ABC Medical Center > Diseases > Indigestion

What is indigestion?

9 December 2025

This is a very common stomach condition primarily characterized by a feeling of heaviness, bloating, and abdominal pain, regularly accompanied by other symptoms during or after eating.

Indigestion, also known as dyspepsia, is caused by various reasons, with lifestyle being the main culprit, but it also includes other factors, such as:

  • Eating too much food or eating too quickly.
  • Alcohol.
  • Coffee.
  • Soft drinks.
  • Excess fat and condiments in food.
  • Smoking.
  • Ingestion of pain relievers or antibiotics.
  • Frequent anxiety or stress.

Additionally, there are a number of diseases that can also cause indigestion, such as:

  • Gallstones.
  • Stomach cancer.
  • Diabetes.
  • Non-ulcer dyspepsia, linked to irritable bowel syndrome.
  • Celiac disease.
  • Gastritis.
  • Thyroid conditions.
  • Episodes of constipation.
  • Intestinal ischemia.
  • Intestinal obstruction.
  • Pancreatitis.
  • Peptic ulcers.

Signs and symptoms Indigestion

  • Heartburn.
  • Burning in the upper abdomen, which may radiate to the neck or back.
  • Heat between the lower part of the breastbone and the navel.
  • Pain in the upper abdomen.
  • Burping (belching).
  • Nausea.
  • Tightness in the upper abdomen.
  • Feeling full when starting to eat.
  • Vomiting.

Although indigestion does not pose a life risk, it can affect the quality of life of the person who suffers from it.

Diagnosis and treatment Indigestion

After analyzing your symptoms and clinical history, your doctor will perform a physical exam and order blood, breath, and stool tests, as well as an endoscopy, X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT) scan, to help confirm the diagnosis.

Treatment depends on the cause, but it usually consists of making adjustments to diet and lifestyle, as well as taking certain medications that help reduce heartburn and relieve symptoms.

At the Internal Medicine Department of Centro Médico ABC, we provide medical care services with the highest quality and safety, from the prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and follow-up of infectious, respiratory, endocrinological, dermatological, rheumatic, nephrological, gastrointestinal, and hematological pathologies, both chronic-degenerative conditions and acute conditions, through an integral and multidisciplinary model.

Related centers and departments Indigestion

Internal medicine
High Specialty Surgery Center
Radiology and Molecular Imaging
Clinical Laboratory

Fuentes:

  • gi.org
  • wnyurology.com
  • topdoctors.es
  • clevelandclinic.org
  • mayoclinic.org
  • medlinesplus.gov
  • msdmanuals.com
  • medigraphic.com

How can we help you?

    The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.