Dyspepsia (from the Greek δυσ- dys-, “bad” or “difficult”, and πέψις pepsis “digestion”), also known as indigestion or heartburn, is a condition of impaired digestion. It is a medical condition characterized by chronic or recurrent pain in the upper abdomen, upper abdominal fullness and feeling full earlier than expected when eating. It can be accompanied by bloating, belching, nausea, or heartburn. Dyspepsia is a common problem and is frequently caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or gastritis. In a small minority it may be the first symptom of peptic ulcer disease (an ulcer of the stomach or duodenum) and occasionally cancer. Hence, unexplained newly onset dyspepsia in people over 55 or the presence of other alarming symptoms may require further investigations. Functional dyspepsia (previously called nonulcer dyspepsia) is dyspepsia “without evidence of an organic disease that is likely to explain the symptoms”. Functional dyspepsia is estimated to affect about 15% of the general population in western countries.
