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Functional dyspepsia is a medical term for indigestion where a person finds it hard to eat a regular meal. The common symptoms of functional dyspepsia include abdominal pain, feeling of fullness, and bloating.
Dyspepsia can occur due tostructural causes, such asgastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD),stomach ulcers, andgastritis. However, when there is no clear underlying cause for indigestion, doctors refer to it as functional dyspepsia. Since there is no exact cause, there is no specific treatment for this condition.
Medical management of functional dyspepsia focuses on improving the symptoms. Apart from a few medicines, this mostly involves dietary and lifestyle changes.
Functional dyspepsia is a very common digestive problem.Reports show that around 20% of the world's population is suffering from functional dyspepsia. Interestingly, this condition is more common in women than in men.
Functional dyspepsia doesn’t feel much different from other digestive problems, such as GERD, stomach ulcers, or gastritis. All these conditions cause roughly the same symptoms as functional dyspepsia, such as abdominal pain, heartburn, or bloating.
However, these other digestive conditions are caused by structural problems. For instance, GERD involves damage to the esophagus, and gastritis is caused by inflammation of the stomach lining. In contrast, functional dyspepsia is not due to any structural problem.
There are twotypes of dyspepsia, depending on the symptoms you feel.
When you feel symptoms such as abdominal pain and burning without eating anything, it is called epigastric pain syndrome (EPS).
But if you feel symptoms such as an early feeling of fullness, nausea, and bloating after eating a meal, it is called postprandial distress syndrome (PDS).
The symptoms of functional dyspepsia vary from person to person, and you may not experience the same symptoms as others. Also, the symptoms don’t stay consistent. They might come and go without any apparent reason.
The symptoms that most people experience with functional dyspepsia include:
Functional dyspepsia involves the stomach and the upper part of the small intestine. You experience symptoms related to these organs, such as heartburn, abdominal pain, or bloated stomach.
In a healthy person with no functional dyspepsia, stomach muscles relax and expand, allowing food to enter the stomach. However, in people with functional dyspepsia, stomach muscles may not relax properly, lowering the stomach capacity. This is why you may feel full even after eating a light meal in functional dyspepsia.
In functional dyspepsia, the flow of food content from the stomach to the small intestine is also impaired, a condition calledgastroparesis. Food stays in the stomach for longer, leading to a bloated stomach.
See Also: Gastroparesis Care: The Art of Emptying that Always Full Stomach!
Dyspepsia and indigestion are interchangeable terms for the same condition. Both refer to problems and discomfort associated with the upper abdomen or digestive tract.
Indigestion is a general term, while dyspepsia is a medical diagnosis. Indigestion can occur due to apparent reasons such as overeating, eating spicy food, or eating fatty food. When indigestion occurs repeatedly for no apparent reason, it is medically diagnosed as dyspepsia.
There is no clear cause for functional dyspepsia, and treating this condition can be very challenging. Treatment options aim to reduce the symptoms and improve the quality of life in people with functional dyspepsia.
The following treatment options are available for functional dyspepsia:
Medications are the initial treatment options for functional dyspepsia. Your prescribed medications will depend on your symptoms and overall condition. Some common medicines for the treatment of functional dyspepsia include:
When doctors suspect that indigestion is due to the overproduction of acid in your stomach, they will prescribe stomach acid-reducing drugs. Two common stomach acid-reducing drugs include H2 receptor blockers and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs).
H2 receptors reduce stomach acid by stopping its production. On the other hand, PPIs block the secretion of acid into the stomach. Overall, these reduce stomach acid levels, which can improve symptoms of functional dyspepsia.
In many cases, digestive problems are associated with bacterial infections, especially H. pylori infection. It is the primary cause of stomach ulcers and gastritis.Reports show that H. pylori infection affects about 50% of the world's population.
When doctors find the presence of H. pylori infection, they recommend antibiotics to eradicate the bacteria. A few common antibiotics against H. pylori infection include amoxicillin, clarithromycin, metronidazole, and tetracycline.
Delayed gastric emptying can also lead to functional dyspepsia symptoms. Gastric emptying tests can tell if the stomach is normally emptying into the small intestine. If gastric motility is slower than normal, the doctors recommend prokinetic agents.
These drugs boost stomach emptying, relieving symptoms such as feeling of fullness and bloating. A few common prokinetic agents are azithromycin, cisapride and domperidone.
There is astrong association between your nervous and digestive systems. The conditions of the nervous system, such as depression and anxiety, can result in indigestion.
Low-dose antidepressants are prescribed to patients with functional dyspepsia. Studiesshow thattricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are effective in improving functional dyspepsia.
A2021 study shows that there is a strong association between functional dyspepsia and psychological conditions such as depression and anxiety. Astudy shows that psychological interventions can lower the symptoms of functional dyspepsia and improve the condition.
According to that study, the following psychological interventions can improve the symptoms of functional dyspepsia:
What you eat greatly influences digestive health. Similarly, dietary changes can improve the symptoms of people with functional dyspepsia.
A2023 study showed that a high-FODMAP diet may cause the development of functional dyspepsia. FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharide, disaccharide, monosaccharide, and polyols. The study further explained that alow-FODMAP diet can improve functional dyspepsia.
See Also: FODMAP Diet: Everything You Need to Know!
Studies show that lowering fatty foods in the diet can help in functional dyspepsia. Fatty foods can slow down the digestion and worsen the symptoms. The studies also recommend lowering the intake ofoverly processed foods, spicy foods, coffee, and alcohol for functional dyspepsia.
In comparison, research shows that theMediterranean diet is effective for functional dyspepsia. Mediterranean diet includes plant-based healthy foods such as fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whole grains.
Lifestyle changes can also improve functional dyspepsia. These include quitting smoking, regular exercise, weight management, avoiding late-night meals, and preferring smaller meals at once.
Related Link: Certified Mediterranean and Low-FODMAP i.e. IBS-Friendly Meal Plans
Foods that are easy to process for your digestive system are a good choice for dyspepsia. These include:
A2021 study shows that high vegetable intake reduces the risk of functional dyspepsia. This study also reveals that an increase in fruit intake lowers the symptoms of people with functional dyspepsia.
Fruits and vegetables are also excellent sources of dietary fiber.Research shows that fiber improves digestion and has a positive influence ongut health.
Some healthy vegetable and fruit choices include:
See Also: 21 Easy Ways to Get More Fiber in Your Diet!
Anotherstudy shows that a gluten-free diet improves the symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, and early satiety.
Gluten-free food options for functional dyspepsia are:
Lean meat is very low inunhealthy fats and is an excellent source of proteins.Studies show that a protein diet can improve gut microbial composition and gut health, which may help people with functional dyspepsia.
Some common sources of lean meat include:
Astudy shows that herbal teas reduce stress and anxiety which are among the causes of functional dyspepsia. Herbal teas also improve digestion and relieve symptoms such as bloating. So, a good idea is to replace caffeinated drinks with herbal teas for people with dyspepsia.
Some examples of herbal teas are:
Fiber is an incredible food choice for digestive health and offers manyother health benefits. However, the role of dietary fiber in functional dyspepsia is not fully known as there are only a handful of studies currently available.
Experts suggest that fiber has the potential to improve functional dyspepsia through multiple mechanisms. After all, fiber is a prominent ingredient in fruits and vegetables. And,studies show that consuming fruits and vegetables improves functional dyspepsia - indicating that fiber may indeed be beneficial in this condition.
Also Read: The Crucial Need for Fiber in Our Diets and How Fiber Powders Can Help!
Anotherstudy also shows that a Mediterranean diet can significantly lower the symptoms of functional dyspepsia. Fiber-rich foods are an important component of the Mediterranean diet.
H. pylori infection is one of thepossible causes of functional dyspepsia. A2022 study shows that fiber can improve bacterial composition in the gut and help against pathogenic bacteria, such as H. pylori.
Overproduction of stomach acid can also worsen the symptoms of functional dyspepsia.Studies show that a fiber diet can reduce gastric acidity and improve the symptoms such as heartburn.
But these benefits apart, excessive fiber intake can also increase discomfort. It’s because it mayslow down gastric emptying which may worsen indigestion in certain individuals.
We recommend you keep track of your diet before incorporating fiber-rich foods for functional dyspepsia. If you find fiber suitable for your condition, you can conveniently add it to your diet by gettingpowdered fiber.
A fiber powder will help you take only a fixed amount of fiber each day which may be crucial in regulating your stomach and maintaining gut health.
Certain foods can worsen the dyspepsia. These include:
Functional dyspepsia, or indigestion, is a very common problem affecting 20% of the world’s population. It is a chronic condition with no apparent cause. The common symptoms of functional dyspepsia include abdominal pain, heartburn, nausea, early satiety, and bloating.
There is no clear treatment protocol available for functional dyspepsia. Medications can relieve the symptoms and improve the quality of life in many cases. Dietary changes play a significant role in managing functional dyspepsia. This includes increasing the intake of healthy foods and avoiding foods that can worsen dyspepsia.
Lifestyle changes also reduce the symptoms and improve the overall quality of life of people with functional dyspepsia. These include avoiding late-night meals, eating smaller portions at once, and performing physical activity.