Suffering From This Very Common Health Issue, Dyspepsia, Here’s How To Manage It According To An Expert, Dr Rotimi Adesanya
Dyspepsia is another name for indigestion. It can cause bloating, or make one feel full too early after eating. It is a pain or an uncomfortable feeling in the upper middle part of the stomach area. The pain, according to a specialist, Dr Rotimi Adesanya, might come and go, but it’s there most of the time. One might feel too full after a meal or too full to finish a meal.
One can get it at any age. It may also cause acid reflux (a burning pain that moves up from your stomach into your chest), nausea, or vomiting. Once the food is chewed and swallowed, it is pushed by muscular waves down the oesophagus and through a sphincter (or muscle ring) into the stomach.
Sometimes, even in healthy individuals, the contents of the stomach squeeze up through the sphincter and back into the oesophagus. This is called ‘reflux’ (also known as gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, indigestion or heartburn) and feels like a burning sensation behind the breastbone.
Causes
Dyspepsia can be caused by many things like eating a large meal and then doing some kind of physical activity, like lifting or bending, taking too much coffee or alcohol, anxiety, which can make the stomach ‘churn’ , advanced pregnancy, when the womb pushes up against the stomach. However, in many people the cause is unknown. This is called functional dyspepsia.
Other causes are irritation to the stomach lining, inflammation of the stomach lining called gastritis. Stomach ulcers or acid reflux (gastro-oesophageal disease) can also cause dyspepsia. If one has reflux, stomach acid goes backs up into the esophagus (the tube leading from your mouth to your stomach). This causes pain in the chest. The doctor may do some tests to find out if there is an ulcer or reflux disease.
Some medicines, like anti-inflammatory pain relievers like ibuprofen, can also cause dyspepsia. In some cases of dyspepsia, the stomach may not be emptying properly, or one may have an acid build-up. Some people have gastritis, ulcers in their stomach or intestines from bacteria called Helicobacter pylori.
Infection from these bacteria can cause indigestion. Sometimes dyspepsia can be a sign of something serious, such as gallstones. In rare cases, it may be a sign of stomach cancer.
Symptoms
A gnawing or burning stomach pain, Bloating, Heartburn, Nausea (upset stomach), Vomiting, Burping
Signs
Epigastric tenderness, signs of the serious disease include unplanned weight loss, anaemia (low blood problem), loss of appetite, trouble swallowing, frequent vomiting, and indigestion symptoms that begin after 55 years of age.
Treatment
One should stop taking over-the-counter pain medicines, quitting or drinking less alcohol, quitting smoking, and changing one’s diet may help. Avoiding foods that make the symptoms to get worse. Indigestion may get worse if one is stressed or depressed.
If there is a pain or peppery or burning sensatiton, the doctors may recommend medications such as ranitidine or omeprazole. There are other medicines that may help if one feels bloated or full. If there is a bacterial infection, one may need antibiotics.
Most often, medicine can take care of this condition. If there is a stomach ulcer, it can be cured. One may need to take an acid-blocking medicine. If there is an infection called H. pylori in the stomach, one may also need to take antibiotics.
A medicine that cuts down on the amount of acid in the stomach might help the pain. This medicine can also help if there is an acid reflux disease.
The doctor might request a procedure called endoscopy if the stomach pain persists after taken a dyspepsia medicine for a certain period. During an endoscopy, a small tube with a camera inside it is put into the mouth and down into the stomach. Then the doctor can look inside the stomach to try to find a cause for the pain.
Preventions
- If you smoke, stop smoking
- If some foods bother your stomach, try not to eat them
- Try to reduce the stress in your life
If you have acid reflux, don’t eat right before bedtime. Raising the head of your bed may also help.
Unless the doctor says otherwise, don’t take a lot of anti-inflammatory medicines like ibuprofen, aspirin, naproxen, and ketoprofen. Paracetamol is a better choice for pain, because it won’t hurt the stomach.
Dietary preventions
Traditionally eating smaller regular low-fat meals is the advice offered, as the stomach and duodenum can process these more easily (a high fat intake slows gastric emptying) Other triggers identified include fatty, fried or spicy foods, carbonated drinks, and avoiding these may be of benefit.
Source: PUNCH