Indigestion and heartburn symptoms, causes and treatment

Posted on September 20, 2023

Heartburn and Indigestion are common digestive problems that are used interchangeably but they are two different conditions. Indigestion and heartburn are discussed in detail below.

What is Indigestion?

Indigestion is an uncomfortable, sometimes painful feeling in the stomach during or after eating. We can call it an upset stomach.

Symptoms of Indigestion:

Some of the major symptoms of indigestion are:

Bloating or abdominal pain.
Belching and gas.
Nausea.
Vomiting.
Acidic taste in the mouth

These symptoms usually go away within a few hours but can get worse when the person is stressed.

Causes of indigestion:

Indigestion can be caused by:

Eating too much.
Eating too fast.
Eating the food to which someone’s body doesn’t respond well.
Eating Fatty or spicy foods.
Too much stress, smoking or drinking caffeinated, carbonated, or alcoholic drinks.

Handling Indigestion:

Usually, indigestion symptoms last for few minutes to few hours after eating. However, if the indigestion symptoms last for longer period of time, then you should take some treatment. Indigestion can be treated in the following ways:

Address the underlying cause of indigestion.
Taking small sips of water may help.
Try not to eat too much at once, and don’t eat dinner too late.
managing stress and losing weight
Exercise regularly

What is heartburn?

Heartburn is a burning sensation in the chest produced by stomach acid refluxing up into the throat. If this continues, the condition is known as gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD).

Symptoms of heartburn:

A burning sensation in the middle of the chest.
An unpleasant sour taste in the mouth, caused by stomach acid.
A cough or hiccups that keep coming back.
A hoarse voice.
Bad breath.
Bloating and feeling sick.

Symptoms are often worse after eating, when lying down and when bending over.

Causes of heartburn:

Some of major causes of heartburn can be:

Intake of spicy or acidic foods.
Being overweight.
Smoking.
Stress or anxiety.
Pregnancy.
Increase in some type of hormones like progesterone and oestrogen.

How to ease heartburn?

Heartburn can be eased or relieved by:

Changing simply lifestyle
Eating smaller, more frequent meals
If you are overweight, try to reduce your weight.
Try to find ways to relax.

If your are getting indigestion or heartburn regularly or have this issue most of the time then you should speak to a doctor. They may suggest some medicines for relieving or reducing indigestion or heartburn. P47 has a variety of products available for relaxing indigestion or heartburn. You can place an order to get on lower prices.