Acidic Stomach Cure

Acidic stomach is what some people refer to as heartburn or acid reflux, although the three names refer to three different parts of the problem. Acidic stomach is when the stomach produces an abundance of acid, acid reflux is the action of the acid from the stomach flowing back into the esophagus, and heartburn is the painful sensation caused by it.
When gastric acid regurgitates and causes burning sensations and other pain in the stomach, chest, neck or throat, finding a way to control this discomfort becomes priority one for a person in the grips of it.

Common Causes

• According to Medical News Today, there are many causes for the development of an acidic stomach. Pregnancy, especially in the third trimester, can be a cause since the growing baby presses on the stomach and forces the acid upward. Eating large meals is suspected to increase the likelihood of acid reflux, as does obesity. Hiatal hernias are also commonly associated with acidic stomach and reflux. Smoking cigarettes and eating or drinking items high in caffeine content appear to stimulate production of gastric acid, therefore contributing to the problem.

Medication

• There are many over-the-counter medications available to acidic stomach sufferers, including acid blockers, antacids, proton pump inhibitors and cytoprotective agents, according to the Mayo Clinic.
  Acid-blocking drugs such as Zantac or Tagament are histamine blockers, which prevent histamine receptors from sending a signal to the stomach to release gastric acids.
  Antacids can be taken along with acid blockers to further help the symptoms. They quickly provide pain relief by neutralizing existing acids.
  Proton pump inhibitors such as Prilosec or Nexium actually shut down the "pumps" that secrete the acid into the stomach. They are also effective for people who need to heal ulcers.
  Occasionally doctors may choose to prescribe cytoprotective medication that helps protect the lining of the stomach and intestines. Brand names of these types of medications include Carafate and Cytotec.

Tips

• There are several good reasons not to eat right before bedtime, and acidic stomach easily makes the list. Common sense tells you that if you eat a big meal and go lie down shortly thereafter, you let gravity assist in backwashing all that acid right into the esophagus where the pain really gets to you. Try to eat at least two to three hours before going to bed.
  Milk, chamomile tea, extra glasses of water, ginger and even a piece of gum after a meal are all recommendations for natural-relief options for acid stomach and heartburn, according to Revolutionhealth.com. While not everything works well for each person, these are some things you can try to see what gives you relief.