by Vicki Niedzielska

Created on: August 26, 2008

The symptoms of acid indigestion can vary from mildly uncomfortable, to excruciatingly painful, even causing people to believe they are suffering from a heart attack! Anyone can suffer from indigestion, and almost everyone does at some point in his or her lives. Some people exhibit a tendency to suffer more often than others, or suffer badly at certain points in their lives such as during pregnancy.

Indigestion is caused by stomach acids that are intended to digest our food from traveling up the esophagus and causing that burning sensation. Bacterial infections or conditions which cause an imbalance of the digestive enzymes could also cause indigestion, as can eating too much or too fast, eating at irregular times of the day (such as experienced by shift workers) and being pregnant. Overall, your digestive system is quite a sensitive process, so asking it to work overtime or presenting it with unusual demands may cause the discomfort of indigestion.

While there are many pharmaceutical treatments available from your pharmacist, you may wish to try some more natural remedies first, especially if you are pregnant. It is recommended to try several until you find one that works for you. If the symptoms worsen or become very regular, you should visit your doctor to rule out any more serious underlying conditions.

Beahvioural Solutions

Try to avoid eating large meals, and eat smaller portions more regularly so as not to overload your gastric system. Chew your food thoroughly, and take your time over your meal. Gobbling down your food in a hurry will cause you to swallow air and make the problem worse. Try to eat at regular meal times. Eating late at night or even in the middle of the night is far more likely to cause indigestion as your body is in sleep mode, and not expecting to be digesting a meal. This is difficult for shift workers, but at least try to follow some sort of pattern. A gentle walk 20 minutes after eating will help to digest your food, but avoid exerting yourself too much. You should not get out of breath within a good hour of eating. Smoking can trigger indigestion, so cut back as much as possible or, even better, stop all together. Of course this will have many more associated health benefits!

Dietary Solutions

Certain foods are more likely to trigger an attack, so avoid them where possible. These include coffee (and other caffeine containing drinks), alcohol, and very protein-rich foods such as cheese. Meals high in saturated fat such as fried food are

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