Holiday tables in South Korea carry far more food than usual. Ancestral rite dishes, savory pancakes, seasoned vegetables and grilled ribs are joined by fruit and snacks, stretching meals out over long stretches of time. Portions grow at each sitting, and eating between meals leaves the stomach little time to rest. When food keeps coming late into the night and physical activity drops off, bloating and discomfort follow easily.
Indigestion is not a diagnosis for a specific disease but an umbrella term for a range of digestive symptoms tied to eating. A bloated, uncomfortable feeling after meals is common, as is early fullness, in which a person feels full after only a small amount of food. Some people continue to feel as though food is sitting in the stomach after a meal has ended, or develop pain and a burning sensation in the upper abdomen.
Indigestion cannot be dismissed as simply the result of eating too much. Lesions in the stomach or duodenum, such as gastritis and peptic ulcers, can be responsible, along with gastroesophageal reflux disease and Helicobacter pylori infection. Stress and anxiety can affect sensation and motility in the gastrointestinal tract, worsening symptoms.
Holidays tend to pile up eating habits that trigger or aggravate these symptoms. Consuming more food than usual in a short period fills the stomach and can heighten post-meal discomfort. Fatty foods such as pancakes and fried dishes slow gastric emptying, prolonging the feeling of fullness. Lying down immediately after eating, or eating until late at night, can worsen acid reflux.
Na Su-young, a professor of gastroenterology at Incheon St. Mary's Hospital of the Catholic University of Korea, said a sudden increase in food intake during the holidays can temporarily produce digestive symptoms that are otherwise absent. "It is not only eating large amounts at a single meal — the habit of continuing to snack between meals also has an effect," the professor said, adding that it is better to keep portion sizes and meal times during the holidays close to what they are the rest of the year.
Indigestion that appears temporarily can improve with smaller portions and changes in daily habits. But if symptoms recur or persist, it is necessary to check whether another condition is behind them. Medical attention is warranted in particular with unintended weight loss, repeated vomiting, black stools or gastrointestinal bleeding. Difficulty swallowing or persistent severe abdominal pain also calls for professional evaluation.
When testing turns up no organic disease that would explain the symptoms and discomfort continues, functional dyspepsia is a possibility. Symptoms are influenced by a stomach that fails to relax sufficiently as it takes in food, or by a stomach and duodenum that react sensitively to stimulation.
Treatment varies with the cause and the symptoms. If Helicobacter pylori is confirmed, eradication therapy is administered, and acid suppressants such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) can be used for acid-related symptoms. Drugs that promote gastrointestinal motility are sometimes used for functional dyspepsia.
During the holidays, controlling how much and how fast one eats matters more than avoiding particular foods outright. Rather than eating large amounts at once, it is better to take small servings of several dishes, eat slowly and stop once fullness sets in. Cutting back on oily foods such as pancakes and fried dishes, moving around lightly instead of lying down after a meal, and reducing late-night eating all help.
Even when people think they are taking only small amounts of many dishes, total daily intake during the holidays can rise well above normal levels, Na said. "It is better to divide up meals rather than eat a large amount at once, and to leave enough time before the next meal," the professor said. "If indigestion continues after the holiday ends or symptoms gradually worsen, do not assume it is from overeating — get examined to identify the cause."
