• Indigestion, also known as dyspepsia, is a term used to describe one or more symptoms including a feeling of fullness during a meal, uncomfortable fullness after a meal, and burning or pain in the upper abdomen.
• Indigestion can be caused by a condition in the digestive tract such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcer disease, cancer, or abnormality of the pancreas or bile ducts.
• Sometimes a person has indigestion for which a cause cannot be found. This type of indigestion is called functional dyspepsia.
• Indigestion and heartburn are different conditions, but a person can have symptoms of both.
• The doctor may order x rays; blood, breath, and stool tests; and an upper endoscopy with biopsies to diagnose indigestion.
• Some people may experience relief from indigestion by making some lifestyle changes and decreasing stress.
• The doctor may prescribe antacids, H2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs), proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), prokinetics, or antibiotics to treat the symptoms of indigestion.