Just about everyone has heard about acid indigestion. But what causes it? Furthermore, can acid indigestion be a symptom of a more serious digestive problem? This article has answers.
Sour stomach, which is also referred to as acid stomach, acid indigestion, or dyspepsia (the terms will be used interchangeably in this article) happens more frequently than any other types of gastrointestinal disorder.
The Johns Hopkins University recently released study results revealing that approximately 25 percent of Americans suffer some variety of sour stomach problem at any given moment. One individual out of every 20 who visited their general practitioner in a recent year did so thanks to sour stomach symptoms.
Sour stomach symptoms make you feel uncomfortable because your digestive system have difficulty processing the food you've eaten. In fact, the most common causes of acid indigestion are overeating, eating too fast or eating eating something that's hard to digest. There are a number of medications can cause sour stomach problem too: aspirin and other NSAIDs, digitalis, corticosteroids, iron, a number of antibiotics, theophylline and niacin, among others. Some drugs used in chemotherapy can also trigger symptoms of sour stomach and indigestion.
Someone with acid stomach is also likely to have stomach bloating, burping, belching, gas and possibly pain above the abdomen. Symptoms can be inconvenient and annoying but are frequently transient and not harmful.
Symptoms of acid stomach could, however, also be an indication of a gastrointestinal problem that requires a call to your doctor.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, is a cause of dyspepsia that is characterized by upper pain in the abdominal area. Peptic ulcer disease, which triggers pain in the upper abdomen, is another of the causes of dyspepsia. Pain from a stomach ulcer can be so intense that it keeps you from getting sleep at night.
Stomach cancer is another of the causes of acid stomach, but it is unusual.
What are the remedies for symptoms of acid indigestion? Well, if you have episodes of indigestion, you can generally get relief by taking antacids and histamine (H2)-blockers. These remedies for acidic stomach can be obtained over-the-counter. Antacids neutralize stomach acid, which in turn reduces inflammation (also known as gastritis). Antacids are designed to give you quick relief of symptoms of sour stomach and indigestion. Examples include calcium carbonate (which is found in Tums and several other medications) and magnesium salts (found in Mylanta, among other things).
H2 blockers limit the amount of stomach acid, permitting inflamed and irritated tissues a chance to get better. H2 blockers include cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), nizatidine (Axid entirely) and ranitidine (Zantac).
When these medications work, there will be no need to talk to your doctor. But if acid stomach or acid indigestion don't go away and come back repeatedly, it's time to talk with a medical professional.
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