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Indigestion Q&As

Published by Bupa's health information team, September 2008.

Answers to questions about indigestion

This section contains answers to common questions about this topic. Questions have been suggested by health professionals, website feedback and requests via email.

 

Why is indigestion common in pregnancy?

Up to half of women are thought to suffer from indigestion (dyspepsia) during pregnancy. One of the reasons for this may be because the baby increases pressure against the stomach. This can then increase the chance of acid reflux.

Explanation

One of the main symptoms of indigestion is heartburn. Heartburn is a burning pain caused by the stomach acid flowing back up your oesophagus (the pipe that goes from your mouth to your stomach). This is called reflux. The medical term for the condition is gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD).

Your symptoms may start at any time during your pregnancy. They are usually more frequent or severe in the third trimester.

It's important that you contact your GP for advice if you are suffering from indigestion. He or she will want to rule out any other causes of your symptoms.

You may find that certain foods make your symptoms worse. Don't eat these foods while you are pregnant - keeping a diary of what you have eaten and when you get indigestion can help you to identify which food is causing the problem. Reducing your stress levels may also help reduce your symptoms.

Indigestion is often caused by the baby increasing the pressure against your stomach, or by changes in your hormone levels while you are pregnant having an effect on the valve (sphincter) at the join between your oesophagus and stomach. Because of this, symptoms tend to improve very quickly after your baby is born.

Further information

Sources

  • Dyspepsia - pregnancy-associated. Clinical Knowledge Summaries. www.cks.library.nhs.uk, accessed 10 March 2008
  • Dyspepsia. A national clinical guidance. Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), 2003. www.sign.ac.uk
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My indigestion is caused by gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). What does this mean and what can I do to help my condition?

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is the most common disorder that can affect your oesophagus (the pipe that goes from your mouth to your stomach). GORD is where the contents of your stomach are brought back up into your oesophagus. When this happens, the acid in your stomach causes a burning sensation (known as heartburn).

Explanation

In most people with GORD, the valve (sphincter) at the join between the oesophagus and stomach doesn't work properly, allowing reflux of the stomach acid.

Most reflux occurs during the day and usually after you have eaten.

There are several medicines available to you that you can buy from your pharmacist without a prescription to help relieve your symptoms. These include antacids (eg Rennie and Mucogel) which act by neutralising the acid in your stomach.

There are several lifestyle changes that you can make which may help to relieve your symptoms. You may find that eating a large, rich meal late in the evening makes your symptoms worse, so you may wish to eat earlier or change some of the foods that you eat.

Some foods bring on symptoms of heartburn every time they are eaten. These include bananas, cucumbers, nuts, citrus fruit and spicy foods. The list is almost endless and will vary from person to person - keeping a diary of what you have eaten and when you get heartburn can help you to identify which food is causing the problem.

Cutting down on how much alcohol you drink may also help to reduce your GORD symptoms. Alcohol is thought to increase how much acid your stomach produces.

Cigarette smoking has also been shown to increase symptoms of GORD. If you smoke, your GP may suggest that you try to stop.

Further information

Sources

  • Heartburn and gastro-oesophageal reflux. CORE digestive disorders. www.digestivedisorders.org.uk, accessed 13 March 2008
  • Warrell DA, Cox TM, Firth JD, Benz EJ. Oxford Textbook of Medicine. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005
  • Joint Formulary Committee, British National Formulary. 54th ed. London: British Medical Association and Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, 2007
  • Kaltenbach T, Crockett S, Gerson LB. Are lifestyle measures effective in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease? Arch Intern Med 2006; 166:965-971. http://archinte.ama-assn.org
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I often feel bloated after eating and have a lot of wind, which I find embarrassing. What can I do about this?

A lot of people complain about having too much wind (gas), especially after eating. Normally, gas passes out through your rectum (called flatulence), or out through your mouth as belching. When gas doesn't pass out of your body easily, it can collect in some parts of your bowel and can cause bloating and discomfort. Changes in diet can help to ease your symptoms.

Explanation

Every time you swallow, you take air into your stomach. Eating or drinking quickly, chewing gum and smoking all add to the amount of air you swallow.

If you are under a lot of stress, you may swallow a lot of air without even noticing it. When you swallow excess air, your stomach can become bloated, and some of this air can be expelled out through your mouth as a belch.

Therefore stopping smoking, reducing your stress levels and eating and drinking more slowly can help relieve your symptoms.

Reducing the amount of fizzy drinks you drink can also help as they cause your stomach to produce more gas (carbon dioxide).

Certain foods can also increase the amount of gas you produce. Most flatus (gas passed from your rectum) is made by the normal breakdown of food in your small bowel. Some foods aren't completely broken down here - they pass into your large bowel. Bacteria that live here continue the breakdown of this food and this produces gas. Eating foods like brussel sprouts, cabbage, onions, garlic, leeks, some pulses and some seeds, such as sunflower and poppy seeds, can increase the amount of gas in your bowel, and will increase flatus.

You may have a condition called lactose intolerance. This means that your stomach and small bowel can't break down a sugar called lactose which is found in cows', goats' and sheeps' milk. As a result, lactose enters your large bowel where again, the bacteria break it down and this produces large amounts of gas. Your GP can carry out a special test to see if you can break down lactose. If you can't, you may be advised to reduce the amount of milk that you drink.

Sorbitol is an artificial sweetener that is used in some diet products as a sugar substitute. It's also used in some diabetic products. Your small bowel can't break down or absorb sorbitol so it goes into your large bowel where, as with lactose, the bacteria break it down, leading to production of gas. It's a good idea not to eat products containing sorbitol to help reduce your flatus.

If your symptoms aren't reduced by changes in your diet or if they worsen, contact your GP for advice.

Further information

Sources

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Related topics

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This information was published by Bupa's health information team and is based on reputable sources of medical evidence. It has been peer reviewed by Dr W H Simpson, MBBS, General Practitioner, and by Bupa doctors. It has also been reviewed by CORE (Digestive Disorders Foundation). The content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.

Publication date: September 2008

 

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