heartburn (an uncomfortable burning sensation in the chest that often occurs after eating) acid reflux (where stomach acid comes back up into your mouth and causes an unpleasant, sour taste) oesophagitis (a sore, inflamed oesophagus) bad breath.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition in which the stomach contents leak backward from the stomach into the esophagus (food pipe). Food travels from your mouth to the stomach through your esophagus. GERD can irritate the food pipe and cause heartburn and other symptoms.
It's normal for your stomach to produce acid, but sometimes this acid can irritate the lining of your stomach, the top part of your bowel (duodenum) or your gullet (oesophagus). This irritation can be painful and often causes a burning sensation.
In GERD, acid in the esophagus is the problem, whereas with an ulcer, acid is causing a problem in the stom- ach lining. So, the medication used to treat them is the same, an acid reducer (e.g. Pepcid, Zantac and Prilosec).
While both involve inflammation, the key difference between gastritis vs. GERD is where that inflammation occurs in your GI tract. Gastritis has to do with inflammation in the stomach while GERD pertains to inflammation in your esophagus.
Hypergastrinemia involves increased levels of gastrin, a hormone that aids digestion. This affects acid levels in your stomach. Hypergastrinemia may be caused by long-term use of antacids or proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), H. pylori infection, certain surgeries and other conditions.
The hydrochloric acid in your stomach has a very low pH balance of 1 to 2. Your doctor will check the level of acid in your stomach using a pH test if they suspect hypochlorhydria. If your stomach pH is less than 3, you have normal acid levels. If the pH is 3 to 5, you have hypochlorhydria.
It usually goes away on its own, but it's also important to treat heartburn. Over time, that stomach acid can damage your esophagus. There are a number of reasons people experience symptoms of acid reflux, including pregnancy, certain diets, and a hiatal hernia.
See a GP if: lifestyle changes and pharmacy medicines are not helping your heartburn. you have heartburn most days for 3 weeks or more. you also have other symptoms, like food getting stuck in your throat, frequently being sick, or losing weight for no reason.
Even when heartburn symptoms subside, they can return after several hours if you lie down or bend over. In general, heartburn symptoms go away once the food that caused them has been digested. It usually takes 2-5 hours for the food to go out of the stomach and small intestine.
Having GORD and being on these therapies could lead to low stomach acid. However, low stomach acid is not the cause of GORD. One claim made is that low stomach acidity increases intra-abdominal pressure, causing the opening from the food pipe to the stomach to open, allowing acid reflux to occur.
The bottom line: maintaining optimal stomach acid levels is key to preventing acid reflux and GERD. Acid reflux is almost certainly caused by low stomach acid rather than high stomach acid, according to years of clinical research.
Drinking water during the later stages of digestion can reduce acidity and GERD symptoms. Often, there are pockets of high acidity, between a pH or 1 and 2, just below the esophagus. By drinking tap or filtered water a little while after a meal, you can dilute the acid there, which can result in less heartburn.
Gastritis Treatment Medications
These contain containing aluminum and magnesium and can help relieve neutralize gastric acid. These are inexpensive and relatively safe. Examples include: Alka-Seltzer, Milk of Magnesia, Gaviscon, Pepto-Bismol and Tums.
Gnawing or burning ache or pain (indigestion) in your upper abdomen that may become either worse or better with eating. Nausea. Vomiting. A feeling of fullness in your upper abdomen after eating.
The most common symptom of a stomach ulcer is a burning or gnawing pain in the centre of the tummy (abdomen). But stomach ulcers aren't always painful and some people may experience other symptoms, such as indigestion, heartburn and acid reflux and feeling sick.
Doctors may order an upper GI endoscopy to confirm the diagnosis of a peptic ulcer and try to find its cause. For an upper GI endoscopy, a doctor uses an endoscope—a flexible tube with a camera—to see the lining of your upper GI tract, including your esophagus, stomach, and duodenum.