Did you recur at an unexpected time? block with these 7 tricks

Ulcer is a common health problem in society. But unfortunately, there are still many people who take it lightly. Even if you often experience heartburn that can recur more than every week, this digestive disorder is at risk of causing various dangerous complications. That is why it is important for you to be able to control the production of stomach acid to remain stable so that ulcer symptoms do not recur easily. Check out the tips here.

Gastric acid is not always a danger, really!

One of the most typical symptoms of an ulcer is an increase in stomach acid. This then triggers chest pain, nausea and a burning stomach, hot throat, sour mouth, and frequent belching. Because the symptoms that appear can make the body weak, many people continue to mistake stomach acid for being detrimental to health.

In fact, the acid in your stomach plays an important role in helping the digestive organs break down food so that it is easily absorbed by the body.

The presence of stomach acid is especially important for the absorption of a number of important nutrients such as amino acids, calcium, zinc, as well as vitamins A, C, E, and vitamin B complex. This fluid also then helps the stomach to stimulate special enzymes to digest protein.

In addition, stomach acid works to kill bacteria and disease-causing germs that enter the body through the food you eat.

How do I know if my stomach acid is normal?

Normally, stomach acid has a pH level in the 1.5-3.5 range. Abnormal acid production can be triggered by various conditions that may underlie it. So, the best step to determine whether your stomach acid is low or too high is to consult a doctor and tell him all the symptoms you are experiencing.

While waiting for your doctor's appointment, you can find out if your stomach acid is high or low with two simple home tests.

The first is to eat a few pieces of beetroot and after two hours have passed, go to the toilet and check the condition of your urine. If the urine is red, it means your stomach acid is low.

The second test is done by drinking a glass of water that has been mixed with ¼ teaspoon of baking soda. Drink this concoction in the morning on an empty stomach.

If it takes up to 5 minutes for you to burp, it means you have low stomach acid. However, if you burp right away less than 2 minutes after drinking it, chances are you have high stomach acid.

Gastric acid likes to rise and fall, increasing the risk of disease

The rise and fall of stomach acid is influenced by your diet and what you eat on a daily basis. Ulcer symptoms tend to be more prone to recur when you frequently eat spicy or fatty foods, drink alcoholic beverages, and mostly fiber foods.

Acid production in the stomach is influenced by the fat content in the protein and sugar from the food we consume. The higher the fat content, the more acidic the pH of your stomach fluids will be. Meanwhile, more sugar intake causes less stomach acid.

If the stomach acid level is abnormal, either too little or too much, the food cannot be processed properly so that the body does not get adequate nutritional intake.

This condition will make the body susceptible to infection and fall sick, which can even increase the risk of esophageal cancer. Daily activities will be disrupted.

Tips for maintaining stomach acid production so that ulcer symptoms are not easy to recur

Acid reflux can be controlled with a few simple lifestyle adjustments. The methods below also help the acid produced by your stomach stay within its normal pH range, thereby reducing the chance of ulcer symptoms to recur in the future.

1. Eat regularly

When the stomach is left empty for a long time, the stagnant acidic liquid will cause the stomach wall to become irritated and inflamed. This is what triggers or worsens your ulcer symptoms.

By adopting a regular diet, digestion will work better and more efficiently.

2. Limit your intake of refined sugar

Refined sugar is sugar that has gone through a refining process to remove molasses (sugar syrup) so that the color becomes clear white.

This pure sugar is widely sold as granulated sugar, and is also widely available in packaged foods and drinks. Mostly consuming refined sugar can increase the workload of the stomach when it produces stomach acid.

3. Do not drink too much with meals

Drinking lots of water in the middle of a meal will dilute stomach acid so that food becomes difficult to digest. When the body detects this problem, the brain will send a signal to the stomach to increase the production of acidic fluids.

4. Eat slowly

Before entering the stomach, the food you eat will first mix with saliva in your mouth to be broken down into simpler forms. The goal is that the nutrients from these meals can be more easily absorbed by your body later.

Chewing food slowly causes your food to break down into finer shapes, which helps your digestive system work more efficiently to break it down. If the food that enters your stomach is not soft enough, your stomach will work extra hard to digest and absorb all the vitamins, minerals and amino acids that are essential for the body.

So, make it a habit to chew food 32 times so that the food is really soft when it enters the stomach.

5. Sleep on your left side

Without realizing it, sleeping position also affects your health. Sleeping on your left side is the best position for those of you who have digestive problems such as ulcers.

When you sleep on your left side, the force of gravity keeps your stomach contents at the bottom of the stomach. This position is also ideal for those of you who often have heartburn because the valve muscles that fly between the opening of the stomach and the esophageal pathway will remain above the stomach acid when closed.

Meanwhile, if you sleep on your right side, the valve muscle can stretch so that gastric juices can flow back into the esophagus. This can cause ulcer symptoms to recur. In some people, the symptoms can be severe enough to cause a sudden awakening from sleep.

6. Take zinc supplements

If necessary, take zinc supplements, which can help the body control stomach acid production. Adequate zinc intake is important for ulcer owners because this mineral really helps the process of stomach acid production.

Also consume vitamins C, E, B6, and magnesium to increase the absorption of zinc in the body.

7. Manage stress well

Apart from poor diet, ulcer symptoms can also recur because they are triggered by excessive stress. Stress is completely unavoidable, but you can control it.

Once under stress, try to pause your activities for a moment and take deep, deep breaths for a count of 10. Hold for a moment and also exhale on a slow count of 10. Repeat a few times until you feel calmer.

Apart from the breathing techniques above, there are many other ways to relieve stress. For example, by watching comedy movies, listening to music, taking a 20 to 30 minute nap, or meditating. In essence, do light things that can make you feel good.

Insure your health for a better future

Even though ulcers are a fairly common digestive problem, that doesn't mean you just let it go. The symptoms that appear are actually your body's way of telling you there is a problem with your health.

The various methods above can help you control stomach acid so that ulcer symptoms are no longer easy to recur. Remember, it is always better to prevent than to cure.

However, you can also take care of your digestive health in the long run by applying for the right health insurance. Without health insurance, you may not have easy access to many non-emergency medical services when you really need them.

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