Indigestion: How iCare Urgent Care Can Help Relieve Your Indigestion

When we eat, food enters our stomach but is often unable to exit – it remains there, causing indigestion.

Indigestion can be caused by many things, ranging from overeating to the consumption of certain foods. If you get the proper care – and take the right advice – you could find yourself back on track in no time.

Are you one of the many people who suffer from indigestion? Maybe you have heartburn, or your digestion isn’t what it used to be.

The good news is that iCare Urgent Argyle Clinic offers a full range of treatment options for your indigestion, and we can help you get your life back!

Indigestion Definition

Indigestion is a condition in which the stomach does not digest food properly. The symptoms of indigestion include nausea, heartburn, and belching.

Indigestion is also called dyspepsia or functional dyspepsia. It can cause pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen, often under the breastbone. This pain may radiate to your back or chest area. You may also have difficulty swallowing foods or liquids.

It occurs when your stomach produces too much acid, and you don’t consume enough liquids to neutralize it. This can happen when you eat a large meal or one high in fat or spicy foods. Certain medications can also cause indigestion.

Indigestion is a common problem and has many causes, including overeating, eating too fast, eating fatty foods, drinking alcohol, and smoking cigarettes.

Indigestion can be caused by stress or anxiety and by some medications, including antibiotics, antidepressants, and drugs used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension).

What Causes Indigestion?

Indigestion is a common condition that affects millions of people. It can cause burning or gnawing pain in the upper abdomen, bloating, belching, nausea and heartburn.

Here are the 7 five causes of indigestion:

1. Stress

Stressful situations can trigger indigestion because they cause your body to release stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones can increase acid production in your stomach, leading to heartburn and indigestion.

2. Food Allergies or Sensitivities

Some foods may trigger severe digestive symptoms in some people, especially if they have allergies or sensitivities to certain foods such as wheat or dairy products (see food allergies).

3. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

This condition occurs when the valve between your esophagus and stomach opens imperfectly or remains open too long, allowing stomach contents to flow back up into your esophagus, causing heartburn and sometimes regurgitation of stomach contents into the throat (acid reflux).

GERD is common among infants but also affects many adults who experience symptoms such as heartburn, regurgitation, and difficulty swallowing (dysphagia).

4. Lack of Digestive Enzymes

Enzymes are needed to break down food into smaller particles that the body can absorb. If you have a deficiency in digestive enzymes, it can result in poor digestion and absorption of nutrients from food.

5. Dysbiosis or Leaky Gut Syndrome

Dysbiosis occurs when there is an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gut. The immune system reacts to this imbalance by creating inflammation and promoting allergies, which can lead to indigestion.

The leaky gut syndrome occurs when undigested food particles leak through the lining of the intestines and enter the bloodstream, causing an immune response that triggers inflammation throughout the body.

6. Food Intolerance

Eating them can cause your stomach to produce excess acid if you have an allergy to certain foods. This leads to bloating and pain. Food intolerance can also lead to diarrhea or constipation, depending on your food and how much of it you eat at once.

7. Dietary Fiber

Foods high in fiber are suitable for your digestive system because they help move food through your body more quickly. However, if you don’t chew enough or if the fiber isn’t broken down by stomach acid, it can lead to bloating, discomfort, and flatulence.

Indigestion Symptoms

Indigestion symptoms include:

A burning sensation in your chest spreads to your neck, throat, and back.
A sense of fullness after eating small meals.
Belching.
Bloating in the upper abdomen.
Burping or passing gas (flatulence) after meals.
Chest pain or discomfort (heartburn).
Regurgitation (occurs when food comes back up from the stomach into the mouth).

What Does Indigestion Feel Like?

If you’ve ever had indigestion, you know that it’s not a fun feeling. But what does it actually feel like?

Indigestion results from too much gas in your stomach and intestines. This is usually caused by eating too fast, fatty, fried, or sugary foods or drinking alcohol or carbonated beverages.

It’s almost impossible to describe indigestion since no two people experience it similarly. Some people have sharp pains in their chest, while others might feel a general discomfort in their stomach area. You might be bloated or nauseous as well.

Indigestion can sometimes be painful—so much so that some people choose to stay home from work.

It usually isn’t something terrible (unless you have another underlying condition such as heartburn) and often goes away within a few hours. Still, you should probably talk to your doctor about it if it’s bothering you.

Diagnosis of Indigestion

If you’ve been experiencing indigestion for several days, you must go to the doctor and find the cause. Following are some tips for diagnosing your condition:

1. See A Doctor

A medical professional can examine you and determine why you’re having this discomfort.

2. Take Note of What You’ve Eaten Recently

If you have a food allergy or intolerance, the culprit could be something you ate. Every bite of food is precious, so pay attention to what you put in your mouth.

3. Write Down Your Symptoms

List everything that happens when you have this discomfort, including when and how long it lasts. If possible, record audio or video of the episode.

The following tests may be done:

Stomach X-ray — this test can show whether the food you are eating is digesting correctly or not.
A blood test can be used to look for infections such as Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) or giardia lamblia, which can cause indigestion and nausea.
Biopsies are small samples of tissue taken from your body that are then examined under a microscope by a pathologist (a doctor specializing in diagnosing diseases).
Biopsies may be done if your doctor suspects an inflammatory disease, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, might be causing your symptoms.

Treatment for Indigestion

1. Avoid Overeating

Overeating is one of the significant causes of indigestion. When eating, try to finish your meal in 20 minutes, and don’t eat more than two hours before you go to bed. Also, avoid taking heavy meals in the evening.

2. Drink Plenty of Water

Drinking plenty of water is essential for digestion as well as for your overall health. It keeps your body from dehydrating, leading to indigestion and heartburn.

It also helps keep food moving through your digestive system more smoothly so that it doesn’t sit and ferment in your stomach.

3. Avoid Coffee and Alcohol

Coffee and alcohol are common triggers for heartburn and indigestion because they relax the muscles in the lower part of your esophagus (the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach).

This makes it easier for acid to splash up against them when you eat or drink something too hot or spicy, causing burning pain or discomfort that’s hard to ignore! If you already have problems with these foods, avoid them for a few weeks until symptoms subside entirely.

4. Get Regular Exercise

Get regular exercise, at least 30 minutes daily, as it helps digestion and keeps the body fit and healthy.

5. Visit Your Doctor More Frequently

If you suffer from acidity or heartburn daily, talk to your doctor about taking antacid tablets after meals or before bed at night.

Why go to iCare Urgent Care Argyle?

If you or your child is sick and need a doctor but doesn’t have an appointment, come to iCare Urgent Care Argyle.

We are open 7 days a week from 8 am – 10 pm and can provide you with treatment for common illnesses like colds, cases of flu, allergies, and stomach viruses.

You will get seen by a licensed nurse practitioner or physician assistant who can diagnose and treat minor illnesses, perform routine physicals and write prescriptions when needed. We also offer X-rays and lab services at our facility.

1. Convenient and Affordable Care

We are open 7 days a week and offer extended hours. We accept most insurance plans and can bill you directly if your plan doesn’t cover us.

2. Same Day Appointments Available

No need to wait days or weeks for an appointment -come in today! All our providers are board certified and have years of experience in urgent care.

3. Fast Diagnosis and Treatment Options

We have them available on site if you need stitches, antibiotics or other treatment options. Our providers will review your treatment options and let you know what’s best for your condition.

4. Provide High-Quality Care

The doctors at iCare Urgent Care Argyle are committed to providing high-quality care at affordable prices. We accept most insurance plans and offer discounts for cash or check payments.