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Summary
Nearly everyone has had indigestion at one time. It's a feeling of discomfort or a burning feeling in your upper abdomen. You may have heartburn or belch and feel bloated. You may also feel nauseated, or even throw up.
You might get indigestion from eating too much or too fast, eating high-fat foods, or eating when you're stressed. Smoking, drinking too much alcohol, using some medicines, being tired, and having ongoing stress can also cause indigestion or make it worse. Sometimes the cause is a problem with the digestive tract, like an ulcer or GERD.
Avoiding foods and situations that seem to cause it may help. Because indigestion can be a sign of a more serious problem, see your health care provider if it lasts for more than two weeks or if you have severe pain or other symptoms. Your health care provider may use x-rays, lab tests, and an upper endoscopy to diagnose the cause. You may need medicines to treat the symptoms.
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Treatments and Therapies
- Chamomile (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Peppermint Oil (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Sage (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Related Issues
- Belching, Bloating and Flatulence (American College of Gastroenterology) Also in Spanish
- Confusing or Ambiguous Upper Gut Symptoms (International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders)
Specifics
- Functional Dyspepsia (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Dyspepsia (National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: The role of psychotherapeutic approaches in treatment of functional dyspepsia, systematic...
- Article: Clinical Significance of TNFSF14/LIGHT and CD160 in Gastric Cancer and Peptic...
- Article: Fermented Gold Kiwi for Improved Gastric Health: Evaluation of Efficacy and...
- Indigestion -- see more articles
Reference Desk
- Your Digestive System and How It Works (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
Find an Expert
- American College of Gastroenterology
- Find a Gastroenterologist (American College of Gastroenterology)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Children
- Indigestion (For Children) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Indigestion (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)
Teenagers
- Indigestion (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation)
Patient Handouts
- Indigestion (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Taking antacids (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish