What causes dyspepsia?

Often, dyspepsia is caused by a stomach ulcer or acid reflux disease. If you have acid reflux disease, stomach acid backs up into your esophagus (the tube leading from your mouth to your stomach). This causes pain in your chest. Your doctor may do some tests to find out if you have an ulcer or acid reflux disease.

Some medicines, like anti-inflammatory medicines, can cause dyspepsia. Sometimes no cause of dyspepsia can be found.

Sometimes dyspepsia can be the sign of a serious problem--for example, a deep stomach ulcer. Rarely, dyspepsia is caused by stomach cancer, so you should take this problem seriously.

If you have dyspepsia, talk to your family doctor. This is especially important if any one of the following is true for you:

• You're over 50 years of age
• You recently lost weight without trying to
• You have trouble swallowing
• You have severe vomiting
• You have black, tarry bowel movements
• You can feel a mass in your stomach area