Living with acid reflux can be hard enough, but when you add other problems to that, it can be downright life altering. There are some reflux sufferers who also have problems with gas and indigestion, and those problems mixed with acid reflux are enough to make anyone miserable. You may not think they are related, but there are times when gas indigestion problems are directly linked to your acid reflux, or are aggravating your condition.
In the case of gas, it might be making your reflux worse, or might even be the cause of it. When food sits in the stomach for too long, it begins to break down but does not necessarily move through the digestion tract quickly enough. That creates gas in the stomach and can put undo pressure on the muscle between your stomach and your esophagus that is meant to stay closed to prevent reflux. When opened, or even pushed open repeatedly by excess gas, you run the risk of having acid splash up into your esophagus.
When it come to indigestion, you may think it is just a natural part of acid reflux, but that might be related to the gas problem you are experiencing. Gas indigestion problems can feel much like acid reflux symptoms, but are more likely the cause of your reflux. All of these things go together to make you feel very uncomfortable.
Some sufferers think that they are producing too much stomach acid and that is the root of all of their problems. However, what most people don't realize is that as you age, you actually produce lower amounts of stomach acid, and that may be what is at the root of your gas indigestion problems. When there is not enough acid, food is not digested as quickly and can not move through your system. Instead, it sits in the stomach producing excess gas as a result. It's a vicious circle.
If you think that gas indigestion problems might be what a concern for you, there are a few things you can do. One is to take a digestive enzyme supplement. Digestive enzymes aid digestion and can help food move through your system in a timely manner. That can help eliminate many of the problems associated with gas building up in your stomach that makes acid reflux worse. Some acid reflux sufferers suggest having apple cider vinegar diluted in water fifteen to thirty minutes before a meal as a way of balancing out your digestive system.
You can talk with your doctor about digestive enzymes, and modifications to your meals to see if slow digestion might be the root of your gas indigestion problems.
What is acid reflux and why does it hurt so badly? You might be asking this question if you suffer from heartburn or other symptoms of acid reflux. Acid reflux is sometimes referred to as GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). The symptoms of acid reflux can be confused with gas or even a heart attack. The symptoms can be mild to quite painful, and sometimes difficult to recognize.
Acid reflux is not gas. Gas, when it feels like it is in the chest, is actually excess air that has been swallowed and is trapped in the esophagus. Excess air can be swallowed while eating, drinking, or smoking. Some people with loose dentures will swallow excess air as well. This type of gas, as opposed to gas caused from food in the stomach and intestines, is released when you burp, or belch.
Heartburn is the most common symptoms of acid reflux. Heartburn feels like a burning sensation in the chest and can be mild or it can be very painful. Some other common symptoms of acid reflux are nausea and vomiting, and regurgitation. Some more serious symptoms of acid reflux can include coughing and wheezing, the feeling like something is caught in the throat or a choking feeling, ulcers in the esophagus that can lead to strictures (scar tissue), inflammation of the esophagus and throat, and even inflammation of the lungs.
What is acid reflux caused by? Acid and pepsin is produced in the stomach to digest food. With acid reflux, these acids will be forced up (reflux) into the esophagus. Acid reflux has several causes. Often the stomach is just too slow to digest the foods we eat. When this happens, the stomach makes more acid to try to digest what is left. Soon there is too much acid in the stomach and there is no place for the acid to go except back up into the esophagus, causing symptoms like heartburn.
Another common cause is when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) does not close as it should in order to hold down the liquids in the stomach. The LES is a muscle that surrounds the lower portion of the esophagus where it meets up with the stomach. The LES, when functioning properly, will contract and relax. It relaxes when we swallow something, like food, drink or saliva, and then contracts immediately to keep it down. When it is not working properly and the liquid refluxes, this causes symptoms of acid reflux.
A hiatal hernia can be the cause of acid reflux, or it may be the result of acid reflux. This is not known for sure. A hiatal hernia happens when the stomach muscle weakens and pushes up into the esophagus, resulting in the LES being pushed up into the esophagus and becoming unable to do its job
What is acid reflux and how can I stop it? Acid reflux is a very common occurrence and most people will get it at some point in their lives. An antacid should take care of mild symptoms, but if your acid reflux is chronic and cannot be taken care of with antacid, speak to your physician about your symptoms of acid reflux.
Both Kathryn Whittaker & Ryan Moxie are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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