A lot of people suffer with general stomach discomfort despite having normal test results. Scopes, ultrasounds, CT scans, blood tests and more all come back normal leaving many disappointed and longing for answers.

Functional Dyspepsia

Functional dyspepsia is one of the most common gut issues out there. It’s essentially a fancy name for indigestion. It’s used to describe a number of uncomfortable digestive complaints that occur when there is no concrete gut issue (like an ulcer, GERD, gallbladder diseases etc.).

Postprandial Distress Syndrome

Postprandial distress syndrome (PDS) is a common type of functional dyspepsia that involves feeling unwell after eating meals. People with PDS feel uncomfortably full after eating and feel full quickly. This happens even with normal sized meals that aren’t excessively large. Bloating, nausea and excess burping after meals can occur as well.

These symptoms could be caused by problems with the flow and movement of the digestive tract as well as inflammation or potentially an h.pylori (or other) infection in the gut. A number of other factors are likely involved.

Medications are sometimes prescribed for this and there are natural options that can provide relief such as acupuncture, stress management strategies, remedies that help with moving things along in the gut, reducing inflammation and so on.

Epigastric Pain Syndrome

Sometimes PDS is paired with another syndrome called epigastric pain syndrome (EPS). This is a type of functional dyspepsia that involves pain and burning in the upper stomach area. It can happen independently of eating a meal and is often misdiagnosed as acid reflux.

Feeling Better

It’s common for people with PDS and EPS to also experience anxiety and depression. In my practice, I often see a lot of digestive issues associated with mental health concerns.

Naturopathic doctors are a valuable resource for managing functional dyspepsia. It’s an area where we can really make use of all the tools available to us: dietary changes, lifestyle changes, herbal medicine, nutritional supplements and acupuncture.

Gut troubles can take a serious toll on your mental health and wellbeing. If this is an issue for you, reach out and get help.