Contrary to popular belief, reflux / heartburn is a result of having low stomach acid levels, not high levels. The majority of those who suffer with this have been told the opposite, and prescribed a medication that turns off stomach acid, which they take forever. What causes low stomach acid you might ask? Here’s a few causes; chronic gastritis, certain autoimmune diseases, chronic over-hydration, or having excessive
fluid with food. If you’re an A blood-type, it’s a given your stomach acid is low.
When you eat animal protein, it’s the stomach acid that breaks it down, before it can go on and be digested further. With low acid it takes much longer to break down, esp. if you drank to much fluid with your meal. Gas starts to build up causing bloating, and feeling like you ate too much.
It takes a while for this gas (made up with tiny droplets of acid) to irritate your throat enough to feel the burn, but then you drink more fluid, or take tums to sooth it, with very little relief, and it rebounds worse than ever. Alkalizing acid is not going to help, but adding something close to acid will help.
By not addressing the cause, you begin to have other symptoms which you might not attribute to reflux. Cough esp. at night from breathing acid gas which irritates the lungs Chronic Sinus infections from gas getting up & in the back of sinus - Hiatal Hernia from eating too close to bedtime - Chronic Nausea caused by low or no stomach acid. If left untreated, reflux can evolve into Barrett’s esophagus, esophageal spasms, and possibly esophageal cancer.