The indigestion symptoms, if possible, more numerous than its causes. It is not too much to say, that every feeling of discomfort, from which an individual suffers, from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot, may be caused by dyspepsia. Most people suffering from dyspepsia experience more than one of the following symptoms of indigestion:
Eructation: Sour or tasteless eructations and the tasting of food long after it has been eaten, are symptoms familiar to most people, usually attributed to the eating of some article of food considered indigestible. Rarely is this true; unless there is some gross deficiency in the chemical or physical condition of the stomach, the foods all go through the usual process normally and are passed along in good time.
Flatulence: When we speak of flatulence, it must be remembered that we must not set down all the air contained in the intestinal canal as morbid. A certain amount of oxygen is wanted to aid in the acidification which is necessary to digestion; and as this oxygen is to be derived from the atmospheric air, it implies the presence of still more nitrogen. It is only then when it is in excess then we should speak of air in the alimentary canal as flatulence.
Fullness during a meal: The person feels overly full soon after the meal starts and cannot finish the meal.
Abdominal Distention: Hysterical individuals are prone to abdominal distention. The abdominal wall in such cases is abnormally distended, the skin stretched and shiny. Some pain, mostly a pressure distress, is common. The distention is not always constant. It may occur only after eating or, as most often happens, when the patient is about to engage in some difficult work, exacting occupation, is over perturbed, harried, or harassed. The rapidity with which the distention can occur is truly remarkable. In these cases, in some manner or other, the absorption of gas from the intestines is impeded, spasms of sections of intestines provide an ideal incubator in the intestinal tube, where the organisms of fermentation may produce their products.
Bothersome fullness after a meal: The person feels overly full after a meal—it may feel like the food is staying in the stomach too long.
Epigastric pain: The epigastric area is between the lower end of the chest bone and the navel. The person may experience
epigastric pain ranging from mild to severe.
Pressure Distress: Pressure distress, or a sense of weight in the upper abdomen, is what a person usually feels when he suffers from what he thinks is indigestion. If it occurs soon after eating and persists for some time, he is sure of it. He is inclined to visualize the cause of this sensation in a soggy lump of food that will not dissolve and will not move along. He believes that certain foods, or combinations of foods, bring this condition about.
Epigastric burning and heartburn: The person feels an unpleasant sensation of heat in the epigastric area.
Other, less frequent symptoms of indigestion that may occur are nausea and bloating, diarrhea, headache, pain in the back. Nausea, bloating and heartburn could be due to causes other than indigestion.