Fast eating may cause indigestion

Main Category: Acid Reflux / GERD
Also Included In: GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology
Article Date: 10 Sep 2004 - 8:00 PST


Eating food quickly may cause a type of indigestion called gastrooesophageal reflux, a new study in the September 2004 edition of the American Journal of Gastroenterology has shown.

What is gastrooesophageal reflux?

Gastrooesophageal reflux is when the stomach contents (eg food, stomach acid and other digestive juices) travel back from the stomach into the oesophagus. This causes a burning pain, often called heartburn.

Many people get gastrooesophageal reflux occasionally, especially after large meals. If it happens frequently or causes severe symptoms, it is called gastrooesophageal reflux disease (GORD).

How common is gastrooesophageal reflux?

About one third of people get some gastrooesophageal reflux at least once every six months.2 About five percent of adults have gastrooesophageal reflux disease (GORD). In most people, reflux occurs during the day, usually after eating.

What causes gastrooesophageal reflux disease (GORD)?

Gastrooesophageal reflux happens when the muscular sphincter (valve) between the stomach and the oesophagus relaxes, allowing food and digestive juices in the stomach to travel back up the oesophagus. Having a full stomach makes this more likely to happen as this puts extra pressure on the valve.

For people with gastrooesophageal disease (GORD), the sphincter does not work properly and relaxes more often than usual. The reason why this happens is not fully understood.

What are the symptoms of gastrooesophageal reflux disease (GORD)?

The main symptom of gastrooesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is heartburn - a burning pain felt in the centre of the chest or behind the sternum (breastbone). The stomach has a mucous lining to protect it from damage by stomach acid. However, this mucous lining is not present in the oesophagus, so stomach acid irritates the oesophagus, causing a burning sensation. If severe, the pain can be hard to distinguish from a heart attack. Anyone who develops severe chest pain should seek urgent medical advice or call 999 for an ambulance.

Occasionally, food is regurgitated from the stomach back into the mouth.

Severe cases of GORD can lead to inflammation of the oesophagus (oesophagitis) which results in scarring and narrowing of the oesophagus, making it difficult to swallow.6 CONTINUES��BUPA

For more information, please see the BUPA factsheet on indigestion at:
http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/Dyspepsia.html

Written by BUPA's Health Information Team

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