Fire in Your Belly?

A burning stomach, or a burning sensation in the stomach, can cause pain, fatigue, and stress to the stomach. Burning stomach is becoming a growing and common problem as a result of indigestible food, health problems, infections, overuse of antibiotics, and chlorinated water, to name a few causes.

The stomach is a muscular sack between the esophagus and small intestine. The stomach is responsible for digesting food before it enters the intestines to be broken down further. If food is not properly broken down in the stomach, it can cause a clog along the intestines, resulting in indigestion or heartburn.

The stomach breaks down food with enzymes and acids. The food is mixed with water and gastric juices to break down into what is known as chyme. Chyme then moves into the intestines and breaks down further until it exits the colon.

• Binge drinking
• Shrinking of the gastric lining due to alcoholism
• Chronic alcohol consumption
• Inflammation of the pancreas due to alcohol consumption
• Gallbladder disease triggered by the alcohol
• Liver damage resulting from alcohol consumption

Stomach burning after drinking soda

Soda is a bubbly beverage, so right off the bat, drinking carbonated beverages can increase gas, which can contribute to stomach burning. Many soda varieties also contain aspartame, an artificial sweetener. Although this type of sweetener can reduce calorie count in your beverage, many people are intolerant to aspartame, which can also add to burning stomach.

If you have been diagnosed with IBS, soda can further lead to stomach irritations and promote diarrhea as well.

Stomach burning after drinking water

Water is known to be the number one health beverage you can consume, but it can lead to burning sensation in the stomach, too. Drinking too much water can lead to a condition known as hyponatremia, which is characterized by abnormally low sodium levels. The main symptoms of hyponatremia are discomfort, vomiting, confusion, fatigue, and even convulsions.

Consuming too much water can also negatively impact the kidneys. Our kidneys are able to filter through 1,000 ml of water an hour. Drinking more than this amount can overwork your kidneys, and if you have kidney disease you are at an even greater risk of complications of excessive water intake.

Stomach burning after drinking milk

A common reason for stomach burning after drinking milk is lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is a condition in which your body doesn’t have the right enzymes to break down lactose, a type of sugar found in milk. Because your body is unable to break down lactose, it can have negative side effects including abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, and burning stomach.

Once again, if you have IBS, you may notice an increase in burning stomach after consuming dairy. Overall, dairy is a common and known irritant in IBS, and it is often recommended that IBS patients reduce their intake of dairy – especially if they are lactose intolerant.

Reprinted with permission from Bel Marra Health.

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