My husband has been hounded by stomach pains since 30 years ago. The doctor said that it was gas pains caused by stress. He was advised for a career shift because a computer programmer is a stressful job. Of course, it's not easy to get into another line of job. The usual symptom is a bloated stomach that he would continually burp. But when the gas pain escalates, he would suffer heartburn - that's difficulty in breathing with matching chest pains. Truly, problems with stomach acid can pull your mood down.
I won't try to give medical advice but I'll give my opinion. I think you husband needs more fiber in his diet. Not just once in a while but daily.
Its not easy to find a job period especially these days. Anyway, I can relate to what your husband is going through. I have Acid Reflux and one of the things that has triggored an attack is stress. I have found that some times when I am on the job I have had more attacks then I do at home. So stress does play a factor in stomach acid, but its possible you husband could have another condition as well. Has this doctor sent him to see a GI doctor who can do more test into what could be going on.
From time to time I feel the stomach acid escalating through my esophagus and is truly a very unpleasant sensation, but my reflux usually comes from too hot or too condiment food I like to eat from time to time. This might be a hint because, besides stress, your husband might be also eating something that irritates his stomach or may need more fiber intake as Hannah suggests. However what works for me to relieve the acid annoying sensation is fighting acid with acid, as per a home remedy that works in my case. I add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to a cup of natural water along with a pinch of baking soda whenever the acid attacks, but can also to prevent reflux drinking this before each meal.
I also had this for most of my working years. Been retired since 99 and most all of that is gone now. Only shows up if I have a stressful day. I took Previcid for years and got off of that completely.
Here is everyone answer. Here is a problem that the doctors have been 100% wrong. The problem is not acid but a lack of acid the stomach needs to have strong acid to digest food and keep itself sterile if the stomach has a PH of 1.5 it is a healthy stomach and if you don't know what PH is it is the amount of acid or alkaline present 1 being the strongest acid and 14 being the strongest alkaline. If the stomach is sterile than nothing can grow there if you have gas it means something is fermenting in the stomach it is not sterile. Drinking carbonated drinks with meals is one of the worst things a person can do because it lowers the PH of the stomach. Salt is a good thing because the body uses salt to make stomach acid. Here is a naturopath doctor who explains it very well.
Gee, I am surprised with the comments in this thread. It seems like acid reflux is getting to be a problem these days. Yes, stress is the number 1 factor that agitates the acid, that's according to the ENT. Perhaps if my husband would retire and just do his thing in our backyard farm then maybe the acid reflux will stop bothering him. When we went to Beijing last January, his acid was triggered by the stress he got from waiting for the plane. Our flight was a bit delayed. And inside the plane, he became uneasy because we lacked sleep - the flight was 10 in the evening and we would land at about 1 am. In the hotel at around 3 am, it was bitingly cold because it is winter. That did it - his acid gave him a bad mood.
I had acid reflux, heart burn and sat up half the night in pain and taking all the anti acids and acid pump inhibitors. After learning the truth I now have a cast iron stomach. I have helped many people get off their acid reflux medicines and be healthy. Like people who do magic it is based on misdirection so lets up call it acid reflux so you think it is caused by too much acid. The medical/drug group love this as some of the best selling drugs are to control acid but never cure the problem only control symptoms . If they were honest they would have called it lack of acid reflux so you might understand. Stress has the ability to hamper the normal function in the body and can be related to many diseases. A person can learn to control stress. An old saying was who is driving your bus this means are you allowing the outside influence controlling your body could be a person or a late plane, bus. You can let the world push your buttons or take control of your body some people use meditation or learn to be a bystander watching the world go by and interacting when needed.