Unfortunately, acid reflux can sometimes be a symptom of stomach cancer.

Other symptoms of stomach cancer include:
Burning heartburn or indigestion.
This is common terminology for acid reflux or GERD that we discuss frequently.

Nausea and vomiting
Loss of appetite
Fatigue and weakness
Abdominal pain
Passing blood in vomit, stools or urine.
(This type of bleeding is often caused by gastritis or an ulcer, but it can also be a sign of cancer.)

If you do encounter any of the above symptoms, do not panic, as they are also typical of a diverse range of gastrointestional conditions and not necessarily present due to cancer.

If you feel full after eating only a small meal, I would recommend an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy to eliminate the possibility of stomach cancer.

Enjoy this great advice from Dr Mercola
Drugs designed to treat ulcer conditions are nearly the “perfect” drug for the drug companies. They are highly effective at treating symptoms but do absolutely nothing to treat the cause of the problem.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) like Nexium, Prilosec and Prevacid and the older H2 blockers like Tagamet, Zantec and Pepcid only drain your pocketbook at the expense of your health.

The PPIs are even better than the H2 blockers because they actually get you “addicted” to them. If you go off of the PPIs after being on them for awhile your symptoms will actually be WORSE than before you started them. That is one of the reasons why I never have patients go “cold turkey” off the PPIs, but gradually wean them off with the H2 blockers, which do not cause as much of this acid rebound effect.

Surgery for ulcers is another option you will want to avoid. Going under the knife is not an effective way to treat your heartburn.

Please understand that none of these drugs do absolutely anything to treat the cause of the problem — and they can be dangerous. Heartburn medications such as Prilosec and Nexium can impair your digestion by significantly reducing the amount of acid in your stomach — this impairs your ability to properly digest food.

Reduction of acid in the stomach also diminishes your primary defense mechanism for food-borne infections, thereby increasing your risk of food poisoning.

Additionally, if you fail to digest and absorb your food properly, you will not only increase your risk of stomach atrophy but also nearly every other chronic degenerative disease. There’s also a phenomenon associated with these drugs called acid rebound. Because they slam the brakes on the acid-producing pumps in your stomach, when you stop taking them that built-up acid can be unleashed.

Remember, ulcer problems are one of the EASIEST health challenges to treat without drugs. Your best solution for your child’s health as well as your own is to stay as far away from these unnecessary drugs and procedures by treating the main problem.

A few suggestions to get you started:

* Replace soft drinks with fresh, clean water.
* Retool your diet by limiting, with the plan of eliminating, grains and sugars and eating foods based on your body’s unique metabolic type.
* Consume a high-quality probiotic.
* Eat one to two cloves of fresh, raw garlic per day to eradicate H. pylori, a factor for many with heartburn.
* Consult a knowledegable natural health care practitioner if you aren’t getting any better.

Fortunately, Dr. Rubman reminded me of the many safe and natural ways to address heartburn and other digestive disturbances in children…
Lose weight. Rather than addressing symptoms alone, it’s vital to address their underlying cause, says Dr. Rubman. Obesity is a growing problem in children and more often than not, heartburn and GER are due to excess pounds from overeating.

Look at natural ways to control heartburn. Instead of turning to acid suppressants, try an antacid. Add a half teaspoon of pure baking soda to a glass of cold water, or give your child an Alka-Seltzer, which is simply modified baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in tablet form with aspirin and citric acid. But remember, this should be done only on an empty stomach. Suppressing acid in the absence of ulcer only perpetuates the symptoms, says Dr. Rubman.
Chew food thoroughly. Chewing stimulates enzyme activity, and the more food is broken down in the mouth, the more readily the nutrients in the food are absorbed and utilized. As a parent, I know how hard it is to get your children to slow down while eating… just keep working on them.

Eat three meals a day. While popular thinking holds that small, frequent meals are less likely to cause indigestion, Dr. Rubman disagrees. With three reasonably-sized meals a day, stomach acid can efficiently dissolve food and extract nutrients when a child eats, and the stomach can rest between meals. This means watch the snacking as well if your child is having stomach upsets. If they really need a snack, as many children do, ripe fruit that is not citrus is their best bet because it tends to digest quickly in a compromised environment. Avoid this within an hour of bedtime.

Limit fluids with children’s meals. Fluids dilute stomach acid, leaving more work for the stomach to do. Dr. Rubman advises that children cease drinking one-half hour before eating, and refrain from drinking for an hour afterward.

Monitor food combinations. It’s unwise to combine foods that digest quickly (sugar, white flour products, white potatoes, etc.) with highly saturated fats (such as red meat or dairy), cautions Dr. Rubman.
Another good rule of thumb: No fruit with meals. Either eat the fruit one-half hour before the meal or wait at least an hour to an hour and a half after the meal to eat the fruit depending on the size and complexity of the meal.

Consider digestive enzymes or herbal remedies. When stomach acid levels are low, Dr. Rubman recommends digestive aids such as DuoZyme (Karuna) and Gastri-Gest (Priority One). These supplements stimulate hydrochloric acid release.

Check with a trained professional regarding the proper dosage for your child’s age and weight.