Many of us get burning sensation in the chest area, stomach upset, belching or nausea once in a while, after having a spicy, oily or heavy meal. This condition is very common; it is not a disease, but a consequence of what we eat. This condition is medically termed as dyspepsia. The word dyspepsia comes from the Greek words, ‘dys’ and ‘pepse’ which means indigestion or stomach upset.
Symptoms
Dyspepsia may cause a feeling of heaviness, bloating, nausea and vomiting. You may feel a burning sensation in the upper abdomen, or a severe pain between breastbone and navel. You may have to call a doctor if your pain becomes severe or is accompanied by black colored stools, loss of appetite, weight loss and jaundice (yellow coloring of eyes and skin).
These symptoms are generally causes when you eat too much and too quickly, have spicy or fatty foods. Eating lots of chocolates or drinking too much coffee may also cause dyspepsia. If you drink too many carbonated beverages or consume excess alcohol then you have symptoms of dyspepsia. Other conditions like anxiety, smoking, emotional distress, taking medication like aspirin, swelling of stomach (gastritis), swelling of pancreas (pancreatitis), cancer of stomach, peptic ulcers, acid reflux disease (acid in stomach goes back into esophagus) and gall stones may also cause dyspepsia.
Diagnosis
To diagnose dyspepsia, in addition to the symptoms, the doctor may conduct stool tests and blood tests to see if there is any peptic ulcer disease causing the symptoms. The doctor can conduct an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, in which a thin flexible tube with a camera is passed through the mouth into the stomach to check for any abnormalities. To get the images of your abdomen, an ultrasound is done in which high frequency sound waves are used to capture images of internal organs. An abdominal CT scan can also be done to get detailed images of your abdomen.
Treatment
Dyspepsia is treated by medications. Antacids are the first of all to be prescribed. Antacids neutralize the acid in the stomach and relieve symptom of burning sensation in the upper abdomen. The most common antacids are Mylanta, Maalox, Alka Seltzer, Riopan and Rolaids. However, in some people these may cause constipation and diarrhea.
The H-2-receptor antagonists are also prescribed to reduce the stomach acid. This class of drug includes medications like Zantac, Pepsid, Axid and Tagamet. These are also available over the counter. Side effects of H-2-receptor antagonists include constipation, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, headache and bleeding.
If the dyspepsia is cause by slowed emptying of stomach, then medications like Reglan can be taken. People who take Reglan can experience side effects like anxiety, depression, drowsiness, weakness and involuntary muscle spasms.
For people suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease (stomach acid goes back to esophagus), proton pump inhibitors like Zegerid, Protonix and prilosec are given which help in reducing the stomach acid. Proton pump inhibitors may cause side effects like headache, dizziness, cough, abdominal pain, gas formation, back ache, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation.
If the bacterium known as helicobacter pylori is causing indigestion, antibiotics are prescribed. Antibiotics can cause side effects like fungal infections, diarrhea, and upset stomach. To decrease the sensation of pain, antidepressants can be prescribed. Antidepressants can cause side effects like constipation, agitation, headaches, night sweats and nausea.
Prevention
To prevent mild form of dyspepsia, you must make healthy changes in your lifestyle. You must always eat your meals slowly, and chew them properly. Try eating many small meals instead of three large ones. Unhealthy weight gain puts pressure on the abdomen, causing the acid to come back from stomach into the esophagus. To avoid this you must exercise regularly to maintain a healthy weight. You must avoid foods that trigger dyspepsia, such as spicy foods, coffee, alcohol, carbonated beverages, and smoking. If medications like aspirin are causing irritation to the stomach, you must stop taking it at once and report it to your doctor. Lastly, it is very important for you to manage stress. Practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing, yoga, and meditation to keep stress away.
Dyspepsia down the ages
Dyspepsia or indigestion has been troubling mankind down the ages. In ancient Egypt, to cure dyspepsia, a hog’s tooth was crushed and put into four sugar cakes which the patient had to eat for four days. The ancient Indian medicine of Ayurveda suggests the use of turmeric juice for curing dyspepsia. The Africans drink Tangawisi juice which is made by mixing crushed ginger with mango tree sap to cure indigestion. Remember, you do not need exotic remedies to cure indigestion. All you need is to make healthy life style choices to keep dyspepsia at bay.
