Showing posts with label symptoms of heartburn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label symptoms of heartburn. Show all posts

Friday, June 22, 2012

What in the World Originally Caused My Heartburn?

 Most humans suffer from heartburn at least once. Certain foods can cause problems for many different people, but all does not react to the exact same foods.

You must decide what foods are causing your pain by find those that you eat just before the pain. There is no pat only one answer to the question, "what are the causes of stomach?".

You cannot simply go to your doctor and have to tell you what is the problem. You need to know what specific foods causing problems, and the easiest way to do is to start a food journal.

 You may find that even though there are hundreds of available drugs to relieve the symptoms of the heartburn, if isolate you foods that give you problems, you can simply eliminate their your diet instead of taking drugs.

Tomatoes and oranges are commonly at fault with some people. If you happen to be one of them, it will be easy to change your eating habits to exclude all forms of them.

American culture itself can be a significant cause of heartburn in many respects. People in our land to eat country of food that can trigger acid reflux problems, including fried and spicy foods, a high concentration of fat and all simply the fact that Americans tend to eat two or three large meals a day, instead of spreading their food intake in many small meals.

Eat too much at a meeting may cause of heartburn. If you allow your stomach become fully, acid can travel more easily in your esophagus.

 You can still meet with heartburn due to the exercise. After you eat, you must wait a little, then before exercising. If you have a hectic life, you are also at risk.

When life is too busy, people tend to eat fast food on the run. Fast food is not something that you must eat a lot of if you want to avoid stomach. Instead of eating two or three large meals, smaller meals.



Saturday, June 5, 2010

Can You Take Too Many OTC Antacids?

 Ever get that burning sensation in your chest, like someone lit a match behind your breastbone?

You are probably one of the 15 million Americans who suffer from acid reflux every day. Acid reflux is when acidic substances in your stomach come up into the esophagus. The result can be a mild to intense burning in the stomach, chest or throat.

The most common way to keep acid reflux at bay is to take over-the-counter antacids, but how much is too much?

Dr. Anish Sheth, a gastroenterologist and assistant professor of medicine at Yale University, says antacid overdose is seldom a problem for most Americans.

“The main concern is developing electrolyte abnormalities like hypercalcemia from ingesting too much calcium,” Sheth told FoxNews.com.

Hypercalcemia, or an overabundance of calcium in your blood, can cause constipation, abdominal pain, excessive thirst and nausea, according to the Mayo Clinic web site. These symptoms typically occur in severe cases only.

Over-the-counter antacids come in pills, chewable tablets, powders, liquid and chewing gum that neutralize acid in the esophagus. They are the safest way to subdue symptoms of heartburn; just pay close attention to the directions and dosage on the label, Sheth said.

“They are good because they work quickly and are OK for people who have infrequent symptoms, like after a big meal or drinking binge,” Sheth said.

If you’re not into popping antacid pills all day, there are other lifestyle changes that can lessen the frequency of heartburn. Diet plays a big role in the frequency and severity of heartburn. Avoiding certain foods like tomato products, caffeine, chocolate and alcohol can help. Losing weight may also benefit a patient suffering from acid reflux.

But for some people, over-the-counter medications and changes in lifestyle don’t provide enough relief.

“For people who have symptoms more than 2-3 times per week, stronger medications, which decrease the acidity of stomach juices, are better,” Sheth said. “Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) like Prevacid and Prilosec are the strongest medications and resolve symptoms in a majority of patients.”

Acid reflux can be a particularly bothersome medical condition because it often tends to be chronic, affecting some people on a daily basis. But at what point do heartburn sufferers need to see a gastroenterologist about their condition?

“If you have worsening symptoms despite taking medications, are older than 50, or a family history of esophageal cancer, you should see your doctor,” he said.

Other red flag symptoms include trouble swallowing, weight loss or irregular bleeding.
 
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