Excess Stomach Acid: Causes, Symptoms & Solutions

While stomach acid helps digest food, excess acid can also cause irritation and pain from ulcers or gastroesophageal reflux disease. Antacids, prescription medications or surgery may resolve the problem.

Role of Stomach Acid

• Stomach acid performs a necessary role in digestion. MamasHealth.com states that a mix of stomach acid and other digestive juices break food down for use by the body.

Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome

• As described by the Mayo Clinic, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome creates intestinal or pancreatic tumors that unleash a hormone causing excessive stomach acid.

Gastric Ulcers

• Excessive stomach acid can cause or worsen gastric ulcers, according to the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center College of Medicine.

GERD

• People with gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, experience "heartburn" when stomach acid climbs up into the esophagus. While the Medical University of South Carolina blames a muscular defect for this condition, it also mentions that reducing stomach acid can help.

Treatment

• The Mayo Clinic lists antacids, H-receptor blockers and proton-pump inhibitors as medicines that can reduce stomach acid; however, in some cases, surgery may be required to address the underlying physical causes.