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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffHealthy lifestyle choices may help prevent mild indigestion.
- Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Chew your food slowly and thoroughly.
- Avoid triggers. Fatty and spicy foods, carbonated beverages, caffeine, alcohol and smoking can trigger indigestion.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Excess pounds put pressure on your abdomen, pushing up your stomach and causing acid to back up into your esophagus.
- Exercise regularly. With your doctor's OK, aim for 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week. It can be as simple as a daily walk, though not just after you eat. Exercise helps you keep off extra weight and promotes better digestion.
- Manage stress. Create a calm environment at mealtime. Practice relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, meditation or yoga. Spend time doing things you enjoy. Get plenty of sleep.
- Reconsider your medications. With your doctor's approval, stop or cut back on pain relieving drugs that may irritate your stomach lining. If that's not an option, be sure to take these medications with food.
References
- Longstreth GF. Approach to the patient with dyspepsia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 5, 2011.
- Indigestion. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/indigestion/Indigestion.pdf. Accessed March 5, 2011.
- McQuaid KR. Gastrointestinal disorders. In: McPhee SJ, et al . Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2011. 50th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2011. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=6395. Accessed March 5, 2011.
- Hasler WL. Nausea, vomiting, and indigestion, In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Online. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2863966. Accessed March 5, 2011.
- Dyspepsia. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/print/sec02/ch007/ch007c.html. Accessed March 5, 2011.
- Graham DY, et al. Clinical practice: Diagnosis and evaluation of dyspepsia. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. 2010;44:167.
- Camilleri M, et al. Current medical treatments of dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome. Gastroenterology Clinic of North America. 2010;39:481.
- FDA drug safety communication: Possible increased risk of fractures of the hip, wrist, and spine with the use of proton pump inhibitors. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/ucm213206.htm. Accessed March 9, 2011.
- Longstreth GF. Functional dyspepsia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 9, 2011.
- Picco MF (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. March 14, 2011.
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