Indigestion feels like one guest too many. By late afternoon on Christmas Day, it may have you wondering how you'll cope with the cold ham on offer.

Indigestion is pain or an uncomfortable burning feeling in the middle part of your chest – your doctor might call it dyspepsia.

Sometimes this comes with nausea and a feeling of tightness and fullness or bloating. We need stomach acid to digest food, but too much of it, or too little, can give us indigestion. If excess acid spills upwards from the stomach – called reflux – it can sometimes cause the heartburn sensation.

Indigestion can happen whatever your age, but if you only get it occasionally, it is not usually serious, and antacid tablets or liquids may help. The odds are that indigestion is due to what or how much you ate – those extra chocolates, that extra glass of champagne.

Overeating is the main cause but eating too fast, too much coffee, alcohol or fizzy drinks, fatty or spicy food, cigarettes and even swallowing air when you eat can also do it. Christmas stress or family feuds often contribute.

It's perhaps best to focus on prevention. You can still eat your favourite foods, just smaller portions. And drink some water before and during meals, and alternate alcoholic drinks with water. Try not to take a nap straight after big meals. If you need to sleep it off, keep your head elevated higher than your feet.

If you feel indigestion coming on and you don't have an antacid, you can still try to head it off with two large tablespoons of baking soda in a glass of warm water. A teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, almonds or any form of ginger – tea, ginger root, ginger ale – instead might help.

People who get indigestion a lot must get checked by a doctor to rule out more serious causes such as stomach ulcer or an inflamed gall bladder or pancreas. Aspirin and some antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs can also irritate the stomach and cause indigestion.

Be sure to see your GP if it continues after the Christmas period. There are some prescription medicines that can ease the discomfort more effectively than antacids.

How do you know it's not a heart attack? Well, if the pain worsens or doesn't ease off, it's best to phone 111. Likewise, if there's any sign of blood, even black bowel motions, loss of appetite or severe abdominal pain, get medical help.

For a great, indigestion-free day, take that little bit of extra care so you can eat, drink and be merry without giving your body too much of a hard time.

More than anything, if you do what you said you wouldn't do on Christmas Day – overeat – don't beat yourself up about it. The body is pretty good at coping, so you should feel better quickly. You've got the next day to take the longest walk you've ever had.

(Published in the Sunday News, 20 December 2009)

More everybody MYHEALTH columns from Barbara Docherty

Barbara Docherty is a registered nurse and clinical lecturer at the University of Auckland School of Nursing, and writer for the everybody.co.nz website. The opinions contained herein are those of the author and not necessarily those of the publisher or sponsor. Copyright UBM Medica (NZ) Ltd.