Definition of a Sour Stomach

Approximately 95 millions Americans suffers from some type of digestive disorder, including sour stomach, reports Johns Hopkins University. Although unpleasant, a sour stomach is often treatable.

Identification

• Sometimes called an upset stomach or indigestion, the term "sour stomach" describes an uncomfortable feeling in your upper abdomen. Rather than being a disease, a sour stomach is merely a collection of symptoms that have a number of possible causes, explains the Mayo Clinic.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of a sour stomach include feeling full quickly when eating or being uncomfortably full after a meal, and pain or burning from the bottom of your breast bone to your belly button. Nausea and bloating are less common symptoms of a sour stomach.

Causes

• Common causes of sour stomach include eating too much or too quickly; spicy or greasy foods; chocolate; alcohol; caffeine; smoking; nervousness; or medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics and aspirin. A sour stomach may also have more serious causes like stomach or pancreatic inflammation, stomach ulcers, gallstones or stomach cancer.

Treatments

• Eating small meals, getting regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight and managing stress all help reduce the frequency and intensity of sour stomach. Over-the-counter medications like antacids and H-2-receptor antagonists, or prescription drugs like proton pump inhibitors and prokinetics, also relieve symptoms of sour stomach.

Considerations

• If the symptoms of a sour stomach are also accompanied by weight loss, loss of appetite, vomiting, black or tarry stools or yellowing of your skin or eyes, contact your doctor. Symptoms of sour stomach that occur with shortness of breath or pain in your chest, arm or jaw may be signs of a heart attack and require emergency medical attention, warns the Mayo Clinic.