Dyspepsia is a term which indicates symptoms referable to the upper gastrointestinal tract. It has recently been defined broadly as ‘pain or discomfort centered in the upper abdomen’1. Dyspepsia encompasses symptoms such as heartburn, acid regurgitation, excessive burping or belching, abdominal bloating, nausea, and fullness or early satiety. Uninvestigated dyspepsia is considered when no underlying cause for the symptoms has yet been sought. The most common organic causes of dyspepsia are gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcer disease, biliary disease and dyspepsia associated with medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). When no underlying cause can be found, a diagnosis of functional dyspepsia, or non-ulcer dyspepsia, is considered. Dyspepsia has been classified according to the main symptoms as ulcer-like, reflux-like, dysmotility-like and non-specific. This division into symptom-based groups has been criticized, as it has low predictive value for identifying the causes of dyspepsia and the pathophysiological mechanisms involved2.
