Dyspepsia commonly referred to as stomach burn is a gastrointestinal disorder affecting the digestive function, this condition is often characterized by discomfort, nausea, and heartburn.
This painful sensation is not itself a disease, rather it is a symptom of other types of gastrointestinal conditions.
Individuals suffering from stomach burn may experience burning sensation at the upper part of the abdomen, or feeling full quickly when eating.
Many people who experience dyspepsia hardly know the cause, though in most situations after proper medical examination, the underlying conditions are always revealed, despite this, there are conditions when the cause is not often known.
This situation is referred to as functional dyspepsia when the cause of stomach burn is not known or easily recognized, lifestyle changes, proper food recommendations, and changes in habits after eating are often recommended for people when the cause of dyspepsia is not known.
Common Causes Of Stomach Burn
There are several medical conditions and non-medical conditions that may lead to stomach burn, one of the medical conditions of stomach burn that many people often experience is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
GERD
A sphincter is a ring of muscles that contracts to close a particular opening in the body.
The gastroesophageal sphincter is located between the joining portion of the stomach and the esophagus, this sphincter functions purposely to prevent reflux of the juicy content from the stomach back to the esophagus, the reason for this prevention is a result of the differences in the acidity of both regions.
The stomach is highly acidic, this environment is highly rich in hydrochloric content to prevent infections.
Stomach burn sensation will occur when there is reflux of contents from the stomach to the esophagus as a result of connective tissue disorder around this sphincter, reflux may also be experienced when there is a delay in stomach emptying, bulging of the stomach above the diaphragm, obesity or during pregnancy.
Other medical conditions that may lead to stomach burn include:
- Peptic ulcer
- Stomach cancer
- Gastritis
- Gallbladder inflammation
- Lactose intolerant e.t.c.
How To Get Rid Of Stomach Burn?
As mentioned earlier, dyspepsia can occur due to some underlying medical conditions or nonmedical conditions, treating stomach burn is critically subjected to its underlying conditions.
The main treatments are diet changes, lifestyle changes, medications, and some psychological therapy.
Diet Changes: Some diets and drinks can trigger stomach burn in some individuals, in this case, diet changes are mostly recommended.
Types of diets and drinks that can trigger stomach burn
- Spicy food
- Carbonated drink
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Foods with high acidity
- Greasy food
Lifestyle Changes
Simple lifestyle adjustments may help improve indigestion which can be a major cause of stomach burn. These specific lifestyle changes when strictly followed may help to improve gastric burning sensation and they include:
- Complete chewing of food
- Stop smoking
- Do not exercise right after eating
- Wait 2-3 hours after eating before lying down
- Minimize stress
If stress is the root cause of stomach burn, relaxation techniques should be adopted, these include meditation, exercise, talk therapy, and a lot more.
There are some home remedies as well that can help reduce stomach burning sensation, but the above suggestions are sufficient to quickly get rid of stomach pain.
When all these suggestions seem not effective in getting rid of dyspepsia, then it is time to see a doctor.
There are a lot of medications that can be prescribed to get rid of this condition.
When medications, lifestyle changes, diet changes, and psychological therapy seem not working, and complications continue to move from mild to severe, surgery may be conducted on that particular underlying medical condition leading to stomach burn.