Do Antacids Help With Bloating

How Do You Flush Out Bloating

Here are my top 8 recommendations for keeping off that nasty bloated feeling and staying light and airy:

• Asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and other vegetables.
• Fructose, a natural sugar found in artichokes, onions, pears, wheat, and some soft drinks.
• Lactose, the natural sugar found in milk.

Do Tums Help With Nausea And Upset Stomach

TUMS treats upset stomach associated with heartburn, sour stomach, and acid indigestion. Nausea may be associated with these conditions however, there are other conditions that may also cause nausea. Consult your doctor or pharmacist if you are experiencing nausea to determine the cause and appropriate treatment.

Home Remedies: Gas Belching And Bloating

Bloating, burping and passing gas are natural and are usually caused by swallowed air or the breakdown of food through digestion. You may experience gas and gas pains only occasionally or repeatedly in a single day. When gas and gas pains interfere with your daily activities, there may be something wrong. Find out how to reduce or avoid gas and gas pains, and when you may need to see your doctor.

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Can Indigestion Be Prevented Or Avoided

There are ways to prevent indigestion. To start, you need to know your body and how it reacts to different food and drinks. Spicy and acidic foods and carbonated drinks can trigger indigestion. Try to avoid those things when possible. Eat smaller meals throughout the day, and dont eat too late at night. Dont lie down too soon after eating. Limit the use of alcohol. If you use tobacco, try to quit. Stress and lack of sleep also can worsen symptoms.

What Causes Gas Problems

There are a lot of factors that contribute to one having gas problems.

Similarly, eating foods that tend to produce gas can trigger an increase in gas or gas pain:

• Beans and lentils
• Whole grains, such as brown rice, oatmeal, and whole wheat
• Certain vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, etc.
• Foods with fructose such as honey, apples, artichokes, onions, pears, okras, and some soft drinks
• Foods high in soluble fiber like avocados, sweet potatoes, bananas, broccoli, turnips, pears, etc.
• Foods rich in starch like corn, pasta, and potatoes
• Dairy products
• Certain artificial sweeteners, such as sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol,

Seemingly harmless eating habits could also cause some problems:

• Eating too quickly
• Sucking on candies
• Talking while eating

These eating habits have one thing in common, they all cause you to swallow in more air.

Similarly, gas problems could also be symptoms of a number of medical conditions like chronic intestinal diseases , food intolerances, and constipation.

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What Helps With Bloating

Most of us get bloating from time to time that uncomfortable feeling when your tummy feels very full, tight and sometimes, hard and very sore. You usually get a bloated tummy when gas or air builds up in your gut.

The causes of this build-up are usually easy to treat with simple lifestyle changes like eating less, avoiding certain foods and exercising regularly. And if those dont help, certain medicines may help to get rid of your bloating quickly.

But sometimes, even with self-care measures and medication, you may still have a very bloated tummy, bloating that wont go away and other worrying symptoms. This may mean you have a more serious condition, so youll need to see a doctor.

Discover how you can stop or relieve bloating with self-care, natural remedies and medicines and when its time to see a doctor.

What Are The Side Effects Of Antacids

The side effects of antacids directly relate to the ingredients they contain. Some combination products have side effects that cancel each other out .

Most products have few side effects when taken as directed on the label. Side effects are more prevalent when the product is overused or taken for longer than intended. Side effects associated with common antacid ingredients include :

• Aluminum: constipation, low blood phosphate levels, aluminium toxicity, osteomalacia
• Calcium: nausea, vomiting, kidney stones, high blood calcium levels, alkalosis
• Magnesium: diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, high blood magnesium levels
• Sodium bicarbonate: increased blood pressure, nausea, bloating, gas.

Antacids that are consumed at too high a dose for too long a period can also cause a condition called acid rebound. This is when the stomach produces even more acid after food and drinks have been consumed.

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How Is Gastritis Diagnosed

Your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms and history and perform a physical exam. Your provider may also order one or more of these tests:

• Breath test: During an H. pylori breath test, you swallow a capsule or liquid containing urea, a harmless radioactive material. You then exhale into a balloon-like bag. H. pylori bacteria change urea into carbon dioxide. If you have the bacteria, the breath test will show an increase in carbon dioxide.
• Blood test: A blood test checks for antibodies titers that fight H. pylori bacteria.
• Stool test: This test checks for H. pylori bacteria in your stool .
• Upper endoscopy: Your doctor uses an endoscope to see your stomach. The doctor inserts the scope through your esophagus, which connects your mouth to your stomach. An upper endoscopy procedure allows your provider to examine the stomach lining. You may also have a tissue sample taken from your stomach lining to test for infection.
• Upper gastrointestinal exam: During an upper GI exam, you swallow a chalky substance called barium. The liquid coats your stomach lining, providing more detailed X-ray images.

What Are The Differences Between Antacids

The two main differences between antacids is the ingredients they contain and their formulation. The different ingredients – aluminum, calcium, magnesium, or sodium bicarbonate all have differences in how long they take to start working, how long they keep working for, what other medications they may interact with, and who they are suitable for.

Antacids are available as liquids or tablets. Some products combine several antacid ingredients together or include alginates. Alginates are gum-like substances that float on top of the stomach contents, forming a raft that acts like a barrier. These may provide more symptom relief in people with reflux.

Some products also contain other ingredients that are not antacids or alginates, such as simethicone which helps disperse gas in people prone to bloating. Aspirin also features in some products .

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Here Are A Few Simple And Easy Ways To Reduce Acidity Bloating And Various Other Symptoms Caused By Excessive Production In The Body

1. Chew your food properly: Did you know that digestion process begins right in the mouth, even before the food enters your gut. So, it is important to chew your food properly for enabling its proper digestion. Not chewing food properly can reduce enzyme action in the mouth, thus leading to partially digested food and acidity.

2. Drink a glass of cold milk: Cold milk is an excellent way to curb acidity. Milk is alkaline in nature and thus neutralises pH balance in stomach.

Also read: Chewing A Piece Of This After Every Meal Can Help Treat Acidity: Try It Now!

3. Eat ajwain or carom seeds: This is an age-old remedy which has been suggested by your parents and grandparents, whenever you experience gas, acidity or bloating. All you need to do is boil half teaspoon of ajwain in one glass of water, strain it, squeeze some lime and a pinch of salt in it and drink it. Anti-acidic properties of ajwain can help in reducing acidity and its symptoms effectively.

4. Mint chaas or mint buttermilk: Mint chaas or buttermilk is another excellent remedy to reduce stomach acid. Buttermilk neutralises acid in the stomach and mint is popular for lowering acid in the body.

Taking Antacids With Food Alcohol And Other Medicines

It’s best to take antacids with food or soon after eating because this is when you’re most likely to get indigestion or heartburn.

The effect of the medicine may also last longer if taken with food.

Antacids can affect how well other medicines work, so do not take other medicines within 2 to 4 hours of taking an antacid.

You can drink alcohol while taking antacids, but alcohol can irritate your stomach and make your symptoms worse.

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Are You Popping Tums Like Candy Why This May Be Detrimental To Your Health

“What do you do if you have heartburn or indigestion?”

“Take Tums, of course.”

Well, it’s time to think twice about this answer.

Taking Tums or other antacids for heartburn has become second nature. It has become the adult version of smarties, yes those small little candy tablets you used to eat as a child and pretend they were medicine. Oh, how the times have changed: now we use medicine like it’s candy.

Heartburn usually occurs when a muscle, called the lower esophageal spincture, does not close completely, allowing stomach contents to regurgitated from the stomach into the esophagus.This muscle acts like a valve, opening to allow food from the esophagus into the stomach, and closing to prevent the backflow of contents from the stomach into the esophagus, but with every valve comes the potential for leaks, and in this case heartburn. Part of the contents regurgitated include gastric acid , which is usually the main culprit behind that burning sensation. It is this acid that can lead to corrossion and excessive inflammtion, after all as it’s name implies it is an acid.

Now that we went over some of the basic physiology and mechanisms of action involved in heartburn, lets talk about some risk factors that can be causing or worsening symptoms.

2. Smoking. Once again is it not the easiest to stop smoking, but it is one of the best things that you can do for acid reflux, amongst many other health concerns.

5. Hernias and pregnancy are also common causes of heartburn.

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Bloating And Acid Reflux

Because bloating leads to increased abdominal pressure, it can cause acid reflux as it pushes stomach contents back up into the esophagus. More frequent swallowing — to get rid of stomach contents that have entered the esophagus — could make you swallow more air and cause more bloating. When you feel bloated, you may even try to relieve some of that pressure by belching intentionally, which can also cause some reflux of the acidic stomach contents up into the esophagus. This may be more likely to occur if your bloating is due to consuming a large meal or is a result of delayed stomach emptying, which can be related to certain medications or conditions.

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What Are Other Alternatives To Sugar

There are alternative ways to treat gas and bloating. These include:

• Avoiding refined sugar, or eating a diet high in fruit and vegetables
• Eating plenty of high-fiber foods, such as whole grains, vegetables, and fruit
• Limiting alcohol and caffeine
• Eating smaller portions
• Eating slowly, chewing thoroughly, and drinking water between meals
• Eating food with less fat and protein, such as Greek yogurt, lean meat, and low-fat dairy

Tums and other sugar substitutes arent as good at reducing gas and bloating as sugar. They may not help you feel full for as long, or they may not be as effective at reducing bloating.

If youre looking for a sugar substitute, choose a product with a low glycemic index and a low GI score. This will help you avoid spikes in blood sugar levels.

What Causes Gastritis

Gastritis occurs when something damages or weakens the stomach lining . Different things can trigger the problem, including:

• Alcohol abuse: Chronic alcohol use can irritate and erode the stomach lining.
• Autoimmune disease: In some people, the bodys immune system attacks healthy cells in the stomach lining.
• Bacterial infection:H. pylori bacteria are the main cause of chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer disease . The bacteria break down the stomachs protective lining and cause inflammation.
• Bile reflux: The liver makes bile to help you digest fatty foods. Reflux means flowing back. Bile reflux occurs when bile flows back into the stomach instead of moving through the small intestine.
• Medications: Steady use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroids to manage chronic pain can irritate the stomach lining.
• Physical stress: A sudden, severe illness or injury can bring on gastritis. Often, gastritis develops even after a trauma that doesnt involve the stomach. Severe burns and brain injuries are two common causes.

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How Do Antacids Work

Different antacid medications work in different ways. Some have a single action, others have a combined action. The aim of each medication may be different. Antacid medications reduce the amount of gas in the stomach and intestines, provide a barrier to restrict the backflow of stomach contents into the esophagus , alkalize and neutralize the stomach acid, or restrict the production of stomach acid.

The problem is that antacid drugs simply suppress the condition and dont get to the core cause of the digestive problems. Antacids only continue the cycle of heartburn, acid reflux, and drugs.

Antacids are composed of calcium, magnesium, and aluminum salts, but may also have simethicone and alginic acid in them as well. Most antacids are made up of a mixture of different ingredients, which aim to provide rapid but sustained relief and cancel out each others side effects.

Calcium and magnesium salts combine with the acids to neutralize them, but they are such common minerals in the body that they can also bind with other medications as well making them less effective. Because the body adapts quickly to these minerals, a rebound effect can also happen with calcium and magnesium antacids.

Antacids containing aluminum that neutralize stomach acid are composed of a metal ion which is linked to an alkali . The alkali determines how long the antacid will work, the metal ion determines how quickly it will work .

How Long Do They Last

Tums are not as good as sugar at reducing gas and bloating. This is because they dont contain the same amount of sugar.

Try to eat foods with a low GI and a low glycemic index to help you avoid spikes in blood sugar levels. This can help reduce the symptoms of gas and bloating.

Tums are also less effective at reducing gas and bloating than sugar.

Some sugar substitutes can cause digestive upset. This is because they can be used to add to foods instead of raising the amount of sugar in a food.

Some sugar replacements can also mask the taste of sugar. This can make sugar seem less noticeable.

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When To Use Antacids

Antacids are a good treatment for heartburn that occurs once in a while. Take antacids about 1 hour after eating or when you have heartburn. If you are taking them for symptoms at night, do not take them with food.

Antacids cannot treat more serious problems, such as appendicitis, a stomach ulcer, gallstones, or bowel problems. Talk to your provider if you have:

• Pain or symptoms that do not get better with antacids
• Symptoms every day or at night
• Nausea and vomiting
• Bleeding in your bowel movements or darkened bowel movements
• Bloating or cramping
• Pain in your lower belly, on your side, or in your back
• Diarrhea that is severe or does not go away
• Fever with your belly pain
• Chest pain or shortness of breath
• Trouble swallowing

Acid Reflux And Stomach Bloating

You are probably familiar with the gassy, abdominal pain referred to as bloating. You may even know that acid reflux is a result of some of the acidic contents of the stomach leaking back up into the esophagus, where it burns or irritates the lining. But you may be unaware that bloating and acid reflux are sometimes linked to each other. Bloating can sometimes contribute to and result in acid reflux.

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Gas Bloating Do Probiotics Help Gas

Before you reach for that antacid to stop your heartburn, or Gas-X to alleviate your gas and bloating, pause for a second because you could actually be making matters worse.

How could something that stops your discomfort so quickly end up making matters worse?

Well, many common remedies for these types of digestive issues dont address the root cause of the problem, they just temporarily relieve the symptoms. One example is when we take medications like antacids, they reduce the concentration of hydrochloric acid in our stomachs, which can change the entire environment of the gut.

The gut is home to trillions of microorganisms known as the gut microbiota. When their environment is thrown off balance by powerful drugs, it can cause complications further down the line.

Gas and bloating are some of the most common digestive issues people have today. Between 10 and 30 percent of Americans struggle with these uncomfortable symptom thats 97 million people!

If you struggle with digestion issues, you are not alone.

How do you truly address gas, bloating, and other digestive issues without long-term consequences of using various over-the-counter medications? Is it the foods you are eating contributing to the problem? What can be done to address the root cause, rather than mask the symptoms?

The answer is in restoring balance to the gut microbiome.

Rebalancing the Gut Microbiome for Gas and Bloating Relief

Mischievous Methane Producers

How?

Resources:

Otc Products That Provide Relief

Gas has multiple causes, including the foods and beverages you eat and drink. In some instances, the root cause of gas may determine the treatments that will be most beneficial.

For example, if you are lactose intolerant, treating the underlying cause with lactose restrictions and taking an OTC medication that contains lactase may help. Lactase is a natural enzyme that reduces gas and bloating by making milk sugars easier to digest.

If you have trouble digesting complex carbohydrates such as grains, nuts, legumes, and cruciferous vegetables, alpha-galactosidase may help.

Alpha-galactosidase is a digestiveenzyme commonly sold under the brand name Beano. It works by breaking down hard-to-digest carbohydrates into simple sugars.

Other products that may help alleviate gas and bloating include OTC products containing simethicone. These include Mylanta Gas and Gas-X.

You can also try activated charcoal supplements. Activated charcoal is a porous substance that traps and absorbs gas, eliminating it. You can buy activated charcoal in powder form or as a supplement in capsule form.

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