Great Tips to Help Relieve Indigestion

Dyspepsia, or indigestion, is a very common discomfort that anyone can experience, especially after a large meal.
Great Tips to Help Relieve Indigestion

Last update: 11 February, 2020

Indigestion, or dyspepsia, are the terms given to the different ailments that result from overeating and other excesses. This tends to occur especially during holiday seasons, such as Christmas, for example. In today’s article, we’ll be asking how we can relieve indigestion pain.

Eating in excess, or other types of excess, are always harmful to the body. Because of that, it’s important to always try to avoid this situation. However, when the overeating has taken place, for whatever reason, then there are always consequences and you have to attend to them.

What is indigestion, or dyspepsia?

Dyspepsia is mainly characterized by a feeling of fullness and pain (at the mouth of the stomach) and inflammation in the abdominal area. It can often be accompanied by gas, heartburn, headache, dizziness, diarrhea or constipation, and vomiting, among other symptoms.

Among the most common causes are:

  • Overeating
  • Excessive consumption of coffee
  • Consuming food in poor condition or prepared without due attention to hygiene
  • Taking certain medicines (antibiotics or painkillers)
  • Excessive consumption of alcoholic drinks or irritating foods (spicy or fatty)
Great Tips to Help Relieve Indigestion

In addition to these causes, negative emotional states and other bad habits can cause dyspepsia to appear. For example, habits such as skipping meals, eating too quickly, not chewing your food well, drinking too much liquid while eating, not resting after a meal, etc.

Generally, dyspepsia is a temporary discomfort. However, when it occurs on a regular basis, you’ll need to consult your doctor, as it may be a symptom of a larger problem, such as biliary colic.

How to treat and relieve indigestion?

We can try to relieve indigestion with an herbal infusion of peppermint, chamomile, mint, pennyroyal, aniseed, or a combination of these. Some people recommend drinking a glass of warm water with lemon juice or some soda water about three times a day. Also, you can opt for over-the-counter antacids or and antispasmodics.

It can also help to give yourself a gentle massage with circular movements to help expel accumulated gas and thus, little by little, relieve inflammation.

Prevention is the best medicine

  • Get enough sleep and manage your stress levels
  • Don’t fall asleep or lie in a completely horizontal position immediately after eating; try to wait at least 20 to 30 minutes before doing so
  • Don’t eat large amounts of food, try to chew your food slowly and avoid drinking too much while you eat. If you do drink, then it’s preferable to take small sips.
Great Tips to Help Relieve Indigestion
  • To avoid drinking too much liquid while eating, drink a glass of water about 15 minutes before eating
  • Don’t do activities that make you inhale air: smoking, talking while you’re eating, chewing gum, or eating too fast
  • Avoid fatty, over-seasoned, salty, and spicy foods, as well as alcoholic beverages, soda, and caffeine
  • Eat plenty of fiber, as it helps in the process of digesting food and produces satiety. You can find these in wholemeal bread, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.

In short, the aim here is to mitigate the severe tummy ache from the bloating feeling that can often occur in your stomach. Follow all our tips to improve your digestive processes, so that you can enjoy eating food without having any unwanted effects.


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • Abrahams, A. (1933). INDIGESTION. The Lancet. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(00)90337-4
  • Cuervo, A. M. (2013). Preventing lysosomal fat indigestion. Nature Cell Biology. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb2778
  • Forth, C. E., & Carden-Coyne, A. (2005). Cultures of the abdomen: Diet, digestion, and fat in the modern world. Cultures of the Abdomen: Diet, Digestion, and Fat in the Modern World. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781403981387
  • Hasler, W. L. (2017). 54 : Nausea , Vomiting , and Indigestion. In Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, 19e.
  • Wood, S. (2011). Indigestion and heartburn. Practice Nurse.

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.