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This unpleasant ailment can happen to any of us. Eating too large, heavy and greasy meals, inaccurate chewing – these and many other factors cause indigestion. How to deal with it when it appears?
Indigestion (dyspepsia) is generally felt as a feeling of fullness and pressure in the upper abdomen. It is often accompanied by heartburn, belching, gas, nausea, and sometimes even vomiting and diarrhea. Of course, there are a number of ways to avoid indigestion. However, if it does appear, you can try several home ways to combat it. Here are some examples.
Herbal teas
Warm mint or chamomile tea soothes the gastric mucosa. These herbs soothe irritation and inflammation of the mucous membranes and stimulate the digestive process.
Warm compresses
Heat therapy has long been used to treat many diseases. A warm compress on the abdomen, e.g. a hot water bottle, soothes pain and has a calming effect.
Starvation diet
One-day fasting can also bring good results. Alternatively, you can use an easily digestible diet low in fatty foods, it is necessary to limit coffee and alcohol.
Acupressure
Acupressure was born several thousand years ago in China and is one of the oldest natural treatments. In case of indigestion, you can go to a professional massage parlor or try auto-massage. It is said that 3 points are very effective: the first – 3 cm down from the lower edge of the kneecap and 1 cm outside, the second – – on the foot, half a centimeter above the second interdigital space, the third point is 2 cm above the wrist flexion fold.
Over-the-counter preparations
When home remedies fail, you can try over-the-counter preparations to aid digestion and eliminate the cause of indigestion.
However, the long-term persistence of indigestion symptoms should prompt us to see a doctor, as it may be a symptom of many serious diseases, e.g. peptic ulcer disease.
Joanna Grzybowska-Gałuszka, MD, PhD