Dyspepsia is a chronic condition that is often confused with other stomach, bowel and intestinal disorders. In general, dyspepsia is not acid reflux disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or stomach upset due to parasitic infection. The term means bad digestion, which really isn’t accurate, since the condition doesn’t involve the total digestive system. It’s often called a functional disease because it indicates that part of the digestive system is not functioning properly, from often indeterminate causes. The part of the digestive system most associated with this condition is the stomach and the upper part of the small intestine.
People who have dyspepsia tend to feel a burning feeling in their upper abdomen, which may be more intense after eating. Many call this feeling heartburn, but usually heartburn is associated with painful burning closer to the heart or in the throat. Other symptoms include bloating of the upper abdomen, excessive need to belch, nausea, and a feeling of fullness after eating only a little food. Symptoms may fluctuate but the condition may exist for years if not a lifetime. An estimated 20% of the US population suffers from the condition, but only about half of them seek treatment.
Diagnosing dyspepsia is all about eliminating the presence of other digestive tract conditions. Sometimes dyspepsia is created by the presence of ulcers, which are caused by bacteria. This can make treatment of the condition very easy, since antibiotic treatment can eliminate the bacteria creating ulcers, which will often gradually heal. Other times the condition defies explanation and no ulcers are present. It is not caused by reflux disease, where stomach acid regurgitates to the esophagus, and it is not caused by bowel function or spastic colon. Identifying what conditions don’t exist helps to pin down diagnosis.
Even though dyspepsia is not reflux disease, many people with the condition, when ulcers do not cause it, tend to feel much better when they take prescription strength antacids. In fact, one method of diagnosis is to prescribe antacids to see if the condition resolves. If the pain subsides as it does in about 70% of cases, dyspepsia may be considered a likely cause. Other people find that eliminating certain foods in the diet, like spicy foods can help calm the condition. People are usually asked to keep food journals when diagnosed, and then to note symptoms after eating certain types of food.
Often people attribute dyspepsia to food allergies or to celiac disease. This is most often not accurate, and people may mistakenly and unnecessarily eliminate a lot of foods from their diets. Frequently people eliminate milk products, which provide a vital calcium source. While there are certainly people with legitimate food allergies, dyspeptic conditions don’t generally result from allergies to milk. Diet may need to be modified, but not to the extent many think. A combination of healthful eating and antacids tends to help most people have fewer symptoms.
We usually think of symptoms of dyspepsia as originating from the upper gastrointestinal tract, primarily the stomach and first part of the small intestine. These symptoms include:
upper abdominal pain (above the navel),
belching,
nausea (with or without vomiting),
abdominal bloating (the sensation of abdominal fullness without objective distention),
early satiety (the sensation of fullness after a very small amount of food), and,
possibly, abdominal distention (swelling as opposed to bloating).
The symptoms most often are provoked by eating, which is a time when many different gastrointestinal functions are called upon to work in concert. This tendency to occur after meals is what gave rise to the notion that dyspepsia might be caused by an abnormality in the digestion of food.
It is appropriate to discuss belching in detail since it is a commonly misunderstood symptom associated with dyspepsia. The ability to belch is almost universal. Belching, also known as burping or eructating, is the act of expelling gas from the stomach out through the mouth. The usual cause of belching is a distended (inflated) stomach that is caused by swallowed air or gas. The distention of the stomach causes abdominal discomfort, and the belching expels the air and relieves the discomfort. The common reasons for swallowing large amounts of air (aerophagia) or gas are gulping food or drink too rapidly, anxiety, and carbonated beverages. People often are unaware that they are swallowing air. Moreover, if there is not excess air in the stomach, the act of belching actually may cause more air to be swallowed. "Burping" infants during bottle or breastfeeding is important in order to expel air in the stomach that has been swallowed with the formula or milk.
Excessive air in the stomach is not the only cause of belching. For some people, belching becomes a habit and does not reflect the amount of air in their stomachs. For others, belching is a response to any type of abdominal discomfort and not just to discomfort due to increased gas. Everyone knows that when they have mild abdominal discomfort, belching often relieves the problem. This is because excessive air in the stomach is often the cause of mild abdominal discomfort. As a result, people belch whenever mild abdominal discomfort is felt-whatever the cause.
If the problem causing the discomfort is not excessive air in the stomach, then belching does not provide relief. As mentioned previously, it even may make the situation worse by increasing air in the stomach. When belching does not ease the discomfort, the belching should be taken as a sign that something may be wrong within the abdomen and that the cause of the discomfort should be sought. Belching by itself, however, does not help the physician determine what may be wrong because belching can occur in virtually any abdominal disease or condition that causes discomfort.
Treatment of dyspepsia depends on whether it may be associated with an underlying digestion problem such as a gastric ulcer, peptic ulcer disease, or gallbladder disease. Most often, the medications prescribed can relieve symptoms.
Medications include antacids, acid-blocking medication such as H2-receptor blocks and antibiotics if you have an H.pylori infection. If your symptoms are mild or not related to a specific disorder, your doctor may recommend changes to your diet – eating small amounts of soft foods or liquids, avoiding greasy and spicy foods and eliminating all dairy products if you are lactose intolerant.
Natural herbs have been used for thousands of years to treat and prevent digestive irritation and discomfort. A combination of herbal ingredients are a therapeutic measure to cure indigestion and support liver and gallbladder functioning. Not only are they safe and gentle to use on the body, but also a far more suitable substitute to antacids.
Zingiber officinale (Ginger) is a wonderful herb, traditionally used in Chinese and Indian medicine and is highly effective in relieving the symptoms of nausea, vomiting, indigestion, flatulence and dizziness.
Two well known herbs known as Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) and Mentha piperita (mint) have anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic that calms and soothes the digestive system. In addition, Pelargonium graveolens (stomach pain bush) is also an effective calmative and anti-spasmodic herb, reducing stomach cramps and pain.