Medicines available from over the counter can relieve your symptoms almost immediately, but a change in lifestyle may be needed to reduce the frequency and severity of indigestion and heartburn:-
- Try to determine what may be causing your indigestion. The simple answer is to cut this out of your lifestyle:
- Lose weight if you are overweight
- Avoid large fatty or spicy meals
- Eat small meals, more often
- Try not to eat just before bedtime
- Try to avoid drinking too much coffee or alcohol
- If you smoke, speak to your pharmacist about advice on stopping smoking
- Try to avoid stressful situations
- Avoid bending, lifting things or lying down soon after a meal as this can increase the chance of acid reflux
- Avoid wearing tight fitting clothing as this can also put excess pressure on the stomach
- If you suffer from heartburn at night, raise the head of your bed by approximately 6 inches so you are sleeping on an incline.
