The occurrence of acidity is increasing steadily with changing lifestyles & eating habits. If you experience the burning sensation in the stomach or throat, belching, sour taste & indigestion when you have spicy food or when you have outside one would most likely try natural & simple remedies to get rid of a problem. And if these incidents become routine you might swallow down a sachet of antacid mixed in a glass of water or protrude those over-the-counter acid suppressant drugs. Using those medications might give you immediate relief. But have you ever admired what happens when you take them for extended periods? Read to know about Long-term Side effects of taking antacids
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long term effects of antacids
When you think of stomach acid, the traditional wisdom says that it is something wicked that burns the inside of our tummy. Well, the fact is that stomach acid is not something to be worried.
Stomach acid – the panacea of good digestion
A healthy digestive system is critical for overall wellbeing. The stomach has designed to allow the acid. Stomach acid (or gastric acid) – the primary element being hydrochloric acid – is essential for normal food digestion. It helps activate certain enzymes & break down proteins into the food. The breaking down of food provides its requisite nutrients to be assimilated by the body. And a study has unveiled that high levels of the stomach acid also protect us against the food poisoning. The acidity enables the stomach to act as a filter, actually managing which microbes can pass through the stomach to the abdomen. Read more 15 expired products you use EVERY DAY
It decreases the workload on the body’s maintenance too!
Did you know that the abdomen acid benefits knock out dangerous bacteria? The high pH of stomach acid causes an inhospitable environment for the huge majority of harmful bacteria that might ingest with food or water. It helps protect the body by keeping the dangerous bacteria from growing & transplanting the gut.
Antacids & Acid suppressants – the importance of low stomach acid
An extra production of stomach acid makes acidity with symptoms like heartburn, dyspepsia, gastric inflammation & ulcers in the stomach. Antacids & Acid suppressants are used to heal conditions like acidity, gastritis, dyspepsia, GERD, & peptic ulcer. Antacids are materials that neutralize stomach acid. Acid-suppressing drugs are H2 blockers & proton pump inhibitors. They decrease or inhibit gastric acid production.
Heartburn appears when the acid (formed in the stomach) comes up (flows back) towards the esophagus &, therefore, causes irritation in it. GERD is the condition when food substance moves back from the stomach into the esophagus when the muscle within esophagus & stomach fails to close the entrance of food through the esophagus into the stomach. Antacids & Acid suppressants might give to instant relief, but they fail to address the underlying causes. And prolonged use can have dangerous outcomes: Read on Top 5 Natural Homeopathic Remedies for Weight Loss
1. Gastrointestinal infections
Compatible low stomach acid because of neutralizing or underproduction causes the bacterial overgrowth in the stomach & the intestine. It not only leads to an enhanced risk of inflammation & infection but also to indigestion & malabsorption. A weak argument against dangerous bacteria makes you more inclined to gastrointestinal diseases.
2. Nutritional deficiency
As a result of the inflammation (gastritis), the stomach is unable of producing the needed amount of acids & enzymes to carry out digestion. Chronic gastritis might continue to affect the digestive system for a long time and can point to malabsorption of vital nutrients like iron, vitamin B12, etc. thereby leading to their deficiency. If the condition becomes severe, it can cause bleeding from the stomach lesions. Read more Eight home remedies for the peptic ulcers
3. H. pylori infection
Decreased amount of acid in the stomach suppresses its capability to kill the bacteria Helicobacter pylori. It makes colonization of the stomach by the bacteria & results in chronic gastritis. H. pylori have been identified to exert profound and distinct effects on gastric acid secretory function. Gastritis produced by the bacteria in the distant part of the stomach that combines to the duodenum improves acid secretion pointing to the duodenal ulcer. On the contrast, pangastritis (inflammation of the full stomach) caused by it considerably lessens acid secretion & raised the risk of gastric cancer. Read more Weird Benefits Of Black Pepper
And there are other moments too
Depending on the type done, prolonged use of antacid might cause urinary tract infections, heart & kidney problems, muscle weakness & cramps, milk-alkali syndrome, inadequate bone mineralization, etc.
Aluminum antacids might diminish calcium levels in the body enhancing the risk for the developing osteoporosis.
Prolonged usage of calcium-containing antacids can conflict with the calcium absorption & hamper healthy bone growth in children.
Sodium bicarbonate antacids might improve blood sodium levels.
In people with various sclerosis, H2 receptor blockers can cause immune stimulation & exacerbate the condition or lessen the effects of immunosuppressive drugs applied in its treatment.
Unusually, long-term use of this acid checking medications can begin to bone fractures due to consuming calcium sources. Read on Home Remedies For Stomach Ulcers
Several studies have found the vital connection between acid suppressants & the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis or bacteremia, pneumonia, & gastrointestinal infections in infants & children.
Popping over-the-counter PPI regular to regulate acidity or heartburn can raise heart attack risk by 16-21 percent; an extensive data-mining study begun by an Indian-origin researcher has unveiled.