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Indigestion, or dyspepsia, is discomfort in the upper part of your tummy, usually after eating or drinking. It often comes with feeling uncomfortably full, feeling sick or bringing up wind. It is very common: pooled worldwide studies put it at around 1 in 5 people. Most cases are not serious, but persistent indigestion is worth looking into.
Indigestion is a group of symptoms rather than a single condition. The NHS lists the symptoms you can have after eating or drinking as feeling full and bloated, feeling sick, burping and farting, and bringing up food or bitter-tasting fluids into your mouth [2]. Some people also notice they feel full much sooner than usual, or that a normal-sized meal sits heavily for hours.
A burning feeling in the chest is a different symptom with its own page - see Heartburn and Acid Reflux. It is worth separating the two, because the burning symptom and the after-a-meal symptoms are often investigated along slightly different lines.
The NHS is also clear about what indigestion usually is not: "Stomach ache or back pain are usually not symptoms of indigestion. If you have those you might be constipated" [2]. If pain rather than fullness is the main thing you notice, see Abdominal Pain.
Indigestion is rarely an emergency in itself. There are two situations, though, where it sits alongside something that needs immediate help.
The first is the heart. The NHS lists "feeling like you have indigestion - you may have a burning feeling in your chest and feel full or bloated" among the symptoms of a heart attack [3].
Call 999 if [3]:
The second is vomiting blood. Call 999 or go to A&E if you are vomiting blood, or have vomited blood, and you feel generally unwell, feel confused, feel faint or dizzy, have rapid or shallow breathing, have cold, clammy, pale skin, have tummy pain, or have black poo [4]. If you have stopped vomiting blood and had no other symptoms, the NHS advises asking for an urgent GP appointment, calling 111 or getting help from 111 online [4].
LivingCare is a specialist outpatient service and is not an emergency care facility. If your symptoms are sudden or severe, call 999.
Everything else is a booking, not an emergency. The NHS puts the following in its non-urgent advice, and says to see a GP if you [2]:
"These symptoms can be a sign of something more serious," the NHS notes [2] - which is the reason for looking, not a reason to assume the worst. Any of them is a good reason to arrange an assessment rather than wait and see.
Most indigestion comes from acid. The NHS describes it as acid from your stomach irritating your stomach lining or throat, which is called acid reflux [2].
Several everyday things trigger it or make it worse [2]:
Two structural causes are also common. A hiatus hernia is when part of your stomach moves into your chest. A stomach ulcer is an open sore in your stomach lining, and it can cause indigestion in its own right [2]. Less often, the NHS notes, indigestion can be a sign of something more serious such as stomach cancer [2] - uncommon, and one of the things an assessment is designed to check for rather than assume.
A visit to your GP or gastroenterology consultation is the starting point - the specialist reviews your symptoms and arranges only the tests they call for. Much of the work is in history: what your symptoms are, when they start, what brings them on, what you have already tried and what else has changed.
Where the picture calls for a direct look at the food pipe and stomach lining, that usually means a Gastroscopy. Blood tests and tests for stomach bacteria may be arranged alongside it. Which of these you need, if any, is decided at the consultation and not before.
You can book a Gastroenterology Consultation directly, or read more about our Gastroenterology service. Self-pay, with no GP referral needed. If you are using medical insurance, your insurer may ask for a GP referral letter.
Medically reviewed by: Dr N. Chandra, Consultant Endoscopist. Last reviewed: 09/10/26
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