Dyspepsia is a state of discomfort that is often felt as pain in the upper abdomen. The name of this ailment comes from Greek and literally means: bad digestion; in Polish it is - generally speaking - indigestion. What are the causes and symptoms of dyspepsia? How to treat dyspepsia?
Dyspepsiadoes not apply to a single event after e.g. overeating, but it is a chronic, even permanent condition. Depending on whethercauses of dyspepsialie in other diseases, or whether its causes are unknown, doctors diagnose organic or functional dyspepsia.
Dyspepsia: organic and functional
Organic dyspepsia can be caused by other diseases: gastric or duodenal ulcer, cancer of the stomach or esophagus, gastroesophageal reflux disease, chronic pancreatitis or biliary tract inflammation. It can also be caused by some anti-rheumatic drugs, iron and potassium preparations, and antibiotics. Often, however, epigastric ailments do not have clear, easy-to-diagnose causes. Doctors then talk about functional dyspepsia. Then they do not investigate the source of the ailment, but focus on symptomatic treatment, paying attention to the certain neuroticism of patients suffering from dyspepsia. The fact is that a quarter of us suffer from dyspepsia periodically, and 40% of us suffer from dyspepsia. specific causes related to other diseases can be identified, and 60 percent. are people suffering from functional dyspepsia.
Symptoms of dyspepsia
The symptoms of dyspepsia are pain, heaviness or discomfort in the upper abdomen, heartburn. Sufferers of this condition quickly saturate, after a meal they experience epigastric overflow, they feel nauseous, have a tendency to belching, they suffer from nausea and vomiting more often than others, and they lose their appetite. And these ailments last - with a greater or lesser intensity - for months. In this case, the most important thing for a medical diagnosis is a thorough history. It concerns other diseases and ailments that are complained about and treated, medications taken, etc.
Treatment of dyspepsia
The first attempts at treatment are usually made by the doctor without diagnostic tests, and only when he does not notice any improvement after some time. Then it may be helpfulendoscopic examination of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum, ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity.
Treatment of organic dyspepsia is based on treating the disease that causes unpleasant ailments. However, there is no one way to treat functional dyspepsia. It begins with the introduction of some kind of regime in the lifestyle and diet. Doctors also recommend drinking herbs: linseed, St. John's wort, mint. If this isn't enough, your doctor may prescribe medications that inhibit acid secretion, speed up digestion, and some mild antidepressants. In the case of functional disorders, he does not shy away from offering psychotherapeutic help, especially if the suffering person is a child. For most patients, complaints pass over time - even whether they are taking medication or not. Others suffer - with varying degrees of severity - for years or even throughout their lives. Doctors say that functional dyspepsia does not endanger he alth, let alone life, but only makes it unpleasant.
You must do it- avoid rushing food
- sit down to the table after a short rest
- eat smaller portions at once
- eat at least 3-4 times a day
- do not eat right before going to bed
- avoid fried dishes