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Indigestion |
Indigestion |
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| Introduction |
| Last night I had a painful burning feeling in my upper abdomen, I really wanted to vomit. I was so worried that what was it? I was sure that it was not because I had eaten something bad. The food was so delicious how could I? …………oh! Yes the food was so delicious and I had simply had too much of it. This painful, burning feeling form which I was suffering was nothing but indigestion.
Indigestion is both functional and non-functional or ulcer based or non ulcer based. Now what is a functional disease? By functional disease we mean a disease that causes trouble in the working of the basic organs. Indigestion means an upset stomach resulting due to various reasons. |
| Alternative Names |
| Indigestion is also known as Dyspepsia. |
| Causes |
| Various facts are attributed to be the cause of indigestion. The first and foremost of them is disease or an ulcer present in the digestive tract. For some people too much eating is the core of the issue (as what happened to me). The other cause related to eating habits that lead to indigestion are having food high in fat, or taking meals stressful situations. You don’t have any such eating problems but still you suffer from indigestion then perhaps you either smoke or drink too much (now you know why!). If not even this, then ask your doctor about the medications that you are taking these days because for some people indigestion occurs because of some medications that irritate the stomach lining. Apart from these a bacterial or viral infection, peptic ulcer, gall bladder, or liver disease could as well be the cause of indigestion. You said none of the above matches your conditions, then you are for sure suffering from functional indigestion. This functional indigestion is because of the problem in the movement of food through digestive tract. This type of indigestion is also known as non ulcer indigestion. |
| Risk Factors |
- People with imbalance eating habits.
- People who smoke and drink a lot.
- People with an ulcer in the stomach
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| Symptoms & Signs |
- An upset stomach.
- Burning feeling in the upper abdomen.
- Pain in the lower abdomen.
- Nausea.
- Belching.
- Abdominal bloating.
- Early satiety.
- Abdominal distention.
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| Diagnosis |
| The diagnosis of your indigestion shall be based on first, a search of ulcers if any. You will be required to have x-rays of your stomach as well as small intestine; your doctor could even ask you for an endoscopy. This is the procedure in which the doctor will insert an optical fiber in your body to have a closer view of your internal organs through the camera attached to the fiber. After the complete checkup and a review of the symptoms that you faced, if the doctor came up with the positive result he will diagnose you of indigestion or Dyspepsia. |
| Prevention |
- The first rule to success is that ‘less is good’. What I mean to say is avoid eating too much; smoking too much, drinking too much or even an excessive stressful condition is harmful.
- Exercising after a meal may be a cause of indigestion so AVOID!
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| Treatment |
| The treatment of Indigestion or Dyspepsia is based on the various symptoms and causes behind the disease. After the assessment of the symptoms and causes, patients are then divided into two categories. The first category is of those that require immediate attention because of the severity of their condition while the second category is of those who could be cured by traditional treatments. These traditional treatments are generally antacids, antibiotic treatment, pain killers and certain dietary modifications.
Some researchers are of the view that indigestion could be only treated by a thorough cleansing of the digestive tract; this could be achieved by adding lots of fruits in the patient’s diet.
Unfortunately, over the years indigestion has received lesser attention both by the scientists and the people who fund these sorts of researches. This is perhaps one of the major causes why there is no such effective treatment of indigestion. |
| Primary Natural Supplements |
HERBS
- Licorice (DGL)
- Papaya Leaves
VITAMINS
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| Secondary Natural Supplements |
| HERBS
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| Dietary Guidelines |
There are no such eating restrictions apart from the following.
- Eat less.
- Add lots of fruit to your diet, since fruits (especially water fruits like lemon and oranges) help in the cleansing of the digestive tract.
- Take food which is not rich in fats.
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| Home Care Suggestions |
| Ginger is good for breaking up gas. So whenever you feel like the symptoms of indigestion take 2 capsules of ginger. |
| Mind/Body Considerations |
| Leave the mind stress free, because in some cases stress has been identified as one of the causes of indigestion. Try to have smaller and lighter meals, avoiding smoking and drinking especially with the food. An exercise which requires lying on the back and drawing knees up is beneficial for relieving yourself of abdominal pressure. Last of all STAY HAPPY because as they say laughter is the best medicine. |
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