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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffThere are many possible causes of indigestion. Some are related to lifestyle and what you're eating and drinking. Indigestion can also be caused by other digestive conditions.
Common causes include:
- Overeating
- Eating too quickly
- Fatty or greasy foods
- Spicy foods
- Too much caffeine
- Too much alcohol
- Too much chocolate
- Too many carbonated beverages
- Smoking
- Nervousness
- Emotional trauma
- Medications, including antibiotics, aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- Stomach inflammation (gastritis)
- Pancreas inflammation (pancreatitis)
- Peptic ulcers
- Gallstones
- Stomach cancer
When a cause for indigestion can't be found after a thorough evaluation, a person may have functional dyspepsia. Functional dyspepsia is a type of indigestion that may impair the stomach's ability to accept and digest food and then pass that food to the small intestine.
- Indigestion. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/indigestion. Accessed March 14, 2009.
- Feldman M, et al. Treatment of functional dyspepsia. In: Feldman M, et al. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Management. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/127528571-4/0/1389/50.html?tocnode=51637799&fromURL=50.html#4-u1.0-B1-4160-0245-6..50012-3_220. Accessed March 23, 2009.
- Longstreth GF. Functional dyspepsia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 14, 2009.
- Longstreth GF. Approach to the patient with dyspepsia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 14, 2009.
- Geeraerts B, et al. Functional dyspepsia: Past, present and future. Journal of Gastroenterology. 2008;43:251.
- Prescrire editorial staff. Herbal remedies for dyspepsia: Peppermint seems effective. Prescrire International. 2008;17:121.
- Soo S, et al. Psychological interventions for non-ulcer dyspepsia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2009:CD002301.
- von Arnim U, et al. STW 5, a phytopharmacon for patients with functional dyspepsia: Results of a multicenter, placebo-controlled double-blind study. 2007;102:1268.
- Picco MF (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. March 31, 2009.
- Understanding antidepressant medications. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/antidepressants010909.html. Accessed March 31, 2009.
