5 The most common symptoms of indigestion and their possible causes & bull; hello healthy

You must have experienced nausea or stomach pain. Stomach upset is usually not dangerous, but this symptom can also indicate a serious disease of the digestive system. Unfortunately, stomach symptoms are so common that it's not easy to pinpoint their cause.

Apart from nausea and abdominal pain, there are other symptoms such as flatulence, disruption of bowel movements, and others. Recognizing these symptoms will help you get treated so that you can recover more quickly.

Recognize the various symptoms of indigestion

Each disease of the digestive system can cause various symptoms. However, here are some of the most common symptoms and their possible causes.

1. Stomach pain

Many people use the term "stomachache" to describe pain, twisting, cramping, or any unpleasant sensation in the stomach. In most cases, this kind of discomfort is actually harmless.

The severity of the pain also doesn't determine how serious your illness is. For example, the stomach flu can cause severe pain even though it's not dangerous. On the other hand, a serious illness such as appendicitis may only cause mild pain.

The abdominal cavity is home to many important digestive organs such as the stomach, small intestine, pancreas, and so on. This is why stomach upset can be a common symptom of many digestive upsets.

In order for the doctor to make a precise diagnosis, you need to describe in detail where the pain is most intense. According to the US National Library of Medicine, here are some ways to describe your stomach pain.

• General pain: pain felt in more than half of the abdominal area. The cause may be a viral infection, trapped gas, or in serious cases, intestinal obstruction.
• Local pain: the pain is only felt in one specific part of the stomach. This may be caused by problems with the organs that are close to the area of ​​pain.
• Pain like cramps: pain like this is usually caused by gas and diarrhea, but don't let the pain be accompanied by fever or last more than 24 hours.
• Colic pain: wave-like pain that appears and goes away suddenly. In severe pain, the cause may be serious, such as gallstones.

When you experience stomach pain, consider the duration of the pain and what other symptoms accompany it. Normal stomach pain will get better on its own. Conversely, stomach pain due to certain digestive disorders is usually accompanied by other symptoms.

2. Bloating

The stomach becomes bloated when there is a lot of gas trapped in the stomach or intestines. A bloated stomach usually appears enlarged and causes a feeling of hunger and discomfort.

The buildup of gas in the stomach is often the result of a trivial factor, namely eating. You swallow a lot of air when you eat. The process of digesting food also produces gas, especially if the food being digested has a high gas content.

In addition, your stomach can become bloated as a result of difficulty digesting foods high in starch. In some people, this condition is actually caused by an overgrowth of intestinal bacteria. These bacteria produce a lot of gas.

However, flatulence can also be a symptom of certain digestive disorders. Here are among them.

• Irritable bowel syndrome: Symptoms include bloating, constipation, stomach pain, and cramps that last for three months or more.
• Inflammatory bowel disease: inflammation of the inner lining of the digestive tract. These conditions also include Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (inflammation of the large intestine).
• Gastroparesis: slow gastric emptying process.
• Constipation: lack of bowel movement resulting in dry and hard stools. As a result, sufferers have difficulty defecating and experience bloating.
• Cancer in the stomach, pancreas, and large intestine.

3. Nausea or vomiting

Nausea and vomiting are often seen as illnesses, even though they are both symptoms of indigestion. Nausea is stomach discomfort accompanied by the urge to vomit, but not everyone who feels nauseous will vomit.

Meanwhile, vomiting is defined as the release of food that is being digested in the stomach through the mouth. A person usually vomits after experiencing nausea for some time and being exposed to a trigger.

Nausea and vomiting can signal a variety of conditions, from stomach flu, food poisoning, car sickness to intestinal infections. In some cases, nausea and vomiting can also be a feature of appendicitis, heart attack, and brain injury.

Most cases of nausea and vomiting are caused by indigestion that appears quickly. However, frequent or prolonged symptoms of nausea and vomiting are usually caused by chronic indigestion.

These digestive problems include diarrhea, food intolerance, Crohn's disease, and celiac disease. There is also a collection of symptoms called inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS) with the main characteristics of nausea, vomiting, and heartburn.

Neither nausea nor vomiting is harmless. You can also overcome it by avoiding nausea triggers and consuming a cup of ginger tea. Even so, don't ignore the nausea and vomiting that comes with the following symptoms.

• Headache and stiff neck.
• Fever exceeding 39 degrees Celsius.
• Sluggish body.
• Decreased consciousness.
• Very severe stomach pain.
• Vomiting with blood.
• Increased heart rate and breathing.

4. Bloody bowel movements

Bloody bowel movements can signal a wide variety of conditions, from mild indigestion to more severe problems like colon cancer. So, people who experience these symptoms need to pay attention to the condition of the blood that comes out during defecation.

The color of the stool or blood that comes out with the stool can indicate where the blood is coming from. Here's an overview.

• Fresh red blood indicates that the bleeding has occurred in the colon or rectum.
• Dark red blood indicates that the bleeding has occurred in the small or large intestine.
• Black blood (melena) indicates that bleeding is occurring in the stomach, usually as a result of the formation of a wound.

Chapter bleeding is not always visible in plain view. The resulting stool may appear healthy, but blood may only be detected when examined under a microscope. In addition, bloody bowel movements can also be characterized by the following conditions.

• There was blood on the toilet paper.
• The water in the toilet looks pink.
• Experiencing reddish diarrhea.
• Looks red around the stool.
• The stool is dark and very smelly.

In many cases, bloody bowel movements are not actually a symptom of a dangerous digestive disorder. Chapter bleeding due to hemorrhoids, for example, can be overcome by preventing constipation and taking medicines for hemorrhoids.

However, bleeding from colon cancer or injury to the gastrointestinal tract certainly needs to be treated more seriously. This is why if you have bloody bowel movements, you need to pay attention to how often the frequency and the amount of blood that comes out.

5. Diarrhea

Diarrhea is a layman's term for bowel movements that are thinner than usual. In some cases, bowel movements can become very watery with a water-like texture and a more pungent odor.

Watery stools are a very common symptom of diarrhea, but they can also signal other digestive disorders. Watery bowel movements that occur repeatedly or last a long time can even be a sign of chronic digestive disease.

Some digestive disorders that are often characterized by loose stools include:

• celiac disease,
• Crohn's disease,
• colitis,
• irritable bowel syndrome,
• food poisoning, and
• gastrointestinal infections.

Watery stools usually get better on their own without needing to be treated. However, this condition can also signal a more serious digestive problem. You should check with your doctor if diarrhea is accompanied by the following symptoms.

• Drastic weight loss.
• Diarrhea does not get better.
• Diarrhea accompanied by blood.
• High fever more than 39 degrees Celsius.
• Increased heart rate or breathing.
• Stools appear black or tar-like.
• Dizziness, confusion, or fainting.
• Abdominal pain that is very severe or lasts a long time.

Many digestive disorders have symptoms that are similar to one another. For example, appendicitis and food poisoning are both characterized by stomach upset, but they require different treatment.

Therefore, pay attention to other signs that accompany the main symptoms that you experience. This will help the doctor diagnose the disease and determine treatment.