HELP! Why Is My Stomach Burning After Drinking Water?

LAST UPDATED:

After drinking water, many people frequently experience stomach burning. However, why does it occur? Is there any risk? What steps can be taken to stop it? Despite some common misunderstandings, an imbalance in stomach acidity is typically to blame for this burning feeling. To prevent additional discomfort and potential health problems, it is crucial to comprehend this imbalance and how to remedy it. Continue reading to find out more about the reasons of stomach ache after drinking water and how to avoid it.

TL;DR

Drinking water can cause stomach burning due to a variety of factors.

  • Drinking too much water in a short period of time can overwhelm the digestive system.
  • The pH level of the water can be too acidic or alkaline, causing an imbalance in the stomach.
  • Certain medications and supplements can interact with water, leading to stomach burning.

By understanding the causes of stomach burning after drinking water, you can take steps to prevent it from happening again!

Do you like to drink a lot of water regularly but find that it doesn’t sit well with your stomach?

***NOTE: Take control of how much water you drink per day with a high-quality personal water bottle. Lifestraw bottles can filter water from practically any source, giving you clean drinking water wherever and whenever you need it.

Do you ever find yourself concerned about how badly your stomach hurts or burns after you enjoy some water?

Do you have a problem with your stomach burning after drinking water?

If you ever find that you have pain in your stomach from water, don’t worry—you’re not alone. However, this can be a very concerning symptom, especially if you’ve never experienced it before. In this article, we’ll break down all the information you need to know in order to better understand this condition and what it might mean for you.

You’ll be able to compare other symptoms, read up on health concerns, and narrow down the possibilities to help you figure out your situation.

Keep in mind that, if this is the first time you’re experiencing this problem and especially if it’s very severe and interrupting your daily life, you should be sure to talk to your doctor about it. Although it’s uncommon, there’s always a chance that this could be a sign of something more serious that needs to be treated by a professional.

With that said, however, for the most part, this is not a terribly serious problem to be concerned about. A burning stomach can be a sign of a lot of different issues, however, so be sure to take your time and check out the information we have put together for you below. By paying attention to this info, you’ll be better able to determine which of these problems may be the underlying cause of your burning stomach.

Read on to learn more.

4 Possible *CAUSES* of Burning Stomach when Drinking Water

It’s not that uncommon to deal with acidity in the stomach after drinking water, which is the root cause of most of the conditions that may be afflicting you. However, just because it happens fairly often, that doesn’t mean you have to just sit back and let it bother you. 

In order to figure out the best method of treatment, you should try to narrow down what may be causing your burning stomach sensation. Here are a few potential causes that may be behind this problem.

If you think one of these may be going on with you, be sure to speak to your doctor for more information as well as for suggestions on what you can do at home to deal with it.

gerd symptoms

1. Ulcers

  • Ulcers - Ulcers can form in the stomach from a variety of different causes. They are very often linked to stress, although this isn’t the only contributing factor. If you have a stomach ulcer, there’s a good chance that’s what is causing the burning feeling when you drink water. Water can create acidity that aggravates the ulcer and causes it to hurt and burn. If you do have a stomach ulcer, you will need medication from your doctor to get rid of it. Very serious stomach ulcers may require surgery to get rid of them, but not all of them do.

2. GERD

  • GERD - GERD is an acronym that stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease. It’s also known as acid reflux or acid indigestion. When you suffer from this condition, the lower portion of your esophagus is affected. GERD causes this part of the esophagus to open up too much when it isn’t supposed to, which in turn allows acid from your stomach to rise further than it should. This acid burns the lining of your esophagus and can even sometimes lead to cancer or other diseases in this part of your body. If you have this condition, drinking water can easily aggravate it and cause more acid to be produced by the stomach.

3. Inflammation

  • Inflammation - There are a lot of reasons why you might have inflammation in your digestive system, ranging from the fairly normal (a stomach bug) to the concerning (Crohn’s disease) and everything in between, too. If this is going on with you, drinking cold water might actually help settle it down, but drinking hot water may cause a burning sensation. In some people who have very sensitive digestive systems, even cold water will cause more burning and pain in an inflamed stomach lining.

4. IBS

  • IBS - IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome, is an issue that affects a lot of people. This condition causes inflammation in the intestines as well as in the stomach, and it often goes hand in hand with ulcers and GERD too. IBS can be managed with diet, exercise, and sometimes with treatments for stress. However, if you have IBS and you’re dealing with a particularly bad episode of it, then it’s very likely that drinking water will bother your stomach or intestines and may cause heartburn. It’s very important to make sure you drink water slowly and stick to room temperature water when you’re dealing with IBS, as this can help it go down more easily.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are a handful of possibilities you should keep in mind when you’re trying to figure out what may be causing your burning stomach when you drink water. Only a healthcare professional can tell you for sure what’s causing the problem, but it’s always a good idea to have some idea of what’s going on so you can bring up your concerns with your doctor. And in some instances, these problems can be easily treated with over the counter remedies, so you may not ever even have to go to the doctor at all (although you should if it’s really bothering you).

Dealing with a burning stomach after drinking water is not an uncommon problem, and you’re not alone in facing it. Now that you have a better understanding of some of the causes of this condition, you may be better able to figure out how to treat it.

So do you really have to suffer with this all the time? What can you do at home to get rid of this feeling safely? One of the most common options is to take an over-the-counter medication like Pepcid, Zantac, or even an antacid tablet. Usually, this is enough to settle the feeling of burning in the stomach after having a glass of water, although it may not be enough for everybody.

It may also help to start drinking your water differently. Try letting your water come to room temperature before you drink it, and be sure to take smaller sips instead of just chugging it. You might want to try mineral water or alkaline water, too, since these are known to help people with sensitive stomachs in some situations.

You don’t have to live a life without ever drinking water, even if it’s been making your stomach burn. Just remember these tips and try to figure out what’s causing the issue. Soon, you’ll be on  your way to recovery!

Additional Research:

https://www.livestrong.com/article/502028-why-does-water-give-you-heartburn/

https://healthfully.com/drinking-water-create-acidity-12079546.html


5 Tips to Help Reduce Stomach Burning After Drinking Water

  1. Drink room temperature water instead of cold water.
  2. Avoid drinking too much water at once, and sip it slowly.
  3. Eat a small snack before drinking water to help reduce stomach burning.
  4. Drink herbal teas or warm lemon water instead of plain water.
  5. Take an antacid medication if the burning persists.

ALSO: Try adding a teaspoon of honey to your glass of warm lemon water for added relief!

Last update on 2023-12-03 at 10:34 Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE, COMES FROM AMAZON. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.

We constantly make an effort to implement our editorial practices and policies through out our site. This entails researching all of our articles exhaustively and always doing our best to offer the most reliable details possible for our audience. Please check out our About Us Page for more info.

About The Author

Joseph Bartley
Editor-In-Chief
Twitter | Crunchbase

Joseph Bartley, also known as the WaterFilterFanatic, is a seasoned content writer who specializes in water filtration and water quality topics. On AllAboutWaterFilters, he has written a range of water filtration system reviews, water health and quality articles, swimming pool, hot tub and aquarium filtration guides, DIY methods to assist people clean their drinking water, and much more. Joseph enjoys spending his time working with the #AllAboutWaterFilters Editorial Team to provide some of the best quality water filtration content available on the web.

Thank you for visiting AllAboutWaterFilters. When you purchase through site links on our site, we may possibly earn an affiliate commission, at no extra expense to you. Please be sure to enjoy our website!