Question: What are the symptoms of indigestion?
Answer: When you have indigestion, you may have one or more of the following symptoms

pain, a burning feeling, or discomfort in your upperabdomen
feeling full too soon while eating a meal
feeling uncomfortably full after a small amount of food
bloating,nausea, orbelching

Sometimes when you have indigestion, you may also have heartburn. However, heartburn and indigestion are two separate conditions.
Question: When should I seek help from a doctor?
Answer: If you have indigestion and any of the following symptoms, you may have a more serious condition. See a doctor right away if you have

pain in your chest, jaw, neck, or arm
difficulty swallowing or painful swallowing
frequentvomiting
bloody vomit
severe and constant pain in your abdomen
long-lasting bloating or swelling in your abdomen
shortness of breath
weight loss without trying or loss of appetite
yellowing of your eyes or skin
black, tarlikestools

You should also see a doctor if your indigestion doesn’t get better.
Question: What causes indigestion?
Answer: Doctors don’t know what causes people to have indigestion from time to time. Most cases of chronic indigestion are diagnosed as functional dyspepsia, which is a disorder of how the gut and brain interact. In some cases, chronic indigestion has other causes.

Functional dyspepsia

Functional dyspepsia is a disorder of gut-brain interaction. These disorders are related to problems with how the brain and gut work together. Disorders of gut-brain interaction are not diseases. They are groups of symptoms that occur together.

In most cases, experts do not know what causes this disorder. Some research suggests that the following factors may play a role

certain foods and drinks
problems in the first part of yoursmall intestine, includinginflammationand being overly sensitive to stomach acids
problems with the stomach’s ability to relax and expand with food
mental health problems, such asanxietyanddepression
genes—traits passed from parent to child
pain from the normal functions of thestomach

Other causes

Some medicines may cause indigestion, such as

certain antibiotics—medicines that killbacteria
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
iron supplements
medicines used to treatosteoporosisand other bone conditions
glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists—medicines used to treatdiabetesorobesity
corticosteroids, also called steroids

Health problems and digestive tract diseases and conditions may also cause indigestion. The most common of these include

peptic ulcers
Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori)or other infections such asSalmonella, Escherichia coli (E. coli), Campylobacter, Giardia, or norovirus

Specific foods or drinks are not thought to cause indigestion. However, certain foods or drinks may lead to symptoms for some people with functional dyspepsia.