Heartburn and Allergies To Food
It is almost certain that if you visit a doctor and complain of heartburn, you will be told to lay off caffeine, alcohol, fatty foods, smoking, etc. But what the doctor may not know is that it could be the kind of bread you eat every morning, or the glass of milk you drink before bedtime that is responsible for your digestive trouble. Many of us have heartburn and allergies to food or food intolerances, and are not award of it.
Food Allergies
Certain foods and beverages, chocolates, peppermint, fried or fatty foods, coffee, garlic, onions, alcoholic drinks are known to increase acid content in the stomach. Acidic foods like citrus and tomato products increase acid content in the stomach. Carbonated beverages bloat the stomach and put pressure on the intestines which forces the acid content in the stomach to rise, causing discomfort and pain in the chest. Heartburn and allergies to food may also be responsible for some causes of gastroesophageal reflux disease in adults and children.
Heartburn and allergies to food due to indigestion is simply the result of not eating the right kind of food. Some people are sensitive to digestive factors other than acid which cause heartburn and allergies to certain kinds of food. Besides ulcers or certain diseases, indigestion in many people is a result of eating too much, eating too quickly, eating high-fat foods or eating too much during stressful situations, or allergies to certain foods. This results in abnormal contraction of the stomach muscles, leading to delays in stomach emptying which increases acidic content in the stomach.
The big problem here is to determine allergies to different kinds of food. Heartburn and allergies to certain food may take hours or days after eating a food to which you are allergic or intolerant to. Heartburn and allergies to food like wheat and dairy may take some time to establish as the reason for being sick most of the time.
One way to figure out allergies to food is through a blood test. Results may not be 100%, but it is a good way to start finding out what causes heartburn and allergies to food. Chances are that you may come clean. So, the only sure, tried and tested method is an "elimination diet". Heartburn and allergies to food may not be the real problem, but it is worth ruling out any possibilities before getting into lifetime expensive prescription drugs.
