This document is a report on dyspepsia produced by students at the Universidad Tecnica de Machala for their eighth semester class. It defines dyspepsia as discomfort or pain in the upper abdomen without a structural or metabolic cause. Common symptoms include pain, swelling, heartburn and nausea. Causes can include excessive food or alcohol intake, smoking, stress, and infection with Helicobacter pylori bacteria. Diagnosis involves abdominal ultrasound or endoscopy. Treatment focuses on diet changes, antibiotics for H. pylori infections, and medications to reduce acid. Prevention includes relaxing after meals and chewing food thoroughly.

1. UNIVERSIDAD TECNICA DE MACHALA
ACADEMIC UNIT OF CHEMICAL
SCIENCES AND HEALTH
MEDICINE SCHOOL
ENGLISH
DYSPEPSIA
STUDENTS
William Cruz
Kevin Herrera
Jorge Pacheco
Angie Chamba
Sonia Quijilema
TEACHER:
Mgs. Barreto Huilcapi Lina Maribel
CLASS:
EIGHTH SEMESTER ‘’A’’
Machala, El Oro
2018

2. Dyspepsia
Definition
Dyspepsia or indigestion refers to discomfort and / or pain that occurs in the upper
abdomen. Some patients complain of pain, swelling, heartburn or nausea, while others
experience indigestion, but, in general terms, all suffer discomfort in that area.
Dyspepsia is defined as a set of symptoms that originate in the upper gastrointestinal tract,
in the absence of any structural cause or metabolic disease that can explain them.
In patients with dyspepsia, the stomach does not relax in response to a meal, and alterations
in contractions and gastric emptying are also observed.
In some cases, it may also present a greater perception of gastric activity, which is called
visceral hypersensitivity.

3. Etiology
The causes of this condition are unknown in most patients. In some cases, symptoms may
occur after an excessive meal or by having ingested certain medications that produce
lesions in the gastric mucosa, such as aspirin or anti-inflammatories.
It is also possible that the cause is due to psychological problems, such as stress, anxiety or
depression.
Some patients with dyspepsia may have a wound or erosion, called an ulcer, in the stomach
or in the area of the duodenum, caused mostly by a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori.
The causes for most cases of dyspepsia are excessive consumption of alcohol, the intake of
spicy foods, or very greasy, and ingest large amounts of food in a short time.
Other reasons can be smoking, foods with a lot of fiber or consuming too much caffeine.
Signs and symptoms
The main symptom of dyspepsia in the discomfort produced in the upper abdomen, which
happens during or after meals.
This pain is described as heat or burning in the area between the navel and the lower part of
the sternum, and the feeling of swelling is annoying when you start eating or afterwards.
Other symptoms that may also occur, although to a lesser extent, are abdominal distension
or nausea.
This condition is not the same as gastric acidity because the symptoms of it usually
originate in the chest and can radiate to the neck or throat.
Diagnosis
Dyspepsia can be detected through the following procedures:
 Abdominal ultrasound.
 Esophagogastroduodenoscopy: Also called gastrointestinal endoscopy. It is a test
that visualizes the esophagus, stomach and duodenum to detect if there are injuries.

4. Treatment
If the discomfort does not occur frequently, in principle, it is not necessary to go to the
specialist. The symptoms will disappear on their own, but if not, the treatment concentrates
the following guidelines:
Diet: In most cases, patients have symptoms associated with food intake. Therefore, it is
recommended that you make low-fat and low-calorie meals, and in small quantities.
Eradicate Helicobacter pylori through antibiotics in cases where this bacterium is the cause.
Administer medications that reduce acid (an example is omeprazole).
Prevention
The measures that can be carried out to prevent this condition are:
 Relax and rest after meals if stress can cause indigestion to the patient. Therefore,
specialists recommend avoiding exercise immediately after ingestion.
 It is important to allocate enough time for meals, chewing food carefully and not
swallowing hastily.
If the patient is prone to dyspepsia, it is usually advised to avoid taking medications such as
acetylsalicylic acid and some anti-inflammatories on an empty stomach.
Bibliography
 Working group on CPG. Preparation of Clinical Practice Guidelines in the National
Health System. Methodological Manual. Madrid: National Plan for the SNS of the
MSC. Aragonese Institute of Health Sciences-I + CS; 2007. Clinical Practice
Guidelines in the SNS: I + CS Nº 2006 / 0I
 March Castillejo M, Montaño Barrientos A. The GRADE system for clinical
decision making and the preparation of recommendations and clinical practice
guidelines. Aten Primaria. 2007; 39: 457-60
 Gisbert JP, Alonso-Coello P, Piqué JM. [How can we find, design, and use clinical
practice guidelines?]. Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2008; 31: 239-57.