Acid Reflux

I can assume that since you’re reading this you’ve at one time or another experienced heartburn or acid reflux. Heartburn is kind of the catchall term for acid reflux, reflux, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). While heartburn can be mild for a great many of us, for others it is extremely painful.   

Acid reflux is also called gastroesophageal reflux.  It is considered a disorder where the acidic juices of the stomach flow back (reflux) into the esophagus.  The stomach walls are made to withstand the acids that are produced by digesting foods.  The esophagus, which is the tube that passes food from the throat to the stomach, has a very thin lining to it.  This lining does not have the protective strength of the stomach intestines.  So when you have stomach acid reflux into the esophagus it makes the lower section of the esophagus painful and irritated.  This painful inflammation is called reflux esophagitis.

The esophagus is usually sealed from the stomach by a valve known as the Lower Esophageal Sphincter, also called LES.  This valve only opens when food passes into the stomach from the esophagus.  There are a few conditions that make the valve work incorrectly.  These factors range from eating large meals, drinking caffeine based drinks, eating acid causing foods… to taking drugs like morphine, meperidine, nitrate heart medications and adrenergic drugs.  The LES also becomes relaxed when foods like peppermint and chocolate are eaten.

Those of us with reflux symptoms have many simple and effective Acid Reflux Remedies to choose from to alleviate the pain.  I would say the easiest and most effective acid reflux treatment would be to keep a close eye on the type of foods you eat in your diet.

An Acid Reflux Diet is something that you should seriously consider doing for yourself.  The heartburn diet would be a good starting point for a reflux diet.  And these are only a few things that can help you to ease the reflux disease that you suffer from. 

Acid Reflux Disease Symptoms do vary.  They can range from your typical heartburn to cramping, excess salivation, shortness of breath, difficult or painful swallowing, fluid or vomit being inhaled into the lungs and other conditions.  While acid reflux is painful, frequently occurring gastroesophageal reflux can lead to esophageal reflux, which is a more serious condition known as reflux esophagitis, esophageal narrowing and esophageal ulcer.  The most serious acid reflux condition is Barrett’s syndrome.  With Barrett’s syndrome a change in the lining of the esophagus leads to acid reflux cancer or more formally known as esophageal cancer.

Acid reflux can occur in anyone.  The main sufferers of acid reflux are those who are obese, experience repeated vomiting, have nasogastric tubes, and have a history of hiatal hernia or scleroderma.  Acid Reflux and Pregnancy for women is also very common.

Acid reflux disease can be diagnosed and treated so that the reflux symptoms can be relieved.  A gastroenterologist will take x-rays of the patient.  The patient will drink a barium solution and lie down so that their head is lower than their feet.  An esophagoscopy examination is taken.  Here a flexible viewing tube is inserted into the patient’s esophagus for a closer look.

There are many other acid reflux treatments, and there’s no time like the present to start trying them.  They include Medications for Acid Reflux, a natural cure for acid reflux, a Wedge Pillow for Acid Reflux, and many others to help you in your acid reflux relief. You should always consult your physician before you start any kind of acid reflux treatment.  This is especially true for those with severe acid reflux because you could have an adverse reaction to acid reflux medications, acid reflux remedies, or to an acid reflux alternative medicine.

If you find that your baby frequently spits up and/or vomits then you may have an acid reflux baby. on your hands. You should consult your physician to have them diagnosis whether or not your baby is suffering from infant/baby reflux. Acid reflux disease in infants is not that common, but for the most part they grow out of it as they get older. I feel for the parents who have a Baby With Acid Reflux because of the pain their newborn goes through on a daily basis.

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