8. Difficulty swallowing
Patients with stomach acid problems also often experience swallowing issues. The ongoing injury to the stomach wall and the high acidity of the stomach juice cause a persistent inflammatory state in the stomach and the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract. Inflammation escalates, and patients often develop complications of gastroesophageal reflux disease and even stomach cancer.
Gastroesophageal reflux features a constant regurgitation of stomach contents to the esophagus. It’s often felt like a burning pain that runs upwards to the throat. In the long term, the acidity of the gastric juice on the esophagus causes an injury to the tissue. The esophagus becomes hard and thick and loses its function, which is why patients start feeling difficulty swallowing.