Stomach burning: Causes and solutions

The article was professionally consulted by Doctor Department of Gastroenterology - Endoscopy, Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.

Stomach burning is a condition that many people experience mainly due to causes such as eating foods that are difficult to digest, abusing antibiotics, being infected, ...

Stomach burning is a burning sensation in the stomach muscles caused by contact with acids or alkalis. Stomach burning is often accompanied by symptoms of heartburn, belching, bloating, indigestion, stomach pain, ... making the patient not eat well, leading to anorexia.
If not treated early, stomach burning can cause dangerous complications such as stomach ulcers, colitis or stomach cancer,...

2.1 Unscientific eating Eating spicy food containing a lot of chili, pepper, ... makes the stomach full, accompanied by symptoms of belching, abdominal pain and burning. The reason is because spicy foods contain a lot of capsaicin - a substance that can irritate the stomach lining, causing burning, indigestion; Eating foods rich in soluble fiber, meals with less fiber, ... also cause stomach burning after eating; Burning stomach if you have lactose intolerance, fructose malabsorption but still eat these foods. In addition, the patient also has accompanying symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain,...; Habit of eating sour food, eating too full, skipping meals, eating at the wrong time, ... also causes stomach burning; Drinking alcohol: The chemicals in alcohol stimulate the stomach to produce more acid, causing the body to lose water, affecting gastrointestinal function, causing burning and stomach pain; Use carbonated drinks: The citric acid in carbonated drinks increases the amount of acid in the stomach, causing burning and stomach ulcers. In addition, carbonated drinks also cause more air to enter the stomach, causing bloating, belching;

Drinking too much water: Hyponatremia, which causes abnormally low sodium levels, causes irritability, vomiting, fatigue, confusion, convulsions, and stomach burning. 2.2 Psychological stress People who have been under stress for a long time often experience stagnation in the digestive process, causing high acidity in the stomach, increasing the risk of gastroesophageal reflux with symptoms such as belching, belching, and belching. heartburn , stomach burning , hoarseness , ... When stress is relieved , these symptoms will be relieved .
2.3 Effects of Drug Use Some drugs, especially non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as Aspirin, Celecoxib, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Ketoprofen,... can cause gastrointestinal problems. gas, leading to a hot stomach condition. Therefore, when using any of the above drugs, patients should strictly follow the doctor's instructions on the dose and duration of the drug.
If you experience burning, stomach pain when using the above drugs, the patient should notify the doctor.

2.4 Due to stomach diseases Irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder of the intestines, causing abdominal discomfort, stomach pain. Other symptoms of the disease include belching, constipation, diarrhea, mucus in the stool, bloating, nausea, cramps,...; Gastritis: An inflammation of the stomach lining. Typical symptoms of the disease include a burning sensation in the stomach after eating or lying down, nausea, bloating, indigestion, hiccups, abdominal pain and loss of appetite; Peptic ulcer: A condition in which sores develop on the inner lining of the stomach and the upper part of the small intestine. Patients present with stomach pain, burning in the stomach, flatulence, nausea, heartburn, intolerance to some foods,...; Gastroesophageal reflux disease: This is the most common disease causing stomach burning. Acid reflux causes acid from the stomach to back up into the esophagus, accompanied by other symptoms such as heartburn, heartburn, hoarseness, cough, ...

2.5 Other causes Helicobacter pylori infection: Causing a burning sensation in the stomach and damaging the gastric mucosa, causing stomach ulcers; Hernia: Common symptoms include chest pain, difficulty swallowing, frequent hiccups, upper abdominal pain, and heat in the stomach; Kidney disease: Hydronephrosis, kidney failure, kidney stones, ureteral stones,... causing pain in the kidney and spreading to the stomach causing burning in the epigastrium; Liver disease: Symptoms of stomach burning can be caused by fatty liver disease, hepatitis, liver abscess,...; Other diseases: Appendicitis , diseases related to gallbladder

When experiencing stomach burning, patients should see a specialist to determine the exact cause of this symptom and take appropriate treatment. The treatment methods can be mentioned as:
3.1 Using drugs Patients only use drugs when prescribed by a doctor. After examination, the patient may be prescribed to use the following drugs:
Stomach acid balancing drugs have the effect of neutralizing acid, reducing the amount of acid in the stomach, improving symptoms such as: calcium carbonate, magnesium hydroxide, sodium carbonate,... Antibiotics: Patients with peptic ulcer disease, stomach disease caused by Helicobacter pylori bacteria will be prescribed antibiotics in combination with proton pump inhibitors; Drugs to protect the gastric mucosa: Sucralfate, Mucosta, Rebamipide.

3.2 Drinking teas that are good for the stomach If the burning stomach is not related to diseases, the patient can improve the burning symptoms by drinking the following teas:
Chrysanthemum tea: Chrysanthemum flower It has a mild aroma, has a soothing effect on spasms in the stomach and digestive system. To make chrysanthemum tea, users wash the dried chrysanthemum flowers, put them in a glass with tea bags and then steep with 100ml of boiling water until the chrysanthemum blooms evenly, has a light fragrance, then drink it; Ginger tea: Take 1 fresh ginger root, wash, peel and slice thinly. Then, put a few slices of ginger with 1 tea bag, brew with 100ml of boiling water and drink in the morning to get the best effect.

4.1 Building a scientific diet Avoid foods that are harmful to the stomach such as spicy, greasy foods, alcohol, carbonated water because they cause stomach irritation or increase gastric secretion, causing bloating , indigestion, pain and burning stomach; Should eat foods good for the stomach such as cucumber, honey, yogurt, herbal tea, green vegetables, fruits, shrimp, fish, ... to fight inflammation, soothe the stomach, reduce stomach heat. Pay attention to eat a sufficient amount of citrus fruits because they are acidic fruits that are not good for a damaged stomach; Do not skip meals, eat right meals; Drink enough water every day, should drink 2 - 2.5 liters of water and limit drinking milk on an empty stomach; 4.2 Exercise regularly to exercise regularly to improve health, increase resistance and flexibility of the body. You should exercise for about 30 minutes every day, giving priority to abdominal exercises to improve health and prevent stomach diseases;

4.3 Be careful when using drugs Be careful when using some western medicines to avoid their side effects causing stomach irritation and damage to the stomach lining. Pay attention not to arbitrarily use the drug or arbitrarily increase or decrease the dose and duration of the drug.
Burning stomach is a common phenomenon, which can warn of many dangerous diseases. Therefore, if there are frequent symptoms of stomach burning, the patient should go to the doctor soon for an accurate diagnosis and timely treatment intervention.