What Are The Common Causes Of Acid Reflux?
Low stomach acid symptoms are among the most neglected aspects of digestive therapy for many patients who suffer from low Iron, Paracelsus, nutritional deficiencies, and other digestive problems. Because hydrochloric acid (HCL), which are present in most commercially available over the counter and prescription acid remedies, can cause adverse side effects including diarrhea, nausea, and even more serious issues such as damage to the esophagus and throat, symptoms of low stomach acid need to be treated as soon as possible. When symptoms of low stomach acid become apparent, it is important that these symptoms not be ignored, but that they are addressed immediately.
Your Health Professional
Your health professional will likely want to test you for other conditions as well, including irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, inflammation of the intestinal tract, and other chronic gastrointestinal disorders. Once a proper diagnosis has been made, a treatment plan can then be formulated to address your specific symptoms.
Most symptoms of low stomach acid symptoms are felt in the upper portion of your abdomen, directly above your lower ribs. Many people do not associate this portion of their body with digestion, but for those who have IBS or another digestive disorder, it is important to keep your digestive system healthy. Left untreated, IBS symptoms can lead to more serious digestive problems. By treating IBS symptoms early on, you could prevent more serious digestive diseases before they take over completely, leaving you without the ability to fully digest your food.
Bloating And Abdominal Pain
Two of the more common symptoms of low stomach acid include: bloating and abdominal pain. Because both of these are caused by excessive gastric acid being produced, the first thing your doctor will most likely prescribe for both of these is an anti-nausea medication. While this medication can provide temporary relief, it does little to address the underlying cause of both of these symptoms. A more effective treatment would be to use a medication that prevents the production of stomach acid by using an enzyme called lactase.
Another common cause of low stomach acid symptoms is the presence of GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease. While many people are somewhat familiar with this condition, almost none know exactly how GERD works. This condition causes the regurgitation of food contents in the stomach causing them to escape into the throat and ultimately the mouth. Most cases involve the patient suffering from occasional mild discomfort in the area, but serious GERD issues can result in several complications including gingivitis, coughing, hoarseness, and tooth loss.
Changing Lifestyle
To deal with both of these conditions, your doctor will most likely recommend a lifestyle change designed to reduce your chances of experiencing either of these problems. This includes a reduction of fatty foods, caffeinated beverages, alcohol, spicy foods, and certain types of food, such as tomatoes, blueberries, grapes, and chocolate.
Along with these changes, you may also want to consider taking digestive enzymes as they can help break down the fat in your system and help you avoid both of these conditions. Digestive enzymes are foods that can travel through the lining of your intestines and break down the fat deposits in your tummy to help you prevent both of these problems. With these enzymes, you can reduce the amount of food that goes through the stomach and therefore reduce the likelihood of acid reflux happening.
One of the other major causes of these two painful conditions is when stomach acids go up too far into the esophagus. For those of you who suffer from acid reflux, you probably already know that the problem occurs when the liquid from the stomach backs up into the esophagus. It is important to note that this backup of stomach acid is often acidic and can be caused by several different things. Among the most common is H2O. Other factors include stress, unhealthy eating habits, smoking, unhealthy alcohol consumption, caffeine intake, stress, low stomach acid levels, and medications.
