Welcome to Ask Doctor Zac, a weekly column from news.com.au. This week, Dr Zac Turner talks about indigestion.
Question: Hi Dr Zac, my heartburn is killing me! For as long as I can remember, I have dealt with what feels like my stomach trying to exorcise the food I eat. What makes it even more frustrating is that my wife and I will eat the same thing, but she won’t have any problems with indigestion, whereas I will be scrambling for the closest Quick-Eze.
How is this possible? Do I have an unhealthy stomach? How can I stop indigestion from happening? – Adam, 35, Sydney
Answer: Indigestion is very common, and affects nearly everyone. Usually by the time someone is 20 they will know their trigger foods and avoid them. I recommend you take note of the foods that trigger you and leave them for other people to enjoy.
Indigestion is how to describe a range of symptoms including feeling so full you have pain in your upper abdomen, heartburn and nausea. If you want to be fancy and sound like a doctor, you can call it dyspepsia.
It can occur when you eat a large meal, however other factors can contribute to indigestion such as smoking, drinking, pregnancy, stress and certain medications.
That exorcism you feel in your stomach sounds like heartburn, or acid reflux. If it persists, I recommend you speak to your doctor as it could be gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD.
GERD is when stomach acid frequently travels back into your esophagus, irritating the skin lining and causing discomfort.
Nearly every inch of our body, inside and out, has a unique purpose, but unfortunately modern bodies haven’t had enough time to update and adjust to our lifestyle. Our stomach is lined with mucosa, which is a lining that protects it from stomach acid. Heartburn is when the stomach acid comes into contact with the sensitive skin of the digestive system, either in the stomach or esophagus.
The modern lifestyle of eating on the go, smoking, drinking alcohol and too many greasy fatty foods has contributed to high rates of indigestion. I’ll also point out that these days it’s more acceptable to eat while in bed lying down, which will cause heartburn if you aren’t careful.
Rather than only comparing what you and your wife eat, compare other things. Do you drink more coffee than her? Do you drink more alcohol than she does? Are you a smoker, or is your life more stressful? Another common cause is being overweight, especially around the stomach as it can literally compress the stomach.
Simple habits to limit heartburn and indigestion
• Find your triggers and avoid them
• Limit caffeine and alcohol
• Rather than eating three square meals a day, try for five small ones
• Eat slowly
• Exercise regularly
• Stay upright for at least an hour post eating
• Manage your stress
It sounds like you are already aware of antacids. Please consider these are like the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. Rather than always relying on this band-aid solution, I highly recommend you work on preventing indigestion or heartburn from happening in the first place. Your body will love you for it.
It sounds like your wife isn’t experiencing the problem you are as she may be healthier in other areas of her lifestyle than eating. I think this comes as a reminder for all that we need to be mindful of how we treat our bodies.
Got a question:
askdrzac@conciergedoctors.com.au
Dr Zac Turner has a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Sydney. He is both a medical practitioner and a co-owner of telehealth service, Concierge Doctors. He was also a registered nurse and is also a qualified and experienced biomedical scientist along with being a PhD Candidate in Biomedical Engineering