Diseases & Conditions

Indigestion

Indigestion — also called dyspepsia or an upset stomach — is a general term that describes discomfort in your upper abdomen. Indigestion is not a disease, but rather a collection of symptoms you experience, including bloating, belching and nausea. Although indigestion is common, how you experience indigestion may differ from how someone else does. Symptoms of indigestion might be felt occasionally or as often as daily.

Fortunately, you may be able to prevent or treat the symptoms of indigestion

There are many possible causes of indigestion. Some are related to lifestyle and what you're eating and drinking. Indigestion can also be caused by other digestive conditions.

Common causes include:

• Overeating
• Eating too quickly
• Fatty or greasy foods
• Spicy foods
• Too much caffeine
• Too much alcohol
• Too much chocolate
• Too many carbonated beverages
• Smoking
• Nervousness
• Emotional trauma
• Medications, including antibiotics, aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Stomach inflammation (gastritis)
• Pancreas inflammation (pancreatitis)
• Peptic ulcers
• Gallstones
• Stomach cancer

When a cause for indigestion can't be found after a thorough evaluation, a person may have functional dyspepsia. Functional dyspepsia is a type of indigestion that may impair the stomach's ability to accept and digest food and then pass that food to the small intestine.

Although indigestion doesn't usually have serious complications, it can affect your quality of life by making you feel uncomfortable and causing you to eat less. When indigestion is caused by an underlying condition, that condition could come with complications of its own.