by Eveline Gan

You take a bite of a crispy spring roll, nibble on some pineapple tarts and mandarin oranges, and then wash it all down with gassy drinks.

Triple that routine every day during Chinese New Year and, before you know it, indigestion hits you. Your tummy starts churning in discomfort and your non-stop belching soon wakes the entire household.

While indigestion from overindulgence might not be life-threatening in most cases, it is certainly a troublesome problem for many people.

Dr Philip Koh Kheng Keah, chairman of the medical board in Healthway Medical Group and family physician, noted an estimated 30 per cent increase in the number of indigestion cases seen at Healthway's GP clinics during the festive period.

"Overindulgence causes over-distension of the stomach with delayed emptying and acid imbalance. These leads to stomach pain, nausea, vomiting and acid reflux," said consultant gastroenterologist and physician Dr Law Ngai Moh from Raffles Internal Medicine Centre at Raffles Hospital.

Overproduction of stomach acids is often worsened by excessive intake of festive goodies such as deep-fried oily snacks, carbonated drinks, alcohol and citrus fruits such as mandarin oranges, said Dr Law. In addition, consuming raw or undercooked food in steamboat and yu sheng also increases the risk of acute gastroenteritis.

Besides overeating, inhaling cigarette smoke can also irritate the stomach lining, thus increasing gastric acid production. Most symptoms of mild indigestion typically disappear after four to six hours, from the time you stop feasting, said Dr Law.

Fix it

In the meantime, you can seek quick relief in the form of antacids which are available over-the-counter, advised Dr Koh. Available in either liquid or tablet form, antacids work by neutralising excess acid in the stomach, relieving the discomfort.

According to Dr Koh, probiotics (good bacteria) found in yoghurt may help relieve the bloating sensation in the long term for some people. He added that prebiotic foods such as bananas, garlic, onions and maple syrup are believed to support the growth of these good bacteria, and so they may be beneficial in preventing indigestion.

"So eating some yoghurt and adding banana and maple syrup to it would be a good mix of pre- and probiotics. However taking probiotics is not a quick fix for indigestion. For those who benefit from consuming them, it may take weeks or months to show effect," said Dr Koh.

Seek medical attention if your indigestion does not go away with medication, urged both doctors.

Over feasting may have more serious consequences, especially if the indigestion causes you to vomit or retch.

"When severe vomiting with retching occurs, aspiration of undigested food into lungs may lead to a chest infection. Violent non-stop vomiting may cause tearing of the oesophagus leading to bleeding and perforation," warned Dr Law.

Occasionally, indigestion could be a sign of other more serious diseases such as gallstones. It could also be a symptom of a heart attack, especially if there are other symptoms of chest discomfort, profuse sweating, back or jaw pain, said Dr Koh.

This article was featured in Today February 7, 2012.