Heartburn 
Heartburn
Too much hydrochloric
acid in the stomach could be commonly caused by an infection from the microorganism called Helicobacter Pylori
or anti-inflammatory drugs or smoking cigarettes. Heartburn is not a disease alone. Usually, it’s a symptom of
GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease) or other stomach diseases. A person who experiences heartburn also
experiences pain due to the overly acidic stomach. People who are suffering from ulcer also manifest heartburn
symptoms. Whenever heartburn occurs, some of the stomach contents get regurgitated back up to the esophagus.
Since the regurgitated matters contain acids from the stomach, it will cause a burning sensation and pain as it
goes up and is usually felt in the middle of the chest and the back of the throat. Heartburn is also the same
with acid reflux or acid indigestion.
Stomach acid and pepsin
are both essential in food digestion. If the stomach is producing too much acid, then switching the diet to
counteract the acidity should be done. That’s when alkaline diet comes in. Milk is alkaline, but the truth of
the matter is, it actually increases the production of acid in the stomach. A stomach that does not produce
enough acid it needs, the medical condition is called Achlorhydria. Whenever there is an excessive amount of
acid in the stomach, it can cause stomach pain. There are times that lactose become undigested and gets
fermented by bacteria; this causes an elevation of acid both in the stomach and in stools as well. The condition
of having an increased number of problematic acids inside the stomach is called hyperacidity or acid dyspepsia.
A simple thing that will definitely help reduce acid stomach level is to chew on gum that is sugarless before
and after a meal. Overeating is also one of the common causes for the stomach to produce too much acid so it’s
better to avoid eating too much. If you find the food is too good and delicious, then just save some for later.
For smokers, they have no other choice but to quit smoking. Cigarettes contain nicotine which is harmful enough
to be able to cease the enzyme production of the pancreas that helps in neutralizing acid stomach. Though there
are fruits that can be eaten to help control the acid stomach production such as papaya, banana and apples. As
for vegetables, there’s the carrot and cabbage. All of which are easily available in grocery
stores.
Around 25% of USA
residents as well as other people from other countries in the West experience frequent heartburn based on Mayo
Clinic’s study. As opposed to the people from East Asia, they seldom experience heartburn. Frequent heartburn
episodes accompanied by nausea, coughing, chest pain, sore throat could be a sign of the presence of GERD. The
reason for having heartburn episodes varies from person to person. For someone to be able to have heartburn
treated in an effective manner, the root cause should be figured out. Once medications have been prescribed, a
change of lifestyle will make the treatment more successful and not with medicines alone. If heartburn is being
experienced for more than three times a week, do not hesitate to get in touch with me for a free
consultation.
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