Understanding the symptoms of indigestion and how to reverse them

The symptoms of indigestion have almost become comic relief in television commercials. People burping, clutching their Tums, and singing along to cute Alka-Seltzer jingles have created the illusion that indigestion is not just normal, but funny. However, there is nothing funny about indigestion or its symptoms.

When someone complains of indigestion, it can range from the top of the digestive tract all the way down. People may complain of reflux, sour throat, stomach pain, bloating, gas pains, and eventually diarrhea. Understandably, not wanting to put up with these uncomfortable symptoms, a person reaches for over-the-counter medications to ease the discomfort.

This nonchalant attitude to the seriousness of indigestion on the part of advertisers, coupled with the availability of easy self-medication with over-the-counter products, combine to create the perfect storm in a person’s health. If a person considers indigestion symptoms a natural part of life and temporary treatment is available to lessen the discomfort, there is no desire to get to the heart of the problem.

So what is the real problem that makes antacid products one of the most profitable industries? There are a few theories to consider:

Eat excessively

One of the most obvious precursors to indigestion, absent any other medical problem, is overeating. Society is growing at an alarming rate. There was a time when people ate real food, the kind found on the outside walls of grocery stores. Meat, produce and dairy were normal meals and cooked at home. Today, fast food chains are everywhere, for those fast-paced people who need a quick meal. Boxed convenience foods pop into the microwave for a dinner in minutes. The restaurants offer starters, large main courses and desserts. Everywhere you look, people are consuming far more in one sitting than their digestive systems can handle. People seem to be eating for pleasure and not to control hunger. Our bodies are quite capable of telling us when they are hungry (growing stomach) and when they have been pushed to the limit (indigestion).

Unhealthy diets and food intolerances

The continuous consumption of unhealthy foods such as snacks and soft drinks has also affected the human body. You have to understand that these products are not really food, nor does our body know what to do with them. Whether a person is truly intolerant to certain foods or is consuming dead foods that irritate the intestinal lining, stopping these items is the only way to calm the intestines to start healing from within. Most people have seen how cola can clean a penny. Imagine the impact this drink has on the intestinal walls over time. Indigestion symptoms are the body’s way of letting a person know that it cannot digest or process these foods.

Symptoms of indigestion caused by lack of digestion

The ironic problem with indigestion is that people use antacids to relieve symptoms, which in turn decrease the amount of stomach acid needed to digest food. Over time, this cycle of not digesting food results in much more serious symptoms than indigestion, it can affect the whole body’s immune system because nutrition from food and supplements cannot be absorbed properly, with the digestive tract constantly changing.

If you have ongoing upset stomach, it’s important to first be checked by your doctor to rule out any other potential causes of your upset. If no other problems are found, it’s time to start watching what and how you eat. Eating only when you’re hungry, stopping overeating, eating natural foods from which your body can replenish nutrition, and allowing stomach acid levels to return to normal should reduce indigestion symptoms in no time.