Heartburn And Indigestion
A Handy Guide to Heartburn and Indigestion
Heartburn and indigestion plague millions of people every day. When you feel that burning sensation in your throat or gas pressure building up, don’t assume necessarily that it’s simply lasagna from 3 days ago and pop an antacid tablet. There may be underlying causes that could be simply removed by some minor lifestyle changes. In some cases it may be a more serious problem and require prescriptions and a doctor’s care to remedy.
The Difference Between Heartburn and Indigestion
Many people mistakenly assume that heartburn and indigestion are the same thing. In fact, they are quite different from one another. Additionally, severe indigestion can sometimes cause heartburn, but the reverse is never true.
Indigestion, or dyspepsia, is the generalized term for discomfort in the upper regions of your abdomen. It is not a disease in its own right, but a congregation of various symptoms including nausea, bloating, belching, and sometimes gas. People will commonly feel full quickly during a meal, and will feel uncomfortably full for a longer period of time following a meal. People experience these symptoms in varying degrees, and some not at all.
Heartburn on the other hand is usually described as a burning sensation of varying degrees directly behind the breastbone. The pain will often become more intense when the sufferer is lying down or even bending over, because the acid can trickle further up the esophagus.
Lifestyle Changes
If you experience one or both of these problems, there are certain lifestyle changes you can make that will help prevent both. For instance, simply eating smaller meals and chewing your food slowly can help with proper digestion. This will reduce both the over-full feeling of indigestion and the acid reflux with heartburn.
Additionally, maintaining a healthy weight can reduce symptoms of these problems as well. This does not mean that you have to be Hollywood thin; you just need to be of moderate weight. Extra weight will put pressure on your abdomen and can push your stomach up. This leads to acid being forced up through the esophagus. If you are overweight, consider getting a diet plan from your doctor. Ideally you should lose no more than 1 – 3 lbs a week. This helps to ensure that the weight stays off and you don’t “crash.”
Avoiding certain food triggers can also help you to reduce the pain and discomfort of heartburn and indigestion. Foods that are very greasy and high in fat can often cause pain and discomfort. Beverages that are acidic and high in caffeine are also best avoided. Coffee and soda in particular are common causes of stomach discomfort. Similarly, if you know that food with high citric acid content like tomatoes make you feel bloated and cause burning belches, simply avoid them.
Treatments
Antacids are recommended for both heartburn and indigestion. They commonly reduce stomach acids and act quickly, offering rapid relief. They can be purchased over the counter at any grocery store, pharmacy, or gas station.
Certain medications are prescribed for these problems as well. For both problems doctors often recommend prescriptions that act as antacids but have longer lasting effects and stronger side effects as well. In addition to these, your doctor may prescribe proton pump inhibitors if he feels you need stronger acid reducers.
In certain cases of indigestion your doctor may also prescribe antidepressants. Antidepressants will help to numb the pain in your stomach lining. This only happens after a thorough evaluation has been conducted, no cause for your indigestion has been determined, and conventional treatment methods have had little or no effect.