DYSPEPSIA

BACKGROUND

Dyspepsia is another name for indigestion. It can cause bloating, or make you feel full too early when you eat. It may also cause acid reflux (a burning pain that moves up from your stomach into your chest), nausea, or vomiting.

DISEASE OCCURRENCE IN POPULATION:

Prevalence of dyspepsia varies from 20% to 40%, of which perhaps only a quarter can be attributed to peptic ulcer disease. There is a lack of data regarding prevalence of dyspepsia in Pakistan.

RISK FACTORS:

Often, dyspepsia is caused by a stomach ulcer or acid reflux disease. If you have acid reflux disease, stomach acid backs up into your esophagus (the tube leading from your mouth to your stomach). This causes pain in your chest. Your doctor may do some tests to find out if you have an ulcer or acid reflux disease.
Some medicines, like anti-inflammatory medicines, can cause dyspepsia. Sometimes no cause of dyspepsia can be found.

SIGN AND SYMPTOMS:

Here are some of the signs of dyspepsia:

• A gnawing or burning stomach pain
• Bloating
• Heartburn
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Burping

DIAGNOSTIC TESTS:

There is no specific test for diagnosing dyspepsia but your doctors might want you to have endoscopy if:

• You still have stomach pain after you take a dyspepsia medicine for 8 weeks.
• The pain goes away for a while but comes back again.

In an endoscopy, a small tube with a camera inside it is put into your mouth and down into your stomach. Then your doctor can look inside your stomach to try to find a cause for your pain.

TREATMENT OPTIONS:

Your treatment will depend on what is causing your dyspepsia, but medicine is the most common treatment. If you have a stomach ulcer, it can be cured. You may need to take an acid-blocking medicine. If you have an infection in your stomach, you may also need to take an antibiotic. If your doctor thinks that a medicine you're taking causes your dyspepsia, you might take another medicine.
A medicine that cuts down on the amount of acid in your stomach might help your pain. This medicine can also help if you have acid reflux disease.

PRECAUTIONS:

• You should stop taking over-the-counter pain medicines
• Drinking less alcohol, quitting smoking, and changing your diet may help
• Try to avoid foods that make your symptoms worse.
• Indigestion may get worse if you are stressed or depressed. Your doctor can help you find healthy ways to cope with stress or talk to you about treating depression.

REFERENCES:

• http://www.aafp.org/afp/2011/0301/p554.html
• http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/diseases-conditions/dyspepsia/symptoms.html
• http://patient.info/health/dyspepsia-indigestion
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2397860/