Such attacks are usually traceable to their proper cause, the removal of which is followed by prompt recovery.
What are the common causes of acute indigestion?
This is frequently due to overeating, to indulgence in some special article of improper food, or to eating heartily when overtired. Acute indigestion often marks the beginning of some acute general illness.
How should acute indigestion be managed?
One should bear in mind that for the time being the digestive organs have stopped work altogether. The important thing, therefore, is to clear out from the intestines all undigested food by some active cathartic, such as castor oil. The stomach has usually emptied itself by vomiting. All food should be stopped for from twelve to thirty-six hours, according to the severity of the attack, only water being given.
At the end of this time is it safe to begin with the former diet?
No; for such a procedure is almost certain to cause another attack of indigestion. At first only broth, thin gruel, very greatly diluted milk, or whey should be given. The diet may be very slowly but gradually increased as the child's appetite and digestion improve, but in most cases a week or ten days should elapse before the full diet is resumed.
What are the symptoms of chronic indigestion?
These, although familiar, are not so easily distinguished and are very often attributed to the wrong cause. There are usually general symptoms such as indisposition, disturbed sleep, grinding of the teeth, fretfulness, languor, loss of weight and anæmia. There are besides local symptoms: flatulence, abdominal pain, abdominal distention, constipation, or looseness of the bowels with mucus in the stools, foul breath, coated tongue, loss of appetite, or an abnormal capricious appetite. Such symptoms are often wrongly ascribed to intestinal worms.