Q: I am a 50 years old man and have a strange sensation throughout my body. I feel hunger; shivering, sweating and tremors . If I delay taking food the tremors worsen and the effect stays on even after taking food. I have checked my blood sugar levels, which are normal. I took Zintac, which gave me some relief. What does it mean? Is it due to ulcers? When I fast all day long and take food in the evening I have a bolting pain shooting up diagonally from my stomach to my chest and later it subsides. Though I am a lean man, my BMI is 22.64. Please advise.

A:You most likely have acid peptic disorder (APD) or hyperacidity with a tendency to reflux. Irregular meal intake and starving/overeating increase the symptoms. Spicy food, carbonated drinks, caffeine, lying down/reclining after a meal worsen the situation. A simple endoscopy is all that is needed to confirm the diagnosis. The fact that you respond to antacids also supports the same diagnosis.