What is indigestion?

Indigestion is pain or discomfort after eating, while your stomach is digesting. Healthcare providers also use the term dyspepsia, which means the same thing: impaired digestion. If you get a stomachache or upset tummy after eating, something in your digestive process isn’t going quite right. It’s not always a problem with your body, though. Sometimes it just means you ate the wrong thing or ate too fast.

Almost everyone has experienced occasional indigestion. But for some people, it’s a daily occurrence that diminishes their quality of life. When indigestion becomes a significant problem, you may find yourself seeking healthcare for answers and relief. Sometimes there’s an underlying gastrointestinal (GI) disease that needs treatment. But sometimes there’s no simple explanation for these symptoms.

What does indigestion feel like?

Indigestion may involve several different symptoms, but it always involves some level of abdominal pain or discomfort. Your abdomen is where most of the organs in your digestive system live, so if they’re having difficulties while doing their jobs, that’s where you’ll feel it. Indigestion symptoms always occur after eating, when your stomach is digesting — what healthcare providers call the postprandial period.

Experts generally agree that the symptoms of indigestion include:

Epigastric pain. Your epigastrium is your central, upper abdominal region. This is where your stomach is.

Burning sensation. Burning may come from stomach acids and enzymes in your GI tract, or from inflammation.

Early or late-lasting satiety. Feeling full soon after eating, or long after, suggests your stomach is overwhelmed.