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Home Remedies for Indigestion|Do’s & Dont’s When Having Indigestion

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Indigestion has become one of the most common health problem faced by people today. This is due to the unhealthy lifestyle and eating habits adopted. Today the society is too much dependent on junk food ignoring the harm it has on body. Though it ignites the taste buds; but also worsens the digestive system.

Indigestion is basically some discomfort and uneasiness experienced in the abdomen. It is also called dyspepsia in medical terms. It is usually elicited due to gastroesophageal reflux disease, trauma, and infection in stomach, smoking and anxiety. There are some simple home remedies for indigestion as well as do’s and don’ts when having indigestion that can go a long way in providing relief but first lets us read about how to know if you have indigestion.

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Home Remedies for Indigestion
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How to Know You Have Indigestion?

The answer to this question is really very simple. One will come to know easily when indigestion occurs. Any distressing sensation in the stomach after the meal is the sign of indigestion. The other signs of indigestion include burning and pain in upper abdomen along with:

  • Heaviness in stomach
  • Food aversion
  • Burping and gas passing through rectum
  • Bitter taste in mouth
  • Bloating
  • Belching.

One often tends to overeat when the food is extremely delicious. Many occasions when over eating can take place include wedding, parties or even a family dinner in a restaurant. However, the overeating of food raises the problem of indigestion. During indigestion, the digestive juices are not secreted by the stomach.

Home Remedies of Indigestion

People suffering from indigestion often need to keep a check on the food they eat. Rather than opting for medicines on first hand, some easy and simple home remedies can prove beneficial to cure indigestion. Due to its high occurrence, the available home remedies are wide and highly beneficial. Let us have a look at the different home remedies for indigestion.

  • Apple Cider Vinegar to Treat Indigestion: Apple cider vinegar acts as a catalyst for a slow stomach. The alkalizing nature of this vinegar helps in settling down discomfort in stomach and thus is an effective home remedy for indigestion. Add a small amount of vinegar to water and then add honey to it. Having this drink thrice a day will give you relief from indigestion.
  • Fennel Seeds to Cure Indigestion: Fennel seeds have known to work wonders in case of indigestion making it a useful home remedy for indigestion. Indigestion caused due to spicy food can easily berelived with the help of fennel seeds.
    • Firstly roast and grind the seeds. About a half teaspoon of this powder can be taken with water twice a day.
    • Other way is to simply chew the fennel seeds.
  • Ginger as a Home Remedy for Indigestion: Ginger is known to boost the digestive system. The digestive juices are encouraged by ginger and this will improve digestion.
  • Ginger ismost effective home remedy for indigestion due to overeating. The ways in which ginger can be used are:
    • Take two teaspoons ginger juice, one teaspoon lemon juice and add a pinch table salt and black salt to it. Consuming this mixture with or without water as feasible will help in giving relief to indigestion.
    • Another way is a few drops of ginger juice to honey and having it with warm water.
    • For problem such as stomachache, bloating and cramps ginger tea is quite useful.
    • Lastly adding ginger in food will not only help in giving relief from indigestion but also add taste to your food.
  • Baking Soda as a Home Remedy to Treat Indigestion: When levels of stomach acids increase then indigestion takes place. Baking soda acts like antacid and usually cures indigestion. Adding half teaspoon of baking soda to half glass water and drinking it will effectively neutralize the acid in stomach.

Baking Soda as a Home Remedy to Treat Indigestion

  • Carom Seeds as a Home Remedy for Indigestion: Carom seeds, most commonly known as ajwain, are available in every household. Diarrhea and indigestion can be easily treated with these seeds. The method of usage goes as follows:
    • Make a powder of dry ginger and ajwain. Take one teaspoon of this powder and add to one cup warm water along with pinch of black pepper. Drinking it once or twice a day can help in giving relief to indigestion.
    • Another simple way is to eat half teaspoon of carom seeds with water.
  • Herbal Tea to Cure Indigestion: There are some instances when heavy food cannot be circumvented. In such cases drinking herbal tea can reduce indigestion to a great extent. Apart from this peppermint tea and chamomile tea are also quite useful home remedy for indigestion.
  • Cumin Seeds for Indigestion: From ancient times, cumin is used as an Ayurvedic remedy for many health problems. Cumin seeds can also be used to treat indigestion. The method is as follows:
    • Roast a small amount of cumin seed and grind. Adding this grinded powder to water and drinking it can give relief from indigestion.
    • Another easy home remedy for indigestion is adding small amount of roasted cumin powder and peppermint powder to buttermilk and having it twice a day.

Do’s and Don’ts When Having Indigestion

A change in lifestyle can help in soothing indigestion. If you bring about a few changes in the food you eat you can overcome indigestion. People who often suffer from indigestion should be very careful in what they eat and how they eat. Below listed are some of the do’s and don’ts for people who are suffering from indigestion.

Don’ts when having Indigestion:

  • Avoid Peppermint When Having Indigestion: Peppermint in any form should be avoided. It can cause reflux by disturbing digestive system. Peppermint exaggerates heartburn to a great extent.
  • A strict no to Chocolates: Chocolates are delectable; but very few know that they can cause heartburn. Caffeine present in chocolates is the main cause of heartburn.
  • Tomatoes and Indigestion: Though tomatoes are considered to be healthy but they are highly acidic. People with indigestion problem should keep a check on tomatoes and tomatoes based products.
  • Citrus Fruits to avoid during Indigestion Problems: Fruits which are highly citric are also a major cause of indigestion. Fruits like lemon, orange and grapes can trigger heartburn to a major extend.
  • Don’t wear too tight clothes as this may cause discomfort to your abdomen.
  • It is strictly advised for a person to sleep after two to three hours of eating.

Do’s for people having Indigestion Problems:

  • Chewing the food properly prevents indigestion
  • Keep a proper check on diet.
  • Eating small amount of meal is advisable to keep indigestion and heartburn away.
  • Do omit junk food from the diet and follow a healthy lifestyle and eating habits.
  • Exercise stimulates the digestion power by boosting metabolism and helps in dealing with indigestion problems.

Common Over-the-counter Medications for Indigestion

Some of the over the counter treatments include:

  • Antacids: Antacids are initially recommended to give relief to heartburn. They will nullify the stomach acid thus reducing acid reflux.
  • H2 blockers: Acid production can be controlled in stomach with the help of this medicine as a result there is hardly a chance that heartburn may occur. Their action starts within one hour of consumption.
  • Protein pump Inhibitor: This medicine blocks acid production. It is considered the strongest drug to lower acid production.

Although on one hand these medication are useful in heartburn and indigestion; but they are accompanied by many side effects also. If there is no relief from above mentioned medications it is advisable to consult a doctor. If not treated timely it can lead to some severe problem. A doctor should be consulted if:

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  • There is vomiting accompanied with blood
  • Excessive weight loss
  • Stool is black
  • Difficulty in swallowing food.

Conclusion

Indigestion is a chronic problem which should not be ignored. It is often a sign of ulcer or GERD. Today almost every person suffers from poor digestion. If the problem is persistent even after medications then it should not be ignored. Leading a healthy lifestyle with a healthy diet is very important in present times. Proper check on diet, yoga and exercises can help to a great extent for indigestion problems.

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Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:June 11, 2019

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