Considerations

Indigestion is usually not a sign of a more serious health problem, unless other symptoms also occur, such as weight loss or trouble swallowing.

Indigestion is a common problem.

Rarely, the discomfort of a heart attack is mistaken for indigestion.

Causes

Indigestion may be triggered by:

• Drinking too much alcohol
• Eating spicy, fatty, or greasy foods
• Eating too much (overeating)
• Eating too fast
• Emotional stress or nervousness
• High-fiber foods
• Tobacco smoking
• Too much caffeine

Other causes of indigestion are:

• Gallstones
• Gastritis (when the lining of hte stomach becomes inflamed or swollen)
• Swelling of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
• Ulcers (stomach or intestinal ulcer)
• Use of certain drugs such as antibiotics, aspirin, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

Home Care

Changing the way you eat may relieve your symptoms.

• Allow enough time for meals.
• Chew food carefully and completely.
• Avoid arguments during meals.
• Avoid excitement or exercise right after a meal.
• A calm environment and rest may help relieve stress-related indigestion.

Avoid aspirin and other NSAIDs. If you must take them, do so on a full stomach.

Antacids may relieve indigestion.

Medications you can buy without a prescription, such as ranitidine (Zantac) and omeprazole (Prilosec OTC) can relieve symptoms. Your doctor may also prescribe these medicines in higher doses or for longer periods of time.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Seek immediate medical help if your symptoms include jaw pain, chest pain, back pain, profuse sweating, anxiety, or a feeling of impending doom. These are possible heart attack symptoms.

Call your health care provider if:

• Indigestion symptoms change noticeably
• Symptoms last longer than a few days
• You have unexplained weight loss
• You have sudden, severe abdominal pain
• You have trouble swallowing
• You have yellow coloring of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
• You vomit blood or pass blood in the stool

What to Expect at Your Office Visit

Your doctor will perform a physical examination, paying special attention to the stomach area and digestive tract. You will be asked questions about your symptoms, including:

• Does the discomfort begin or get worse after eating certain foods?
• Does it begin or get worse after drinking alcoholic or carbonated drinks?
• Do you eat quickly?
• Have you been overeating?
• Have you changed your diet?
• Have you had any spicy, high-fiber, or fatty foods?
• Do you drink a lot of caffeinated beverages (tea, soda, coffee)?
• What medications are you taking?
• Have you changed medications recently?
• What other symptoms do you have? For example, stomach pain or vomiting.

The following tests may be performed:

• Abdominal ultrasound
• Blood tests (depending on the suspected cause)
• Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD )
• Upper GI and small bowel series

Alternative Names

Dyspepsia; Uncomfortable fullness after meals

References

Tack J. Dyspepsia. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2010:chap 13.

Talley N. Functional gastrointestinal disorders: irritable bowel syndrome, dyspepsia, and noncardiac chest pain. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D. Cecil Textbook of Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 139.

Update Date: 2/4/2012

Reviewed by: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and George F Longstreth, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program San Diego, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.