What are the symptoms of indigestion?

Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
Updated on September 27, 2024
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Indigestion, also known as functional dyspepsia, is primarily characterized by symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting, due to impaired food ejection function. Poor appetite can lead to a relative lack of body energy, resulting in symptoms like insomnia, anxiety, and depression. Indigestion is common among children and the elderly or frail. In treatment, it is important to adjust the diet to focus on soft, easy-to-digest foods, eat more fresh green vegetables, and avoid raw, cold, or spicy foods.

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Written by Zhu Dan Hua
Gastroenterology
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What tests should be done for indigestion?

Indigestion is relatively common in clinical practice. Patients can undergo several diagnostic tests to rule out other causes of indigestion. These tests include gastroscopy, complete blood count, liver function tests, Helicobacter pylori testing, and abdominal ultrasound. Generally, if these tests show no issues, especially if the patient's symptoms are persistent and not accompanied by any alarming signs such as fever, bloody stools, vomiting blood, decreased appetite, or weight loss, indigestion is usually considered. In terms of treatment, symptomatic treatment is emphasized. Typically, medications that protect the stomach, improve gastrointestinal motility, and aid digestion can be used and generally provide some degree of control. Of course, this is under the assumption that other causes of abdominal discomfort, such as ulcers, inflammation, or even tumors, have been ruled out. (Please use medication under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Si Li Li
Gastroenterology
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What can you eat with indigestion?

Indigestion can be observed in various gastric diseases such as gastrointestinal dysfunction, chronic gastritis, and peptic ulcers, all of which can exhibit symptoms of indigestion. When experiencing symptoms of indigestion, attention must also be paid to diet. Firstly, one must quit smoking and drinking alcohol, avoid strong tea, coffee, fatty and heavy foods, spicy foods, fried foods, grilled foods, raw and cold foods, as well as sweets. One should avoid consuming milk, soy milk, glutinous rice, sweet potatoes, and other such foods. This is because some of these foods can increase gastric acid secretion leading to a worsening of gastric diseases, and some are difficult to digest, exacerbating symptoms of indigestion; therefore, they are not recommended. It is advised to increase physical activity, as exercise can promote gastrointestinal motility, which is effective in improving symptoms of indigestion.

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Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
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How to treat functional dyspepsia?

Functional dyspepsia, which is considered temporarily non-organic, should first be managed by dietary adjustments. Meals should be regular and portion-controlled to avoid overeating; softer, easily digestible foods should be favored while gas-producing foods like leeks and soy products should be limited. Medications that enhance gastrointestinal motility and accelerate food emptying can be used, as well as those that adjust microbial imbalances. Engaging in moderate outdoor activity after meals can also effectively enhance gastrointestinal motility and promote gastric emptying. (Please take medications under the guidance of a doctor)

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Written by Zhang Shu Kun
Traditional Chinese Medicine
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Does stomach cold easily lead to indigestion?

Patients with a cold stomach may experience poor digestion, and other symptoms of deficiency-cold such as diarrhea and abdominal bloating. They usually avoid eating very cold or very hard foods. It is recommended to eat foods like adzuki beans, red beans, coix seed, and jujube, which can effectively help expel the cold from the stomach and improve symptoms. Also, it is advisable to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables regularly, mainly to avoid stimulating, greasy, and raw cold foods, so as not to aggravate the condition. Engaging in more physical activities can effectively aid gastrointestinal motility and improve symptoms.

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Written by Jiang Guo Ming
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How to deal with indigestion and nausea?

If symptoms of indigestion and nausea appear in the short term, they may be caused by exposure to cold, improper diet, medication factors, and so on. In such cases, adjusting the diet or discontinuing the related medication should gradually relieve the symptoms. If this condition persists for a long period, it is necessary to rule out upper gastrointestinal issues. Initial steps should include relevant examinations, commonly involving procedures such as gastroscopy, tests for Helicobacter pylori, or upper gastrointestinal imaging, etc. Based on the results of these tests, targeted treatment should be administered, such as eradicating Helicobacter pylori. If there is no Helicobacter pylori infection, symptomatic treatment should be considered, such as enhancing gastric motility, protecting the gastric mucosa, or suppressing stomach acid, etc.