Indigestion & Heartburn: Symptoms & Treatment

Indigestion & heartburn

These are digestive conditions causing discomfort and pain in the upper abdomen and chest, often due to acid reflux or overeating.

Recommended Actions

To manage heartburn, maintain a healthy weight, avoid tight clothes, eat smaller meals more often, don't lie down post-meal, elevate your bed's head, and consider over-the-counter meds.

Recommended Avoidances

These heartburn triggers include spicy, fatty, or fried foods, alcohol and caffeine, large or late-night meals, smoking, and certain medications. Try your best to avoid these.

Prevention Tips

Prevention strategies include lifestyle modifications such as maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise routine, managing stress, and avoiding triggers that induce heartburn.

Condition 101

Heartburn, a common condition, impacts many individuals in varying degrees. Characterised by a burning sensation in the chest or throat, it often occurs when stomach acid regresses into the oesophagus. Despite its name, heartburn does not involve the heart.

These symptoms indicate acid reflux, characterized by a burning chest sensation post-eating, a bitter or acidic taste, difficulty swallowing, chronic cough or throat clearing, and regurgitation of sour liquid or food.
These are common triggers of indigestion and heartburn, including overeating, lying down after meals, consuming spicy, fatty, or fried foods, smoking, pregnancy, and certain medications.
Heartburn risk factors include obesity, smoking, pregnancy, asthma, diabetes, and certain medications.
These are concerning signs if heartburn occurs more than twice a week, persists despite over-the-counter meds, disturbs sleep, lasts several weeks, or is accompanied by difficulty swallowing, ongoing nausea/vomiting, or unexplained weight loss.

Diagnosis of heartburn typically starts with a review of symptoms and medical history. For further investigation, tests like endoscopy, ambulatory acid (pH) probe tests, and esophageal manometry are used.
If left untreated, chronic heartburn can lead to complications like esophagitis, Barrett's esophagus, and esophageal cancer.
Despite the name, heartburn does not involve the heart. It's a digestive disorder affecting the lower esophageal sphincter.
Conditions like angina, gallbladder disease, or peptic ulcers may mimic heartburn. A thorough diagnosis can help distinguish these conditions.

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Treatment Options

Need more information about , contact us for more help on treatment or advise.

Over-the-counter treatments include antacids, H2 receptor blockers, and proton pump inhibitors.

In severe cases, doctors may recommend prescription medications, or in rare instances, surgical intervention.

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