Advance ER Is It Indigestion or Something More Serious?

Causes of indigestion
There are many possible causesTrusted Source of indigestion. These can range from dietary and lifestyle habits to the side effects of medications and serious underlying conditions.

Lifestyle
You experience indigestion when your body cannot digest food as normal. This may be the result of eating a lot or eating too fast.

Spicy, greasy, and fatty foods also increase the risk of indigestion.
Lying down too soon after eating can make it harder to digest food. This increases your risk of abdominal discomfort.

Other common causes of poor digestion include:

• smoking
• drinking too much alcohol
• stress
• Medication
• Indigestion can be a side effectTrusted Source of taking specific medications.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen, are one class of medications that can cause indigestion.

Antibiotics, medications that treat or prevent bacterial infections, can also irritate the digestive system and cause indigestion as a side effect.

Medical conditions
Several medical conditions can also causeTrusted Source indigestion. These include:

• gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• gastric cancer
• pancreatic or bile duct abnormalities
• peptic ulcers
• lactose, gluten, and other intolerances
• irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• gastroparesis
• Sometimes you may experience indigestion with no apparent cause. The medical term for this is functional dyspepsia.

Learn more about functional dyspepsia here.

Symptoms of indigestion
Indigestion can cause:

1. abdominal pain or bloating
2. heartburn
3. nausea
4. vomiting

Other common symptoms include:

quickly feeling full during a meal
burning sensation in the stomach or esophagus
experiencing excessive gas or belching
Indigestion may accompany severe symptoms such as:

• vomit that is bloody or looks like coffee grounds
• unexplained weight loss
• black stools
• trouble swallowing
• If you experience any of these severe symptoms, seek medical assistance immediately

SIMPLE STEPS TO REDUCE INDIGESTION

1. Place your fork down on your plate between bites to encourage chewing thoroughly and eating more slowly.
2. Eat at a table instead of in front of a TV or computer screen to practice good posture and prevent overeating, which is more likely to occur if you’re distracted from your meal.
3. Replace fried foods with baked foods.
4. Decrease your intake of caffeine by switching to decaffeinated coffee or tea.
5. Replace carbonated beverages with water. A squeeze of lemon in your water can actually help digestion.