To flush acid out of your stomach, you can sip on some small amounts of water, which help to wash acid back down.
You can also help flush acid out of your stomach by taking an over the counter antacid like Mylanta or Tums to neutralize your stomach acid.
You should also remain standing or sitting upright with loose clothing to use gravity to your advantage and avoid lying down for at least 3 hours.
Over the counter antacids like Mylanta, Tums, Maalox or even taking some Pepto-Bismol can also neutralize the existing stomach acid.
And drinking small sips of some plain water or even some alkaline coconut water can help to dilute the acid in the stomach and balance your stomachs pH.
You can also chew some non peppermint sugarless gum to promote salivation, which naturally neutralizes the acid and washes it back down and remaining standing upright, allows gravity to keep your stomach acid where it belongs.
And if wearing a belt, unbuckle our belt or change into some loose fitting pants to avoid placing physical pressure on your stomach.
To test your stomach acid at home you can use the Baking Soda Test or even the Betaine HCl Challenge.
Although these methods of testing stomach acid at home are mainly theoretical and not clinically diagnostic.
To get an accurate diagnosis of your stomach acid, you should see a gastroenterologist to have a professional stomach pH test done.
However to use the baking soda test, to test your stomach acid is to mix 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda in 4 to 6 ounces of cold water.
Drink the baking soda and water mix first thing in the morning or on an empty stomach, before eating or drinking anything else.
Then time how long it takes to burp after you drink the baking soda and water mix.
If your stomach acid is normal, you should then burp within 2 to 3 minutes.
If you have low stomach acid, it can take longer than 3 minutes to burp or you may not burp at all.
And if you have excess stomach acid you may burp frequently or early or even experience loud burping.
The baking soda test for stomach acid testing at home relies on the reaction that occurs between your stomach acid also known as hydrochloric acid and the baking soda as a base to create carbon dioxide gas, which causes you to burp.
For the Betaine HCl Challenge test for testing stomach acid at home it involves an over the counter supplement called Betaine Hydrochloride or HCl, which is an over the counter supplement that is designed to increase stomach acidity.
To use the Betaine HCl test for testing stomach acid, you eat a high protein meal, of at least 6 ounces of meat.
Then midway through your meal, you take one Betaine HCl capsule (often around 650 mg) with pepsin.
Then finish your meal and observe your body's reaction.
For the results.
If you have low stomach acid, you should feel no difference or mild heaviness.
If you have adequate or high stomach acid, you might feel a burning, heat or mild heartburn sensation in your chest.
Although if you take any anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, corticosteroids or if you suspect you have stomach ulcers you should not do the Betaine HCl challenge.
Low stomach acid, which is also known as hypochlorhydria often also presents itself alongside of a distinct set of physical signs, which include gas and bloating shortly after eating, indigestion or the feeling that food sits in your stomach for a long time, undigested food in your poop and weak or brittle fingernails.