Getting To Know The Symptoms Of Indigestion

After a party of eating and drinking, you noticed that your insides are starting to act funny. The pain is already starting to bother you, and it is very unusual. Then suddenly, you almost can't move anymore, about to throw up, feel like burping repeatedly or your chest being wrung in the inside. Did you imagine the scenario? Then, you might be suffering from a simple case of indigestion. How do you know the symptoms of indigestion and how is it different to some other medical conditions? If you want to know the answers, then this might be your guide to knowing the primary signs of indigestion, also known as dyspepsia.

Pain - This is probably the most common and the very disturbing sign of indigestion. The pain discomfort is sometimes felt in the upper part of the abdomen or your chest although in some cases it is generally felt all over the abdomen. This usually comes after eating or drinking.

Heartburn - Heartburn is another symptoms of indigestion and is described as a burning pain behind the breastbone (sternum). The acid that passes out from your stomach into the esophagus irritates the esophagus, thus the classic burning sensation. The pain is usually felt in the chest and may radiate toward the neck, throat, or the jaw. It is sometimes mistaken as angina, a medical condition where the heart no longer receives oxygen supply.

Loss of appetite - Because of indigestion, you may not feel hungry at all. This sensation is further accompanied by feeling full, and in other instances the loss of appetite is due to the persistent pain in the abdomen.

Feeling sick - Dyspepsia is also suspected if you, together with the other symptoms of indigestion, experience nausea and vomiting. In the event where you vomit, observe for any presence of blood and note the color if its dark or bright red. Presence of blood in the vomitus can be another symptom of a more serious illness than just dyspepsia.

Flatulence, burping, or belching - The passing of gas through the rectum (flatulence), or the mouth (burping and belching) is another sign of dyspepsia. Gas forms in the stomach when acid is secreted. During indigestion, more acid is produced and it accumulates in the stomach. It is only expelled through the rectum or the mouth.

Regurgitation - One of the symptoms of indigestion is the expulsion of swallowed food up again to the mouth, known as regurgitation. It can be voluntary or not, and in the case of dyspepsia it is involuntary. This may also be a symptom of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), a more serious disorder where the mucosal lining of the stomach is damaged because of the acid coming up to the esophagus.

However, these symptoms are not the pathognomonic signs of indigestion and that these may mean a more serious underlying problem. You are advised to seek immediate medical attention if dyspepsia is recurrent and if you:

Are 55 years old and above
Are losing weight without trying to
Are swallowing hardly and laboriously
Are experiencing pain that gets worse and worse
Are vomiting blood even if it’s only in specks.

At the first sign of these symptoms, call your doctor at once!