Indigestion a sign of other underlying problems

Indigestion is often a sign of other underlying problem rather than a condition of its own.

What is Indigestion?
An upset stomach also called dyspepsia. Indigestion refers to a condition of impaired digestion characterized by chronic or recurrent pain in the upper abdomen.

Indigestion is a term used to describe a feeling of fullness or discomfort during or after a meal. It is accompanied by bloating, belching, nausea, or heartburn.

What cause Indigestion?
Lack of digestive enzymes causes Indigestion. It is due to;

• Poor eating habits
Inadequate chewing of food, eating late in the day and eating on the run.
Poor eating habits resulted in inadequate production of digestive enzymes.

• Aging
As we grow older, our body starts to produce lesser digestive enzymes.

Indigestion is often a sign of other underlying problems such as gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) or gallbladder disease rather than a condition of its own.

Causes of Indigestion include;

• Peptic ulcers disease

• Abnormality of the pancreas or bile ducts

• Cancer

• Gastro paresis (a condition where the stomach doesn't empty properly; this often occurs in diabetics)

• Stomach infections

• Irritable bowel syndrome

• Thyroid disease

Sometime the cause of Indigestion is not known. If the conditions improves so does indigestion. This type of indigestion is called functional dyspepsia.

Who are at risk of Indigestion?
Indigestion is extremely common. Men risked increases with excess of alcohol consumption, medication such as aspirin may irritate the stomach.

Men with stomach ulcer and emotional problems such as anxiety or depression may also cause upset stomach.

Any conditions in men where there are abnormalities in the digestive tract.

How to prevent Indigestion?
Below are some preventive methods which you can follow;

1. Eat plenty of fiber.
Vegetables, fruits, whole grain cereals, and nuts contain plenty of fiber

2. Chew your food.
Chewing slowly and thoroughly helps to break down food.

3. Eat less (small potion).
More food means our stomach must produce more acid to digest the food we eat. This in return will increase our chances of getting heartburn and indigestion.

4. Exercise regularly.
Exercise to maintaining a healthy weight. Excess weight put pressure on our abdomen, pushing up our stomach and causing acid to back up into our esophagus.

5. Avoid stress.
Stress reduces the production of digestive enzymes thus slows down the digestive process.

6. Increase water intake.

7. Stop drinking too much alcohol.

8. Stop smoking

Sometimes, no matter what you do, indigestion still occurs.

Symptoms of Indigestion
If you have the following symptoms, you are having indigestion.

• upset stomach or stomach pain / ache

• fullness or discomfort during or after a meal

• heartburn

• loss of appetite

• feeling sick

• bloating

• flatulence (fart or gas passed from your rectum)

• burping or belching

• nausea

Depending on the cause of your indigestion, your symptoms could be mild. It may come and go quickly. But if it happens frequently and your condition got worst, it is bests that you consult your family doctor.

Treatment for Indigestion
You can buy a range of indigestion medicines over the counter from your nearest pharmacy store without a prescription.

Always read the prescription information that comes with the medicine and if you have any questions, you can ask the on duty pharmacist for advice.

Antacids are medicines that relieve indigestion by neutralizing the acid in your stomach. They usually contain magnesium or aluminum.

Some medicines for indigestion contain an ingredient called alginate, which forms a floating barrier on top of your stomach contents, to prevent reflux.

Side-effects of antacids include diarrhea and constipation.