Suffering from stomach acid could be too annoying sometimes. When stomach acid rises into the esophagus, the sufferer will feel nauseous then vomit. If that’s the case, eating will just make it worse. It’s preferred to treat your stomach acid immediately. The pain you feel when stomach acid likely to happen is called gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. The symptoms are pain in the chest and heartburn. In the chronic level, we will have difficulty in swallowing food and a possibility of vomiting blood.
According to medical research, it’s normal to have stomach acid in the gastric organs. However, there are circumstances where stomach acid actually exits the stomach and rises to the esophagus. At this time, that person will suffer from high stomach acid.
Symptoms of High Stomach Acid
Let us learn more about the high stomach acid process that attacks some people. Broadly speaking, GERD or gastric acid occurs because the LES or lower esophageal sphincter in the gastric organ, which is part of the muscle circle and located in the lower part of the gastric esophagus, cannot work optimally anymore.
LES functions as a gate between the esophagus and stomach when any drinks or foods enter our body. However, when a person practice the wrong diet, this LES section will become loose, cause a difficulty to close perfectly. At that time, stomach acid rose to typhus and ulcers from the gastric organs.
When an acidic reaction rises into the esophagus, the sufferer will also experience a number of other symptoms, such as the following:
- A burning sensation on the part of the chest to the back
- Feeling pain in the pit of the stomach while eating, pain is also felt when bending
- Sufferer will feel acid taste in their mouth
- Some sufferers of stomach acid also experience continuous dry coughing at night
- Bad breath due to increased stomach acid
- The increased amount of saliva because of the acidic state that rises
Causes of Gastric Acid Pain in Humans
In addition to the symptoms mentioned above, stomach acid pain also occurs due to several factors. For Indonesian people who live in cities, it seems like they are more at risk for stomach acid disease, in a fairly frequent period. This is because they run a diet that is less organized and maximizes the lifestyle of unhealthy stomach characteristics.
Here are the causes of stomach acid pain:
- Irregular Eating
People who knows well how to balance their nutrition, will usually free from stomach acid disease. However, when the diet starts to be organized, because of the increasing level of activity, that’s when stomach function becomes less maximal and releases stomach acid.
- Age Factor (Elderly)
Someone who has entered old age, in general, does not have strong immunizations like when he was young. When exposed to stomach acid, their stomach acid condition can also not be stable and easy to experience stomach disease is in danger of gastric polyps for the body vulnerable to frequent times.
- Helicobacter Bacterial Infection
The bacteria, called Helicobacter pylori, are one of the causes of stomach acid. Like salmonella bacteria in typhoid, helicon bacteria also enter the human body from food consumed which is not clean enough.
- Drink Alcohol
Alcohol in drinks has an adverse effect on health, especially the health of the intestines and stomach, as a digestive organ. Drinking alcohol will damage the working system of cells in the gastric organs and cause stomach acid.
- Being on A Strict Diet
When dieting, it is usually synonymous with reducing foods that are commonly consumed, even though these foods are actually needed by the body. Dieters like that, are certainly vulnerable to experiencing high stomach acid because they have to empty the stomach in the efficacy of bananas for stomach acid at a certain time.
- Vitamin Deficiency
Our body needs vitamins and minerals, so we can continue to live in life. However, for people who lack vitamins and minerals, they are prone to stomach acid, because these vitamins and minerals are able to maintain stomach acid balance in the digestive system.
- Stomach Cancer
Usually, before the patient is diagnosed with cancer of the gastric organ, the patient is quite often affected by stomach acid pain to the chronic stage.
- Affected by Stress
Stress and conditions such as stress that a person suffers, can also be a cause of high stomach acid pain. Stress seems to affect LES muscles, causing LES to become weak and unable to work optimally.
- Excess Fiber and Caffeine
Someone who often consumes drinks containing high caffeine excessively, or consumes too much fiber-containing food; it will be easy to treat intestinal cancer without surgery to get stomach acid out and up to the esophagus.
- Vegetables for Stomach Acid are Recommended
Patients with mild or chronic stomach acid pain also need to pay attention to food intake for their daily needs. If you have to consume vegetables, try not to contain high fiber, because people with stomach acid should not eat vegetables with too high fiber content. Vegetables are recommended, of course, which contain low fiber, but still nutritious.
Patients who are experiencing gastric acid, we recommend that you consume lots of vegetables that are proven to contain natural fibers. Natural fibers are usually contained in vegetables and fruits.
Further reading:
- How is Trichinella Spiralis Transmitted to Humans?
- Can You Get Sick From Eating Frog Legs – Warning The Side Effects
- 7 Healthy Benefits of Corn Rice for Diets
- Sezary Syndrome: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
- Symptoms of Wavy Nails – Types, Causes, and Treatments
Recommended Fruit and Vegetables
Then, what vegetables and fruits are suitable to be consumed by people who experience increased stomach acid?
- Green Beans
Mung bean turned out to function as an anti-wound for the gastric organs and was able to reduce stomach acid levels that were high. It is recommended, the consumption of green bean porridge without food.
- Asparagus
Asparagus vegetables may be rarely consumed by most Indonesian people. However, vegetables, usually called “elite” vegetables, are only consumed by the upper middle class. Asparagus has high calcium and phosphorus which helps reduce stomach acid.
- Carrot
Consumption of carrot vegetables is good for eye health because it contains vitamin A. Vitamin A is good for the health of our eyes. In addition, carrot vegetables are low-fiber vegetables that also contain calcium and other vitamins. This positive benefit also helps prevent patients from getting gastric acid.
- Potato
If you don’t want to eat rice, potatoes can be the right solution. Potatoes are also one of the food sources that contain carbohydrates high enough and safe for digestion. Breakfast with boiled potatoes or mashed potatoes, for example, can neutralize stomach acid in the stomach.
- Spinach
Spinach vegetables are one of the safe green vegetables if consumed by people with stomach acid. Try choosing spinach leaves to remove the fresh green color, so that when cooked it will be easier to eat.
- Turmeric
Turmeric that can be mixed into herbs, it turns out can help reduce stomach acid in the stomach. Not only that, but turmeric is also a stomach ulcer and anti-cancer drug because it contains high anti-oxidants.
- Cabbage
Cabbage vegetables have many benefits for stomach health. Lactic acid is a disinfectant for the large intestine. Anti-inflammation can clear inflammation in organs. Patients with gastric diseases such as acid stomach are suitable for eating cabbage vegetables because it can kill the bacteria that cause it.
- Chayote
Siamese squash is a type of vegetable recommended for stomach acid pain. It’s best if you choose medium size squash and the skin is still not out of thorns.
- Lettuce
Vegetable lettuce which is often used as food for vegetables also has high alkaline sources. That way, consuming it can reduce stomach acid which increases and often occurs.
- Cucumber
Cucumber is also a type of vegetable that is not only fresh but also suitable for consumption by people with stomach acid. Cucumber contains natural fiber, which is safe for the efficacy of basil leaves for ulcers and for digestion of gastric health.
- Bean
Beans are known to have magnesium content, in the form of minerals whose function is to create the effect of feeling calm. Beans are also good for digestive health and are safe for consumption when stomach acid.
- Fennel
Fennel plants are usually used as a seasoning as well as natural medicine. Fennel acts as an anti-inflammatory (inflammation) if consumed. Gastric acid that lasts long can cause injury to the stomach, you should consume fennel as needed.
Gastric acid is usually a disease occurred in a certain period of time. To prevent this, you should start to manage a healthier diet and consume stomach acid if necessary. Vegetables above can also be used as an alternative healthy food that is friendly to your stomach acid.