What do heartburn and indigestion feel like?
Heartburn is a burning, sometimes painful sensation in the middle of your chest, just below your breastbone. The burning sensation may travel up and down your chest and throat. Your heartburn may get worse after eating, when lying down, or when you bend over.
Indigestion can feel different to different people, but overall, it tends to cause a feeling of fullness, bloating, and trapped gas. Heartburn may also be felt as part of indigestion.
Heartburn symptoms
Heartburn is very common. It is caused by acid reflux — when stomach acid or food contents travel back up, irritating your oesophagus (also known as your food pipe or gullet).
Acid reflux can cause other symptoms that may accompany your heartburn. These include:
- A sour taste in your mouth
- A cough that doesn’t go away
- Hiccups that won’t go away or keep coming back
- A hoarse voice
- Bad breath
- Nausea
- Feeling bloated
If you keep getting heartburn with or without the symptoms above, see a healthcare professional. Having heartburn on most days may signal a chronic condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Indigestion Symptoms
Indigestion (or dyspepsia) describes a symptom or collection of symptoms that might signal indigestion or a gastrointestinal problem.These symptoms can include heartburn.
Different people experience indigestion in various ways. However, in addition to heartburn, it usually causes the following symptoms:
- Pain or discomfort in your upper tummy
- Feeling full quickly after you’ve started eating
- Bloating and gas
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Burping
Heartburn and indigestion: How are they related?
There is significant overlap between heartburn and indigestion. Heartburn itself can be a symptom of indigestion and the triggers for heartburn are, for the most part, the same as the triggers for indigestion. Additionally, many of the treatments for heartburn also apply to indigestion.
However, heartburn is just one possible symptom of indigestion, and it can occur on its own. Indigestion is a collection of symptoms that are more likely to signal a gastrointestinal problem.
A key difference is that heartburn describes a sensation located in a specific place (behind your breastbone or all the way up and down your throat), whereas indigestion usually affects your upper tummy.
The important thing to remember is that both heartburn and indigestion are extremely common and that usually, neither is a sign of something serious.
If you get heartburn or indigestion most days, or if your symptoms don’t go away with some simple lifestyle changes or over-the-counter medication, see a healthcare professional.
What causes heartburn compared to indigestion?
Chronic heartburn happens when the LOS, a ring-shaped muscle inside your tummy above the stomach, doesn’t work properly. The LOS normally closes up after a meal to keep stomach acid and food contents down. But with heartburn and acid reflux, sometimes the LOS doesn’t close up properly. It can also be forced open from the pressure in an overfilled stomach, and also just opens naturally throughout the day to release gas from the stomach.
Several things cause the LOS to behave this way, such as foods that over-relax the muscle, causing it to open more easily, triggering reflux. Common causes of heartburn include:
- Certain foods like acidic, spicy, and high-fat foods
- Certain drinks like alcohol, coffee, or fizzy drinks
- Certain habits, like smoking, eating late at night or eating large, infrequent meals8
- Certain physical positions, like lying down or bending over
- Other factors like being overweight, being pregnant, or being under a lot of stress
In the most extreme cases, acid reflux and the heartburn it provokes are caused by an underlying health problem, such as:
- A hiatal hernia
- A stomach ulcer
- An infection with a bacterium
Other times, the precise reason for your acid reflux and heartburn is not entirely known.
Causes of Indigestion
Like heartburn, indigestion is also very common. Most factors that contribute to indigestion overlap with those of heartburn, and they include:
- Certain foods like fatty, heavy, or spicy meals
- Certain drinks, like alcohol or coffee
- Certain habits, like smoking
- Certain eating patterns, like eating too fast or eating too much at once
- Being overweight, pregnant, or under a lot of stress
In more serious cases, the stomach discomfort is caused by an underlying health problem, such as:
- Gallstones or other conditions affecting the biliary tract
- A condition that affects the pancreas
- A stomach ulcer
- A hiatal hernia
More rarely, indigestion can be caused by something more serious, like stomach cancer. It’s worth remembering, however, that indigestion isn’t a cause for concern in the vast majority of cases.
Treatments for Heartburn and Indigestion
There are many lifestyle adjustments, over-the-counter medications and prescription treatments that can treat both heartburn and indigestion.
Lifestyle Changes
To relieve heartburn symptoms or indigestion symptoms, try the following tips:
- Eat smaller meals more often, rather than large, infrequent ones
- Lose weight if you’re overweight
- Try to find ways to relax and remove yourself from stressful situations as much as possible
- Identify and then limit or avoid trigger foods; common triggers include alcohol, coffee, chocolate, spicy foods and fatty foods
- Avoiding eating 2-4 hours before bed
- Eat a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, like the Mediterranean diet
- Quit smoking if you’re a smoker
- Avoid excessive alcohol
- Sleep with your head elevated on a wedge
In addition, there are various over-the-counter medications available, such as:
- Alginates
- Antacids
- Medications that are a combination of antacid and alginate, like Gaviscon Double Action
- Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), like Guardium
A note on stress
Both heartburn and indigestion can be brought on by stressful situations. This is because your gut and your brain communicate at all times, and when your brain is affected by stress, your tummy feels it too.
if you need help to manage your stress, speak to your doctor.
Conclusion
As discussed above, there is a lot of overlap between heartburn and indigestion, both in terms of causes, symptoms, prevention and treatment. Heartburn can be a symptom of indigestion, but indigestion usually comprises more symptoms than heartburn. The key difference is that heartburn is felt in the middle of the chest behind the breastbone, whereas indigestion affects your upper tummy.
Both heartburn and indigestion are very common, however you should see your doctor if your symptoms won’t go away with simple lifestyle changes or over-the-counter medication.
To keep your tummy healthy and happy, eat a healthy diet, maintain healthy eating habits, and try to reduce stress. If you get heartburn or indigestion occasionally, try a treatment from our Gaviscon and Guardium range.
This article is for general information only and not intended as a substitute for medical advice. All information presented on these web pages is not meant to diagnose or prescribe. In all health-related matters, always consult your healthcare professional.
Always read the product label. Use only as directed. Incorrect use could be harmful. If symptoms persist consult your healthcare professional.
