Alien asked:


Description

Indigestion is a symptom that is caused by a number of stomach conditions, including hiatal hernia, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Helicobacter pylori, heartburn, and dyspepsia. Because many of these conditions can pose serious health risks, it is important to visit your healthcare provider in order to properly diagnose the reason for your indigestion. The condition usually occurs after eating. People experience indigestion for a variety of reasons-after eating a specific food, after eating too much food, after drinking alcohol or carbonated beverages, or after smoking cigarettes. The frequency of occurrence also varies from person to person. Approximately one in ten adults experiences indigestion weekly, while approximately one in three experiences it monthly.

Heartburn, a problem affecting the esophagus, is perhaps the most common type of indigestion. Your esophagus is a 10-inch-long tube leading from the back of your mouth to your stomach. Food travels down the esophagus to the lower esophageal sphincter, a muscle that opens to allow food to pass into the stomach and closes to prevent food and acids from escaping from the stomach into the esophagus. Heartburn occurs when this lower esophageal sphincter is weak or dysfunctional, allowing stomach acid to escape.

People who are overweight are at increased risk for developing indigestion because excess weight can increase pressure on the abdomen which, in turn, can make it difficult for the lower esophageal sphincter to stay tightly shut. Pregnant women also experience a higher incidence of the condition because they, too, experience increased pressure on the abdomen. In addition, people who smoke are at increased risk because cigarettes relax the lower esophageal sphincter.

Signs and Symptoms

Abdominal tenderness and distention

Feeling of fullness and discomfort in the upper abdomen

Burning sensation in the chest, often originating in the upper abdomen and radiating to the neck

Regurgitation of bitter liquid into the throat or mouth, commonly when lying down

Nausea and vomiting

Conventional Medical Treatment

If you suffer from indigestion only occasionally, you may experience relief by taking over-the-Counter antacids, which neutralize gastric acids. You also can prevent future cases of indigestion by avoiding any food or drink that irritate your stomach.

If you experience indigestion frequently, see your doctor, who will try to determine when your indigestion occurs, what foods and drinks seem to trigger it, in what part of the abdomen the discomfort is strongest, and how long it typically last. Your physician also may want to run a series of tests to make sure that your indigestion is not being caused by a more serious condition, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, colon cancer, stomach ulcer, gastritis, pancreatic disease, or irritable bowel syndrome. A barium X-ray, endoscopic examination of the digestive tract, or stool sample may be necessary. In order to rule out disorders of the pancreas, liver, or gallbladder, your doctor also may recommend an ultrasound examination of those organs.

If over-the-counter products do not offer relief, your physician may prescribe cimetidine (Tagamet), ranitidine (Zantac), famotidine (Pepcid), or omeprazole (Prilosec) to block acid production in the stomach. A medication that increases the strength of the lower esophageal sphincter, such as metocopramide or bethanechol, also may be prescribed.



Ramon

Douglas Adams asked:


The herbal approach is to combine aromatic carminatives to ease flatulence and nausea with relaxing herbs that reduce the anxiety and tension that often contribute to the problem. Add soothing demulcents to help protect the stomach from excess acid and perhaps a bitter to stimulate the digestive process and restore normal function.

Slippery elm tablets or gruel taken before a meal can also help especially if there is any heartburn. This is common in chronic obesity and pregnancy because the stomach is forced upward, putting pressure on the diaphragm, the muscle that divides the esophagus from the stomach and normally prevents food from returning to the gullet. Acid reflux thus occurs with the highly acidic contents of the stomach retuning to the esophagus, which can lead to inflammation and eventually ulceration. A hiatal hernia, in which part of the stomach is forced upward through the diaphragm, can cause similar high acidity problems. Raising the head of the bed 6 to 8 inches by putting bricks under the legs will prevent acid from leaking out of the stomach and can prove a very simple way of reducing symptoms, which are generally worse at night.

Carminative teas taken with meals instead of coffee can also help, fennel, peppermint, or chamomile, which are generally available in tea bags from health food stores and restaurants, are worth trying.

If nausea is a problem, drink a tea of one or two slices of fresh ginger root simmered with one and a half cups of water in a decoction.



Betty

Joy Healey asked:


s no need to suffer from the pain and embarrassment that indigestion symptoms can bring.

Common symptoms include heartburn and belching. If stomach acid comes up into the throat, it can cause a burning sensation and great discomfort behind the breastbone.

Good digestion is essential for optimum health. If you do not digest your food correctly it cannot nourish you.

Acid reflux often occurs with hiatal hernia, a condition in which the stomach pushes upward through an opening in the diaphragm and into the thorax.

Be sure to check your symptoms out with your GP, but if he can find nothing sinister, following these dietary and lifestyle recommendations may eliminate your problem:

1. At the first sign of heartburn, drink one or two large glasses of water. This relieves heartburn by washing the acid out of the esophagus.

2. Even if you are not thirsty, drink a large glass of water every three hours during the day.

3. Eat several small meals daily.

4. Drink freshly squeezed juice made of equal parts of apples, carrots and beetroot.

5. Eat plenty of fiber-containing foods.

6. Do not consume spicy foods, and do not take enzyme supplements that contain hydrochloric acid (HCl).

7. Some foods, such as beans and peas, are well-known for causing wind. Avoid these.

8. Avoid fats and fried food that delay digestion, prolonging the stomach’s emptying time. Also avoid coffee, tea, alcohol, colas, and smoking.

9. Avoid cows milk products, red meat

10. Avoid refined carbohydrates (’white’ products) – choose wholemeal instead.

11. Don’t do any heavy lifting and bending. Give the stomach at least two hours to empty before exertion. Bend from the knees, not the waist, to avoid abdominal pressure.

12. Make sure your clothes aren’t too tight round your waist.

13. Avoid becoming constipated and straining during bowel movements.

14. Don’t eat for at least three hours before you go to bed. If you are regularly bothered by indigestion during the night, try raising the head of your bed six to ten inches.

15. Do not lie down during the day if you are bothered by heartburn. Keep stomach acids in the stomach by sitting or standing.

16. Be sure to check with your GP or physician if you have regular indigestion problems. The symptoms could mask a more serious problem.

17. Ginger tea is soothing.

18. Allergenic foods may magnify the symptoms and delay healing. If you avoid foods to which you are intolerant, you may find your symptoms vanish. Check for food intolerances.

19. Acid reflux can also be caused by other factors. for instance, smoking or obesity.

20. Check for candida.

Instead of spending money on over-the-counter indigestion remedies, use the above tips, follow a healthy eating plan and watch the improvement in your indigestion symptoms.

Herman

John Adison asked:


Indigestion is a symptom that is caused by a number of stomach conditions, including hiatal hernia, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Helicobacter pylori, heartburn, and dyspepsia. Because many of these conditions can pose serious health risks, it is important to visit your healthcare provider in order to properly diagnose the reason for your indigestion. The condition usually occurs after eating.

Indigestion could be a symptom or a result of a currently occurring disease. It might be caused by a disease in the digestive system like ulcer or gastroesophageal reflux disease. However, the most common causes among many people are eating too much, eating too quickly, eating highly fatty foods or eating during stressful situations. These factors cause the stomach to not digest the food properly. Fatty foods are really difficult to digest especially those that contain insoluble fats.

Essentially this yeast as it overgrows in your body certain symptoms will become more apparent, anything from mood swings and mental problems such as difficulty concentrating. Acid relux can occur in some people due to candida actually interfering with the production of stomach acid. If you were not aware acid reflux occurs commonly as a result of too little stomach acid where you stomach realizing the problem acts as a churn to try and physically mash up food, something it is not accustomed to

Licorice. A form of licorice called deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL), a chewable form of the herb, is a natural antacid. Unlike a regular licorice, DGL does not have hormonal side effects. This makes DGL more effective and will not contribute to elevated blood pressures, which can be a side effect of other forms. Licorice helps fight ulcerations caused by hyperacidity.

Common home remedies for indigestion are peppermint and ginger. These are also popular in treating other digestion problems. Apple and tea are also used, as are Epsom salts. Another effective way to relieve indigestion is drinking the juice of a raw potato or an egg white. Cloves are also considered treatment for indigestion. Other herbs that help relieve the discomfort that comes with indigestion are meadowsweet and lavender. In traditional medicine, the use of feverfew, fennel and dill as cures for indigestion is common, as well as thyme and speedwell.

The cardinal remedy for dyspepsia is light food; it would be matter if the patient takes to fasting for 24 hours and then takes to easily digestible, natural food. Fats and condiments must be avoided. Bland food, mostly vegetables cooked in water, juicy fruits and buttermilk (churned curd with water added) should be taken. Condiments and seasonings make food more palatable and there is the ever-present risk of over eating, which has, in the first instance, given birth to dyspepsia.



Wanda