Indigestion, medically known as dyspepsia, is a condition that includes symptoms like a feeling of fullness while eating, an uncomfortable feeling of fullness after a meal (as if you have overeaten) and a pain or burning sensation in the upper abdomen. You get indigestion from a disorder in the digestive tract, when the stomach acid flows back up the oesophagus. This makes the stomach lining sore and irritated and hence the pain and heartburn.
In this condition, the valve or the sphincter at the top of the stomach does not function efficiently. It is called the Gastrooesophageal Reflux Disease (GORD). Sometimes you cannot trace the causes of indigestion in people and this is known as functional dyspepsia. Underlying medical conditions like Peptic Ulcer, abnormalities in the bile ducts or pancreas, and in rare cases stomach cancer can lead to dyspepsia. To find the exact causes of indigestion, doctors may require blood and stool samples for testing, X rays and an endoscopy with biopsies to analyze the causes. Decreasing stress levels and making certain lifestyle changes can bring you relief from the condition.
Home Remedies for Indigestion
Half glass of pineapple juice taken after every meal is highly beneficial in indigestion treatment.
Add a spoonful of juice of lemon, one spoonful of ginger and two spoons of honey in a glass of lukewarm water. Mix them well and drink if indigestion problem occur. This is one of the effective home remedies for indigestion.
An orange is another effective indigestion remedy as it gives rest to the digestive organs and supplies nutrition.
Grapes are also effective in removing indigestion and irritation from the stomach.
Lemon juice helps in curing indigestion as it fights against bacteria. Mix a tablespoon of lemon juice in a cup of hot water before a meal to prevent acid indigestion.
Yogic asanas such as ardhmatsyasana, sarvangasana, uttanpadasana, pavanmuktasana, vajrasana, yogamudra, bhujangasana, shalabhasana and shavasana are highly beneficial. This is a good indigestion cure.
Yogic kriyas like jalnati, kunjal and pranayamas like kapalbhati, anulomaviloma and ujjai are highly beneficial in the indigestion treatment.
Add one teaspoon of fresh coriander leaf juice and a pinch of salt and drink it twice a day.
Eat half a teaspoon of aniseed to improve digestion.
A teaspoon of seeds of ajwain with a little rock salt is a good home remedy for indigestion.
One or two teaspoon of coriander juice, added to fresh buttermilk, is highly beneficial in treating digestive disorders.
Suggestions for Indigestion
Maintaining a regular exercise routine is good for digestion. You should walk at least thirty minutes in a day. However, you should not indulge in any rigorous physical activity immediately after your meal. A brisk walk at night after your meal will help with digestion. Try and maintain regularity with your meal times, and serve yourself smaller portions. Heavy meals are typically a lot harder to digest. Kids are always told to chew their food thoroughly and this bit of advice is just as important to all of us. Digestion begins the minute you begin chewing, because the food is being broken up and your saliva begins to work on it.