eating too fast, eating high-fat content foods, eating during stressful situations, drinking alcohol excessively, stress, fatigue, and cigarette smoking are some of the common causes of indigestion. Swallowing excessive amounts of air while eating also increases the symptoms of belching and bloating, which are commonly associated with indigestion. It is also more commonly experienced by people who consume too much coffee and carbonated drinks.
Indigestion, as mentioned earlier, is very common; however, there are people who are more at risk of experiencing it.
People who are at risk of indigestion:
Almost all people are prone to experiencing indigestion problems at one time or another. People of all ages are at risk of having an indigestion attack. Thus, it is considered as one of the most common diseases. However, the risk of having indigestion symptoms is higher for a person who is consuming too much alcohol, or a person who is taking drugs such as aspirin or painkillers, which irritate the stomach. People with digestive problems such as ulcer are likewise more prone indigestion.
Keep in mind that a healthy diet and a less stressful lifestyle will help prevent the inconveniences that indigestion may bring.
