How to Treat Indigestion Without Medication
Does certain food bother you? Do you always feel bloated after meals? Feeling bloated can be very uncomfortable and disturbing especially if your stomach is making noise whilst you’re at work. This feeling might be due to indigestion. We watch many gaviscon adverts and hear the words heartburn and indigestion, but what is the difference?
Indigestion is a discomfort feeling in the stomach after eating spicy food or alcohol, whereas heartburn is the reflux of acid into the oesophagus. This causes a burning sensation in the middle of your chest.
There are many causes of indigestion. Medications such as ibuprofen, nitrates and aspirin can cause indigestion. Make sure not to take any ibuprofen or aspirin if you suffer from peptic ulcers. Obesity is another cause. This seems strange to think that, but the increased pressure in the stomach can force open the sphincter after a meal. There are many illnesses that obesity can cause and losing a bit of weight can decrease your risks. Hiatus hernia and pregnancy can also increase indigestion, so do not be worried if you experience this whilst you’re pregnant. A change of diet or a safe medication can be prescribed by your GP. Sometimes indigestion can happen without no medical reasons.
Instructions
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Before seeking medical advice, try treating your indigestion at home. Cut out spicy food and high-fat foods from your diet. If you drink alcohol, try lowering the units or drink only in the weekends. Another way which can prevent indigestion is to eat small meals frequently. So instead of eating 3 large meals, try and eat 5 small meals. Keep a fruit or yoghurt in your bag and eat it before your stomach rumbles. Eatingsour or citrus fruits such as lemon and oranges on an empty stomach can give you stomach problems too.
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Indigestion can become worse when you are constipated. Have a think of when was the last time you opened your bowels? If it was more than a day, then increase the amount of fibre you eat in a day. Whole-wheat cereal is really good especially with warm milk. I would recommend Shreddies instead of Weetabix as it has more fibre and gives you more energy. For me, I noticed that Weetabix doesn’t keep me going for the morning and I become hungry very quickly after it.
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Drinking green tea or even hot water and honey can soothe the pain. A technique that works for me to alleviate the pain is the following. Lay on your stomach with a pillow. Make sure the pillow is placed underneath your stomach. Try and lay in this position for 20 minutes.
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If the remedies listed above don't work, there are many medications which can help with bloating at the pharmacy. The best one I think is Zantac. For minor bloating, Zantac works within 20 minutes. I have tried Gaviscon, and it didn’t really work for me. I haven’t tried Rennie, so that’s another option. If the bloating still continues, please consult with your GP.
