What is Acid Indigestion? Acid Indigestion is a term used to describe abdominal discomfort often associated with food intake. Food that cause acid indigestion often cause a sour stomach or upset stomach. Common acid indigestion symptoms are heartburn, feeling full, and burping. People sometimes confuse acid indigestion with reflux, which is more commonly known as Acid Reflux. An acid indigestion medical definition by medterms.com states it is “Excessive secretion of hydrochloric acid by the stomach cells. Medically known as Hyperchlorhydria. Sometimes used interchangeably with heartburn.”
It’s interesting to note that heartburn is an acid indigestion symptom and most of the time an upset stomach is a symptom as well. Heartburn as you may know is a burning sensation near the breastbone, which can last for as long as 2 hours.
If you occasionally have symptoms of acid indigestion then the majority of the antacids available today will provide you with the relief you need, but if you experience frequent and severe indigestion then this could be a sign of a more serious condition like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). If you do indeed have frequent heartburn or acid indigestion then I strongly suggest you see your physician.
A lot of people think of heartburn and acid indigestion as one in the same. This is not the case however as heartburn and indigestion are not the same. While the symptoms and cause of acid indigestion might be similar to those of heartburn, they are different. The treatments of both are often the same, but where things differ is that acid indigestion sometimes can cause heartburn, while indigestion can’t be caused by heartburn.
My definition of acid indigestion is simple. Acid indigestion is that upset stomach and cramping you feel after eating something that doesn’t agree with. Where heartburn is that burning sensation you get in your chest, which sometimes is preceded by acid indigestion.
As stated above, the most common cause of acid indigestion is related to food. Acid indigestion will typically follow a large meal, but even a small meal with a lot of spicy foods can give you an upset stomach and eventually acid indigestion. Here’s a brief list of the common causes of indigestion:
- Eating a large meal
- Any meal with a lot of spicy foods
- Eating at irregular times
- Going long periods between meals
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Pick me up herbs and vitamins
- Anti-inflammatory medications
A peptic ulcer can also be the cause of indigestion. An ulcer occurs because the lining of the stomach wall becomes damaged, which becomes exposed to the heartburn acid in the stomach. Most of the time stress and anxiety are the cause of acid indigestion.
Acid indigestion is also very common in women who are pregnant. There’s not a whole lot that you can do other than keeping a close eye on the foods you eat and to wait for you baby to be born.
An acid indigestion home remedy can help some people with their indigestion relief, but do you want to know what the real acid indigestion cure is? The acid indigestion remedy boils down to the food you eat. You can pretty much eliminate acid indigestion/heartburn/acid reflux by simply making a change in your diet. If you make a conscious effort to change what you eat then acid indigestion will be a thing of the past for you.
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