Dyspepsia

Non-ulcer dyspepsia is also known as indigestion, is a common intestinal ailment characterized by a chronic pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen due to reflux of intestinal acids. It is often the cause of heartburn and irritation of the esophagus. People of any age can get dyspepsia. Both men and women get it. About 1 of every 4 persons gets dyspepsia at some time. Dyspepsia is a common problem, and is frequently due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or gastritis, but in a small minority may be the first symptom of peptic ulcer disease (an ulcer of the stomach or duodenum) and occasionally cancer. It may be triggered by eating particular foods, or drinking alcoholic or carbonated drinks. It may also be caused by eating too fast or by overeating. Some people may find that spicy foods, highfiber foods, fatty foods, or too much caffeine can all make this problem worse. Symptoms may be worsened by anxiety and depression. Functional dyspepsia (previously called non-ulcer dyspepsia) is dyspepsia "without evidence of an organic disease that is likely to explain the symptoms". Symptoms are abdominal pains, acid reflux, chronic burping, flatulence, heartburn, nausea, stomach bloating, upper abdominal pain, bloating, fullness and tenderness on palpation. Pain worsened by exertion and associated with nausea and perspiration may also indicate angina. Dyspepsia occurs due to certain body disorders or lifestyles such as anxiety, ant-inflammatory drug intake, excessive alcohol consumption, pregnancy, peptic ulcer, smoking, stress, and digestive tract-related diseases. People under the age of 55 years with no alarm features do not need endoscopy but are considered for investigation for peptic ulcer disease caused by Helicobacter pylori infection. Often, dyspepsia is caused by a stomach ulcer or acid reflux disease. Some medicines, like antiinflammatory medicines, can cause dyspepsia. Sometimes no cause of dyspepsia can be found. Traditional therapies used for this diagnosis include lifestyle modification, antacids, H2-receptor antagonists (H2-RAs), prokinetic agents, and antiflatulents. It has been noted that one of the most frustrating aspects of treating functional dyspepsia is that these traditional agents have been shown to have little or no efficacy. People less than 55 years, without alarm symptoms, can be treated without investigation. People over 55 years with recent onset dyspepsia or those with alarm symptoms should be urgently investigated by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. This will rule out peptic ulcer disease, medication-related ulceration, malignancy and other rarer causes.

Reaction
Based on the research performed, Dyspepsia is a minor problem which involves difficulty in digesting food and occurs due to the over-consumption of food and may affect anyone but if untreated, persons over 55 years old may be under the threat of ulcer, cancer and other diseases unlike younger adults that can be treated without proper and costly interventions because Dyspepsia may just simply be a one of the symptoms of a more life-threatening disease.

References
http://homemade-remedies.com/dyspepsia.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyspepsia http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/indigestion