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What Does Indigestion Feel like?

 
Max. D Gray
By Max. D Gray. March 27, 2017
What Does Indigestion Feel like?

Also known as Dyspepsia, indigestion is know to be the sensation in your stomach when you feel discomfort or even pain after having eaten a certain amount of food. It is commonly related to the food we eat and can commonly be the symptom of several digestive problems. But what does indigestion feel like? Could we be mistaking indigestion with some other condition? Take a look at the symptoms of indigestion to tell them apart from other causes for an upset stomach and make sure you know how to stop the pain from indigestion too.

You may also be interested in: How To Improve Digestion And Stop Gas

Common symptoms of indigestion

Out of all of the problems that may be going on in your stomach, indigestion is commonly confused with heartburn. In fact, people usually mistake the two because they can actually occur at the same time.

Some people will also mistake the sensation of indigestion for a heart attack. This is actually normal if you are of a certain age and are not used to indigestion and due to the fact that pain comes from your chest. The fact is that our brain has trouble when trying to distinguish pain in the esophagus, chest and digestive tract, which is why we may be confused. Moreover, indigestion may also trigger muscle spasms in the area, which are said to be quite similar to a hear attack. However, a heart attack will also cause you shortness of breath and numbness in the arm, which are the main differences you'll distinguish.

Take a look at the symptoms of indigestion to make sure you have this condition, which will appear shortly after a meal:

  • Feeling unusually full and having gas
  • Pain under your chest
  • Having a nauseous feeling
  • Burping
  • Acid reflux

Indigestion during pregnancy

Many pregnant women can be concerned when feeling discomfort in their stomach and can find it hard to tell the difference between indigestion and other more serious conditions.

The fact is that indigestion and heartburn are quite common among women that are 27 weeks pregnant or more (8 out of 10 women have it). This is due to the fact that your uterus is slowly growing and therefore pressing against your stomach. Moreover, acid reflux is more common due to the relaxation of the esophageal sphincter, which no longer acts as such an effective gate to avoid acid from leaking back to the esophagus.

Make sure you follow a healthy diet and avoid foods that can give you indigestion and add more iron to your meals in order to avoid further digestive nuances. However, pregnant women should visit the doctor if indigestion is recurring as you might need specific medication such as Omeprazole if the problem is affecting your lifestyle on a daily basis.

What Does Indigestion Feel like? - Indigestion during pregnancy

How long does indigestion last?

Indigestion symptoms will start to kick in your chest shortly after a meal and will last for as long as two hours. This is also the case if you are suffering from indigestion while drinking alcohol.

For pregnant women, indigestion may continue until giving birth to the child, which is why it's important to visit a gynecologist if the problem reoccurs.

If you commonly have heartburn, it may be the symptom of an underlying disease, which is why indigestion can be permanent such as in patients with GERD.

How to get rid of indigestion

If you are suffering from indigestion, there are certain quick home remedies that will help you ease the pain:

  • Antacids: This over the counter medicine will help you ease the pain, reducing acidity in your stomach.
  • Alignates: This medicine is perfect if you also have acid reflux, as they create a barrier so that fluids don't go back up the esophagus.
  • Home remedies: It is said that drinking chamomile or ginger tea when feeling the symptoms of indigestion will help ease the burning sensation and stop the gas. It is said that a glass of hot water with a spoonful baking soda will also help with gas due to indigestion. Take a look at what to eat if you have indigestion so your next meal doesn't worsen your condition further.

However, you should find out if you have indigestion due to one of the following underlying causes, especially if you frequently have indigestion:

In these cases, your doctor will prescribe the best treatments for your condition, such as proton pump inhibitors or H2 receptors according to the NHS (British National Health Service).

Foods that commonly make you have indigestion

There are certain ingredients that can affect your stomach more severely and increase the chances of you getting indigestion. Take a look at the following:

  • Coffee
  • Tomato
  • Fried foods
  • Garlic
  • Excess alcohol
  • Peppermint
  • Cheese
  • Nuts
  • Avocado
  • Chocolate
  • Soda

If you have had these during your last meal, then the explanation to your indigestion may be that the food that you have eaten is a trigger for your body. Therefore, if you have pinpointed the ingredient that may have caused it, we advise you to refrain from eating it any further.

There are also certain lifestyle changes that can help you improve digestion so that it doesn't occur as much.

What Does Indigestion Feel like? - Foods that commonly make you have indigestion

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to What Does Indigestion Feel like?, we recommend you visit our Diseases & secondary effects category.

Tips
  • Stress and anxiety may also cause indigestion, so if you're feeling particularly stressed out, then the feeling of indigestion may come from nervousness.
  • People who smoke are more prone to indigestion, which is why you should refrain from smoking if you have recurring indigestion problems.
  • If you are overweight, you have a higher chance of getting indigestion. This is why we advise you to start losing weight in order to get this problem less frequently.

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