Well it has been some time since I have written anything medical based. So, I was thinking and realized that for something so common this particular problem is so little discussed with public. Then again, I guess the reason being that despite knowing much about it, we still find this a difficult issue to treat.

So what is Dyspepsia? Well for the general public this would simply be gastric like symptoms. However in reality, it could be more than just gastric in origin. As has been defined by Prof NJ Talley in 1991,dyspepsia is “persistent or recurrent abdominal pain or abdominal discomfort centered in the upper abdomen”. It can be associated with bloating and or belching.

So what could be the possible reasons for one to have these symptoms we call dyspepsia? These are some of the commoner causes:

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Well, there are a few symptoms with which warrants attention and those are:
(Agréus and Talley 1997)
1.those with alarm symptoms or signs including:
*unintentional weight loss
*iron-deficiency anaemia – feeling giddy, looking pale, light-headedness,
fainting spells, lethargy.
*gastrointestinal bleeding – vomiting blood, passing out black tarry foul
smelling faeces
*dysphagia and odynophagia – unable or difficult to swallow
*previous gastric surgery
*persistent vomiting
*epigastric mass
*jaundice ( yellowish discolouration of the eyes)
*previous peptic ulcer disease
*use of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug

2. those over the age of 45 years* at onset.

Most of the time in such situations, blood test will not be sufficient and patients would be required to undergo a procedure called OGDS, a scope inserted into the stomach through the mouth and an abdominal ultrasound. Together with careful and detailed history and examination, the underlying cause can be identified and thus treated accordingly.