Indigestion
 National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse 

U.S. Department 

of Health and 

Human Services 

NATIONAL 

INSTITUTES 

OF HEALTH 

What is indigestion? 

Indigestion, also known as dyspepsia, is a 

term used to describe one or more symptoms 

including a feeling of fullness during a meal, 

uncomfortable fullness after a meal, and 

burning or pain in the upper abdomen. 

Indigestion is common in adults and can 

occur once in a while or as often as every 

day. 

What causes indigestion? 

Indigestion can be caused by a condition in 

the digestive tract such as gastroesophageal 

reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcer disease, cancer, or abnormality of the pancreas 

or bile ducts. If the condition improves or 

resolves, the symptoms of indigestion usually 

improve. 

Sometimes a person has indigestion for 

which a cause cannot be found. This type 

of indigestion, called functional dyspepsia, 

is thought to occur in the area where the 

stomach meets the small intestine. The 

indigestion may be related to abnormal 

motility—the squeezing or relaxing action— 

of the stomach muscle as it receives, digests, 

and moves food into the small intestine. 

The digestive system. 

Esophagus 

Stomach 

Rectum 

Gallbladder 

Duodenum 

Pancreas 

Colon 

Anus 

Small 

intestine 

Liver 
 

What are the symptoms of 

indigestion? 

Most people with indigestion experience 

more than one of the following symptoms: 

•	 Fullness during a meal. The person 


feels overly full soon after the meal 


starts and cannot finish the meal.
 

•	 Bothersome fullness after a meal. The 

person feels overly full after a meal—it 

may feel like the food is staying in the 

stomach too long. 

•	 Epigastric pain. The epigastric area is 

between the lower end of the chest bone 

and the navel. The person may experience epigastric pain ranging from mild 

to severe. 

•	 Epigastric burning. The person feels 

an unpleasant sensation of heat in the 

epigastric area. 

Other, less frequent symptoms that may 

occur with indigestion are nausea and 

bloating—an unpleasant tightness in the 

stomach. Nausea and bloating could be due 

to causes other than indigestion. 

Sometimes the term indigestion is used to 

describe the symptom of heartburn, but these 

are two different conditions. Heartburn is 

a painful, burning feeling in the chest that 

radiates toward the neck or back. Heartburn 

is caused by stomach acid rising into the 

esophagus and may be a symptom of GERD. 

A person can have symptoms of both indigestion and heartburn. 

How is indigestion 

diagnosed? 

To diagnose indigestion, the doctor asks 

about the person’s current symptoms and 

medical history and performs a physical 

examination. The doctor may order x rays of 

the stomach and small intestine. 

The doctor may perform blood, breath, or 

stool tests if the type of bacteria that causes 

peptic ulcer disease is suspected as the cause 

of indigestion. 

The doctor may perform an upper endoscopy. After giving a sedative to help the 

person become drowsy, the doctor passes 

an endoscope—a long, thin tube that has a 

light and small camera on the end—through 

the mouth and gently guides it down the 

esophagus into the stomach. The doctor can 

look at the esophagus and stomach with the 

endoscope to check for any abnormalities. 

The doctor may perform biopsies—removing 

small pieces of tissue for examination with 

a microscope—to look for possible damage 

from GERD or an infection. 

Because indigestion can be a sign of a more 

serious condition, people should see a doctor 

right away if they experience 

•	 frequent vomiting 

•	 blood in vomit 

•	 weight loss or loss of appetite 

•	 black tarry stools 

•	 difficult or painful swallowing 

•	 abdominal pain in a nonepigastric area 

•	 indigestion accompanied by shortness of 

breath, sweating, or pain that radiates to 

the jaw, neck, or arm 

•	 symptoms that persist for more than 


2 weeks
 

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How is indigestion treated? 

Some people may experience relief from 

symptoms of indigestion by 

•	 eating several small, low-fat meals 


throughout the day at a slow pace 


•	 refraining from smoking 

•	 abstaining from consuming coffee, 


carbonated beverages, and alcohol 


•	 stopping use of medications that may 

irritate the stomach lining—such as 

aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs 

•	 getting enough rest 

•	 finding ways to decrease emotional 

and physical stress, such as relaxation 

therapy or yoga 

The doctor may recommend over-the-counter 

antacids or medications that reduce acid 

production or help the stomach move food 

more quickly into the small intestine. Many 

of these medications can be purchased without a prescription. Nonprescription medications should only be used at the dose and 

for the length of time recommended on the 

label unless advised differently by a doctor. 

Informing the doctor when starting a new 

medication is important. 

Antacids, such as Alka-Seltzer, Maalox, 

Mylanta, Rolaids, and Riopan, are usually 

the first drugs recommended to relieve 

symptoms of indigestion. Many brands on 

the market use different combinations of 

three basic salts—magnesium, calcium, and 

aluminum—with hydroxide or bicarbonate 

ions to neutralize the acid in the stomach. 

Antacids, however, can have side effects. 

Magnesium salt can lead to diarrhea, and 

aluminum salt may cause constipation. 

Aluminum and magnesium salts are often 

combined in a single product to balance 

these effects. 

Calcium carbonate antacids, such as Tums, 

Titralac, and Alka-2, can also be a supplemental source of calcium, though they may 

cause constipation. 

H2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs) include 

ranitidine (Zantac), cimetidine (Tagamet), 

famotidine (Pepcid), and nizatidine (Axid) 

and are available both by prescription and 

over-the-counter. H2RAs treat symptoms 

of indigestion by reducing stomach acid. 

They work longer than but not as quickly as 

antacids. Side effects of H2RAs may include 

headache, nausea, vomiting, constipation, 

diarrhea, and unusual bleeding or bruising. 

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) include 

omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid), lansoprazole (Prevacid), pantoprazole (Protonix), 

rabeprazole (Aciphex), and esomeprazole 

(Nexium) and are available by prescription. 

Prilosec is also available in over-the-counter 

strength. PPIs, which are stronger than 

H2RAs, also treat indigestion symptoms by 

reducing stomach acid. PPIs are most effective in treating symptoms of indigestion in 

people who also have GERD. Side effects of 

PPIs may include back pain, aching, cough, 

headache, dizziness, abdominal pain, gas, 

nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea. 

Prokinetics such as metoclopramide 

(Reglan) may be helpful for people who 

have a problem with the stomach emptying 

too slowly. Metoclopramide also improves 

muscle action in the digestive tract. Prokinetics have frequent side effects that limit 

their usefulness, including fatigue, sleepiness, depression, anxiety, and involuntary 

muscle spasms or movements. 

If testing shows the type of bacteria that 

causes peptic ulcer disease, the doctor may 

prescribe antibiotics to treat the condition. 

3 Indigestion 
Points to Remember 

•	 Indigestion, also known as dyspepsia, 

is a term used to describe one or more 

symptoms including a feeling of fullness 

during a meal, uncomfortable fullness 

after a meal, and burning or pain in the 

upper abdomen. 

•	 Indigestion can be caused by a condition 

in the digestive tract such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcer disease, cancer, or abnormality 

of the pancreas or bile ducts. 

•	 Sometimes a person has indigestion for 

which a cause cannot be found. This 

type of indigestion is called functional 

dyspepsia. 

•	 Indigestion and heartburn are different conditions, but a person can have 

symptoms of both. 

•	 The doctor may order x rays; blood, 


breath, and stool tests; and an upper 


endoscopy with biopsies to diagnose 


indigestion.
 

•	 Some people may experience relief from 

indigestion by making some lifestyle 

changes and decreasing stress. 

•	 The doctor may prescribe antacids, 

H2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs), 

proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), prokinetics, or antibiotics to treat the 

symptoms of indigestion. 

Hope through Research 

The National Institute of Diabetes and 

Digestive and Kidney Diseases’ Division of 

Digestive Diseases and Nutrition supports 

basic and clinical research into gastrointestinal motility disorders, including indigestion. 

Further research is needed in the areas of 

•	 the role of gastric hypersensitivity in 

indigestion 

•	 the relationship between indigestion 

and psychological disorders 

•	 new drug therapies for indigestion 

Participants in clinical trials can play a more 

active role in their own health care, gain 

access to new research treatments before 

they are widely available, and help others by 

contributing to medical research. For information about current studies, visit 

www.ClinicalTrials.gov.

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5 Indigestion

For More Information

American Gastroenterological Association 

4930 Del Ray Avenue 

Bethesda, MD 20814 

Phone: 301–654–2055 

Fax: 301–654–5920 

Email: member@gastro.org 

Internet: www.gastro.org

International Foundation for Functional 

Gastrointestinal Disorders 

P.O. Box 170864 

Milwaukee, WI 53217–8076 

Phone: 1–888–964–2001 or 414–964–1799 

Fax: 414–964–7176 

Email: iffgd@iffgd.org 

Internet: www.iffgd.org 

You may also find additional information about this 

topic by visiting MedlinePlus at www.medlineplus.gov.

This publication may contain information about medications. When prepared, this publication included 

the most current information available. For updates 

or for questions about any medications, contact 

the U.S. Food and Drug Administration toll-free at 

1–888–INFO–FDA (463–6332) or visit www.fda.gov. 

Consult your doctor for more information.

The U.S. Government does not endorse or favor any 

specific commercial product or company. Trade, 

proprietary, or company names appearing in this 

document are used only because they are considered 

necessary in the context of the information provided. 

If a product is not mentioned, the omission does not 

mean or imply that the product is unsatisfactory.
National Digestive Diseases 

Information Clearinghouse 

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Phone: 1–800–891–5389
 

TTY: 1–866–569–1162
 

Fax: 703–738–4929
 

Email: nddic@info.niddk.nih.gov
 

Internet: www.digestive.niddk.nih.gov
 

The National Digestive Diseases Information 

Clearinghouse (NDDIC) is a service of the 

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive 

and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The NIDDK 

is part of the National Institutes of Health of 

the U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services. Established in 1980, the Clearinghouse 

provides information about digestive diseases 

to people with digestive disorders and to their 

families, health care professionals, and the 

public. The NDDIC answers inquiries, develops 

and distributes publications, and works closely 

with professional and patient organizations and 

Government agencies to coordinate resources 

about digestive diseases. 

Publications produced by the Clearinghouse are 

carefully reviewed by both NIDDK scientists and 

outside experts. This publication was reviewed 

by David A. Peura, M.D., University of Virginia 

Health System. 

This publication is not copyrighted. The Clearinghouse 

encourages users of this fact sheet to duplicate and 

distribute as many copies as desired. 

This fact sheet is also available at 

www.digestive.niddk.nih.gov. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 

AND HUMAN SERVICES 

National Institutes of Health 

NIH Publication No. 09–4549 

November 2008