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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffMost people with indigestion have one or more of the following symptoms:
- Early fullness during a meal. You haven't eaten much of your meal, but you already feel full and may not be able to finish eating.
- Uncomfortable fullness after a meal. Fullness lasts longer than it should.
- Pain in the upper abdomen. You feel a mild to severe pain in the area between the bottom of your breastbone (sternum) and your navel.
- Burning in the upper abdomen. You feel an uncomfortable heat or burning sensation between the bottom of the breastbone and navel.
Less frequent symptoms may come along with indigestion, including:
- Nausea. You feel like you are about to vomit.
- Bloating. Your stomach feels swollen, tight and uncomfortable.
Sometimes people with indigestion also experience heartburn, but heartburn and indigestion are two separate conditions. Heartburn is a pain or burning feeling in the center of your chest that may radiate into your neck or back after eating.
When to see a doctor
Mild indigestion is usually nothing to worry about. Consult your doctor if discomfort persists for more than two weeks. Contact your doctor right away if pain is severe or accompanied by:
- Weight loss or loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Black, tarry stools
- Jaundice, or yellow coloring in the skin and eyes
Seek immediate medical attention if you have:
- Shortness of breath, sweating or chest pain radiating to the jaw, neck or arm
- Chest pain on exertion or with stress
- 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.
