Symptoms of Indigestion
Indigestion is a very common illness. About one of every four people will get dyspepsia some time in their life. Go to your doctor if you have the following symptoms:
- Burning stomach pain usually after a meal
- Heartburn that begins in the chest and may spread to the neck, throat, and jaw.
- A feeling of being full early while eating a meal
- Feeling of being bloated
- Nausea and vomiting
- Repeated burping
Medical Treatment for Indigestion
Your doctor will likely diagnose indigestion by examining your abdomen and asking about your symptoms. He would probably ask what drugs you've taken recently, because they might be causing your symptoms. After these tests, your doctor may recommend the following treatments:
- Change your current medications: Some drugs or combinations of drugs induce symptoms of indigestion. Your doctor may recommend changing your current medications if he thinks that they cause or contribute to your indigestion.
- Take some antacids: Antacids are tablets or alkali liquids that neutralize your stomach acid. A single dose of antacid can relieve painful symptoms. Some brands of antacids are over-the-counter, while others are available by prescription. These medications are usually effective if you only experience indigestion infrequently.
- Test for Helicobacter pylori infection: Helicobacter pylori or H. pylori is a type of bacteria that infects the duodenum and the lining of the stomach. People infected with H. pylori usually don't know that they are infected until symptoms of ulcer show. Your doctor will ask you to undergo a test for H. pylori if he suspects that the bacterium is responsible for your illness. He will then recommend medications to treat the infection if test results confirm infection.
- Acid-suppressing medications: If your symptoms suggest oesophagitis or acid reflux instead of H. pylori infection, then your doctor might suggest taking acid-suppressing medications for a month. Two kinds of drugs are used to treat stomach acid: H2 blockers and proton pump inhibitors or PPIs. These medications block the cells in your stomach lining from discharging acid. PPIs are usually preferred over H2 blockers, and they may include drugs such as: esomeprazole, rabeprazole, pantoprazole, lansoprazole, and omeprazole. Acid-suppressing medications usually work whatever the real cause of indigestion. Your doctor will recommend stopping the medications if symptoms disappear. Patients usually take these drugs as required or only when symptoms develop. The doctor may suggest taking these medications regularly however, if your symptoms return every day. In this case, it's advisable to go for the lowest dose to relieve your symptoms and avoid complications.
- Try prokinetic medications: Prokinetic medications speed up the passage through the stomach of the food you eat. They include drugs such as metoclopramide and domperidone, and are especially helpful if you belch a lot and feel bloated. These drugs are not commonly used, but the doctor may recommend them if acid-suppressing drugs fail to reduce your symptoms.
Indigestion and Functional Dyspepsia
The underlying cause of functional dyspepsia is still unclear to experts. Some of them believe that functional dyspepsia and IBS are two different manifestations of the same illness. Symptoms of functional dyspepsia are similar to regular dyspepsia or indigestion, except that they occur for a very long time.
Medical Treatment for Functional Dyspepsia
Treatment of functional dyspepsia depends on what your doctor believes to be its cause. Since the causes of functional dyspepsia are not clearly understood, treatment is often challenging. Here are some treatments your doctor might recommend:
- Changes in your lifestyle: Improving your diet and exercising regularly can reduce stress and normalize your body's processes. The doctor may refer you to a nutritionist to guide you in choosing what foods to eat every day.
- Behavioral therapy: Behavioral therapy is very effective in altering behaviors that contribute to chronic indigestion. Some patients tend to swallow air when they're eating, and experts have identified this as a possible cause of functional dyspepsia. Behavioral therapists work with patients to change behaviors like this, and teach them how to respond better to social and psychological factors that make their condition worse.
- Take some medications: Many of the medications for functional dyspepsia are similar to those used to treat indigestion. Antacids, acid-suppressing drugs, prokinetic medications, and antibiotics for H. pylori infection are all used to treat functional dyspepsia. Depending on the cause of your condition, your doctor may also suggest taking low-dose antidepressants such as fluoxetine and amitriptyline to alter how your nerves and brain process pain. Antidepressants may also improve the expansion and emptying of your stomach, so it can contain and move food better.
Don't put off a visit to the doctor if you feel the symptoms of indigestion. While that painful rumble in your belly may just be a simple case of trapped gas, it could be a warning of something life-threatening, like cancer. Go to your doctor now, get diagnosed, and start your treatment early.
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