What should you know about severe indigestion pain?

Indigestion may feel like burning, pressure, fullness, nausea, belching, or pain in the upper abdomen. Reflux can bring acid or food back towards the throat. Gastritis and a peptic ulcer can irritate the stomach lining. Gallstones may cause stronger pain under the right ribs, especially after a rich meal. A hiatus hernia can make reflux symptoms easier to trigger. These possibilities overlap, so the location, timing, associated symptoms, medicines, and medical history matter.

A symptom page on [Indigestion](/symptoms/indigestion/) explains the broader pattern. Related conditions include [Acid Reflux](/conditions/acid-reflux/), [Gastritis](/conditions/gastritis/), [Peptic Ulcer](/conditions/peptic-ulcer/), [Gallstones](/conditions/gallstones/), [Hiatus Hernia](/conditions/hiatus-hernia/), and [Helicobacter Pylori Infection](/conditions/helicobacter-pylori-infection/).

Stop eating if food clearly worsens the pain, take small sips of water, and remain upright rather than lying flat. Avoid alcohol, smoking, and foods that have triggered symptoms before. Do not take leftover antibiotics or another person’s medicine. A pharmacist or clinician can advise whether an antacid or [Acid Reflux Medication](/treatments/medical-management/acid-reflux-medication/) is suitable, particularly if you take other medicines or have kidney, liver, or heart problems.

Seek emergency help for chest pressure, breathlessness, fainting, cold sweating, severe weakness, vomiting blood, black stools, a rigid abdomen, or sudden severe pain. Arrange same-day medical assessment when pain is intense, keeps returning, persists despite simple measures, or comes with repeated vomiting, fever, yellowing skin, or difficulty swallowing. Do not assume severe upper-abdominal pain is only indigestion.

Ask what causes should be considered, whether your medicines can irritate the stomach, whether testing for Helicobacter pylori is appropriate, and which warning signs should send you to urgent care. Tell the clinician when the pain began, where it is, what you ate, and whether it spreads.