| Description | | | | Signs and Symptoms |
| Indigestion is a symptom that is caused by a number | | | | Abdominal tenderness and distention |
| of stomach conditions, including hiatal hernia, | | | | Feeling of fullness and discomfort in the upper |
| gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Helicobacter | | | | abdomen |
| pylori, heartburn, and dyspepsia. Because many of | | | | Burning sensation in the chest, often originating in the |
| these conditions can pose serious health risks, it is | | | | upper abdomen and radiating to the neck |
| important to visit your healthcare provider in order to | | | | Regurgitation of bitter liquid into the throat or mouth, |
| properly diagnose the reason for your indigestion. | | | | commonly when lying down |
| The condition usually occurs after eating. People | | | | Nausea and vomiting |
| experience indigestion for a variety of reasons-after | | | | Conventional Medical Treatment |
| eating a specific food, after eating too much food, | | | | If you suffer from indigestion only occasionally, you |
| after drinking alcohol or carbonated beverages, or | | | | may experience relief by taking over-the-Counter |
| after smoking cigarettes. The frequency of | | | | antacids, which neutralize gastric acids. You also can |
| occurrence also varies from person to person. | | | | prevent future cases of indigestion by avoiding any |
| Approximately one in ten adults experiences | | | | food or drink that irritate your stomach. |
| indigestion weekly, while approximately one in three | | | | If you experience indigestion frequently, see your |
| experiences it monthly. | | | | doctor, who will try to determine when your |
| Heartburn, a problem affecting the esophagus, is | | | | indigestion occurs, what foods and drinks seem to |
| perhaps the most common type of indigestion. Your | | | | trigger it, in what part of the abdomen the |
| esophagus is a 10-inch-long tube leading from the | | | | discomfort is strongest, and how long it typically last. |
| back of your mouth to your stomach. Food travels | | | | Your physician also may want to run a series of |
| down the esophagus to the lower esophageal | | | | tests to make sure that your indigestion is not being |
| sphincter, a muscle that opens to allow food to pass | | | | caused by a more serious condition, such as |
| into the stomach and closes to prevent food and | | | | gastroesophageal reflux disease, colon cancer, |
| acids from escaping from the stomach into the | | | | stomach ulcer, gastritis, pancreatic disease, or irritable |
| esophagus. Heartburn occurs when this lower | | | | bowel syndrome. A barium X-ray, endoscopic |
| esophageal sphincter is weak or dysfunctional, | | | | examination of the digestive tract, or stool sample |
| allowing stomach acid to escape. | | | | may be necessary. In order to rule out disorders of |
| People who are overweight are at increased risk for | | | | the pancreas, liver, or gallbladder, your doctor also |
| developing indigestion because excess weight can | | | | may recommend an ultrasound examination of those |
| increase pressure on the abdomen which, in turn, can | | | | organs. |
| make it difficult for the lower esophageal sphincter to | | | | If over-the-counter products do not offer relief, your |
| stay tightly shut. Pregnant women also experience a | | | | physician may prescribe cimetidine (Tagamet), |
| higher incidence of the condition because they, too, | | | | ranitidine (Zantac), famotidine (Pepcid), or omeprazole |
| experience increased pressure on the abdomen. In | | | | (Prilosec) to block acid production in the stomach. A |
| addition, people who smoke are at increased risk | | | | medication that increases the strength of the lower |
| because cigarettes relax the lower esophageal | | | | esophageal sphincter, such as metocopramide or |
| sphincter. | | | | bethanechol, also may be prescribed. |