Acid Reflux Disease: Causes, Risks and Cures

Acid reflux disease, or GERD - gastro-esophageal reflux disease as it is known, is caused by the coincidence of two medical conditions. The first condition contributing to acid reflux disease is the backward flow of food and acid from the stomach to the esophagus. Nonetheless, the reflux does not always result in symptoms of GERD or changes in the organic tissues, and can happen in healthy individuals as well, when it is referred to as "physiologic gastroesophageal reflux".

The second factor encouraging GERD is a malfunction of the LES, the lower esophageal sphincter. The LES is a circle of muscle of 3-4 cm, some two to three times thicker than the proximal esophagus and acting as a valve between the esophagus and the stomach. When acid reflux disease occurs, the LES fails to close correctly and stomach contents is pushed back into the esophagus. With symptoms of the disease after this process, this is then called gastro-esophageal reflux disease.

The typical sensation of acid reflux disease is persistent (twice weekly or more) heartburn. Heartburn is the burning feeling in the chest or the throat, when the stomach contents is pushed back to the lining of the esophagus. As people in good health may also have light reflux, occasional heartburn is common as well and does not immediately mean gastro-esophageal reflux disease.

Other sufferers of GERD may also feel chest-pains or suffer from coughs, hoarseness in the morning, vocal changes, problems in swallowing (notably lumpy foods), lasting earache, burning pains in the chest, nausea or sinusitis. Some sufferers describe sensations of food being stuck, choking or tightness in the throat. This is caused by the continual flow back of stomach contents in contact with the esophagus, resulting in swelling of the esophagus due scars from histological damage.

Acid reflux disease left untreated can have serious health consequences. These include constriction, bleeding, ulcers and spasms of the esophagus. When the acid from the stomach gets to the trachea as well as the upper esophagus, several severe conditions such as asthma, sinusitis and pneumonia can occur. Some patients can develop a condition known as Barrett's esophagus, where abnormal shapes and colors of cells occur in the esophageal lining. This is an initial stage before esophageal cancer, notably in adults over 60 years old.

There are three options for treating acid reflux disease: surgery, medical therapy and holistic therapy that includes changes in diet and lifestyle and taking specific herbal supplements. Using surgery merits very careful consideration, given that certain underlying conditions can be complicated, such as constriction and muscular contraction disorders. PPIs and H2 blockers are among the options for medical intervention in cases of gastro-esophageal reflux disease. While it is possible to apply prescribed medications or acid blockers like these, remember that the results are sometimes only temporary and that conventional medicine can lead to serious side effects.

From an overall point of view, GERD is an alarm signal pertaining to a significant imbalance internally that must be correctly resolved. For this reason, alternative medicine such as homeopathic remedies, herbal medicine, changes in lifestyle as components of a full holistic plan are clearly recommended for sufferers of acid reflux disease.

Acid Reflux Disease Symptoms and Treatment Options

What is acid reflux? Acid reflux is the back flow of stomach's acidic contents into the esophagus or food pipe. The symptoms of acid reflux can be very irritating and are often confused as heart attack. Acid reflux, if left untreated can give serious esophageal damages and can be fatal. They can lead to development of ulcers and even cancer of the esophagus. Hence, one must consult his physician or family doctor for more information on acid reflux symptoms and treatment options.

What Are The Symptoms To Look For?

As stated earlier, some of the symptoms of acid reflux so similarity with heart attack that it can create panic in people. The frequency of the acid reflux can vary from one individual to the other. Even the symptoms can range from mild to severe.

The most common of the various symptoms that signal acid reflux disease, is heartburn. Heartburn does not bear any connection with the heart of the person. In fact it is a burning sensation that occurs in the food pipe and the chest area. Heartburn can be extremely uncomfortable and can often be accompanied by regurgitation of the undigested food in the mouth area, leaving a sour taste. Heartburn can worsen when one lies down.

Heartburn also engulfs the larynx or the throat area and the person can develop severe coughing and a hoarse throat. Sometimes, the coughing gets so bad that it make it difficult to sleep. The symptoms of coughing can eventually turn into asthmatic conditions. In addition to these, there can be difficulties in swallowing.

Chest pain is also very common in cases of acid reflux. At times, the chest pain leaves the person in panic of heart attack. The easy way to distinguish is that the acid reflux chest pain normally is reduced or gone after taking an antacid. In case of heart attack there is heaviness in the chest which does not seem to subside.

What Can You Do?

The foremost thing to do in case of acid reflux attacks is to calm down and retrospect the quality of life that one is leading. Having nutritious diet including enough vegetables and fruits combined with an active lifestyle with morning exercise or even walks can reduce the problems of heartburn to a great extent.

Apart from the lifestyle changes, one must get thorough diagnosis of the problem by a physician so as to rule out other abnormalities in the functioning of the body. For example, an EEG will rule out the possibilities of heart problems. Women can face acid reflux problems during there pregnancy. Similarly, threats of having hiatal hernia can also be ruled out.

Medical Acid Reflux Disease Treatments

Medicinal acid reflux treatments come in a two way process. Normally, for acid reflux problems the doctor suggests medicines and drugs complemented with lifestyle changes. In cases where these do not provide sufficient relief and the symptoms reoccur after stopping the medicines, endoscopies can be prescribed.

In very rare cases, the doctors may suggest surgery to fix the loosened lower esophageal sphincter valve. The surgery is however considered the last option when medicines seize to give any comfort.

The most commonly used medicinal treatment for acid reflux is antacids. Antacids provide immediate relief from the symptoms of heartburn by neutralizing the stomach acids. Gelusil, Mylanta, Tums are the popular antacids. Besides antacids, there are H2 blockers receptors. These work by reducing the amount of acid produced by the stomach. These medications are taken at least 30 minutes before the meals. Ranitidine, Cimetidine, Famotidine are some of the drugs under this category. Yet another effective treatment for acid reflux is the proton pump inhibitor. These work by blocking the acid production and thereby aiding the healing of the damaged esophagus. Prilosec, Nexium are the popular proton pump inhibitors. These medications are available over the counter. However, there are prescription medicines which are of greater strength than their OTC variant.

If medicines have little or no effect in curing the acid reflux symptoms, the doctor may advice certain tests such as the Barium X-Ray, endoscopies, acid probe test etc which can determine the condition and the severity of the esophageal damage. Based on the kind of damage, the doctor may suggest different medication or even surgery. The surgical procedure is very rare and is aimed at tying the upper layer of the stomach over the lower esophagus, thus tightening the esophageal sphincter.

Final Word about Acid Reflux Treatment

Though there are number of medications and treatments available for the problem of acid reflux, the best method is still adopting healthy lifestyle. The medicinal and alternative treatments just cure the symptoms and the best way to control these are changing diet and leading an active life.

How to Know When You Should Take Acid Reflux Medication

Acid reflux is medically referred to as Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). As the name indicates, this is characterized by the reflux of stomach acids into the esophagus. It is a very common problem and many of us would have surely faced the symptoms of acid reflux. Symptoms of acid reflux disease are heartburn, chest pain, regurgitation of food into the mouth etc. Often the burning sensation or the heartburn gets so worse, that it seems to be a heart attack. Occasional symptoms appear because of eating of spicy foods or indigestion. But if these occur 2-3 times a week, then it surely indicates that there is something wrong with the digestive system.

The most common trend that people follow is to pop up an antacid. Though there is nothing wrong in doing, and it certainly gives instant relief, but for how long?

Acid reflux is an internal digestive system disorder where the lower esophageal sphincter valve opens up under acidic pressure, causing the undigested food and acid to be thrown back into the food pipe, causing an irritable burning sensation in the throat area. This internal problem can be permanently treated only by surgery but in 95% of the cases, lifestyle changes and medications give substantial relief. Surgery is done in very rare conditions.

Acid Reflux Medicine and You

There are N numbers of reasons that can cause acid reflux problem. Some of these being wrong food habits, hiatal hernia, pregnancy, obesity, undeveloped sphincter valve as in case of infants, etc. Among all the above mentioned reasons, the most commonly seen is wrong food habits.

To eliminate the reason of wrong eating habits, one needs to follow an active lifestyle and develop a menu plan that needs to be followed religiously. By observing the symptoms and reaction of your body towards various food products, one may be able to judge which foods to be included and which to be eliminated. Though the guidelines that are compulsory for every acid reflux diet include, avoiding rich and spicy food, food cooked in excess oil or fat and excess carbohydrates.

In cases where lifestyle changes have little or no effect whatsoever on acid reflux problems, these can be combined with medications. Medicines for acid reflux can vary from over the counter medications to prescription medicines.

Nowadays, even some prescription medications are available in lower strength as over the counter medicines. However, it is always better to consult a physician before administering any drug for acid reflux relief.

Alternative approaches to treat Acid Reflux

One of the alternative approaches mentioned above is making lifestyle changes. The other approaches are avoiding bed at least 2-3 hours after meals, keeping the headboard of your bed inclined by around 30 degrees, sleeping sideways etc. Then there are herbal and homeopathic medications that seem to be side effect free and are considerably effective in treating acid reflux problems.

Though the alternative medications work quite well, but chronic acid reflux can best be treated using prescription medications suggested by doctor. The doctor may take some time to decide on the most effective medication for you before advising you for tests such as endoscopies, barium X-Rays etc.

Acid Reflux Medications and how they work

A good number of antacids are available over the counter and these provide instant relief from acid reflux by stopping the burning sensation or heartburn. But regular use of antacids is not recommended. Mylanta, Gelusil are the most popularly used antacids. Then there is a group of medication known as H2 Block Receptors. These are not so fast in action as the antacids, but they work by reducing the amount of acid being produced by the stomach. Ranitidine, Famotidine, Cimetidine are some mediations belonging to this group.

Apart from these, there is yet another group of mediation which is known as the proton pump inhibitors which work by actually promoting the healing of the esophageal lining, caused by constant acid attack. Nexium, Prilosec are some drugs under this category.

Though, there are a number of medications that can be taken for relief from acid reflux, these are recommended for short term use. Each of these medications comes with its own set of side effects, most of which are upset stomach, diarrhea, vomiting etc. The symptoms however, subside after a few days use. In cases where there can be prolonged trouble, the physician should be consulted.

Final Word about Medications

Medications are prescribed for relief from acid reflux problems. But it is to be kept in mind that lifestyle changes are a must and it cannot be compromised or neglected just because one is taking medications. Acid reflux, if chronic can cause a severe damage to the esophagus lining and can give rise to cancers of the esophagus. Medications should be judiciously used after consultation with a physician and in proper dosages.

GERD Risk Factors That Must Be Considered and Dealt With

Discover in this article what risks may lie in wait for you with this Illness

The common denominator in GERD (gastro esophageal reflux disease) is the loss of strength of the muscle of the lower esophageal sphincter. The other common factor concerning GERD is heartburn. Many further distinct factors may be encountered. These include breathing disorders such as asthma, excessive weight, diabetes, expecting a baby, stomach contents being retained for too long, connective tissue disorders and hernias that are hiatal.

Here are some other factors increasing the risk levels

GERD can come about when the stomach protrudes in such a way as to impinge on the lower esophageal sphincter muscle. In this case a portion of the stomach extends beyond normal boundaries to move into the lower chest, because of a hernia that may be hiatal or diaphragmatic in nature. Gastric contents flow back into the esophageal channel, and this leads to serious heartburn.

Being overweight can also increase pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter causing problems and pushing stomach matter back into the esophageal cavity where it creates heartburn. GERD can therefore also be the result of excessive body weight. To avoid GERD, lose extra and undesirable pounds. These excess pounds pressure the stomach as well as the diaphragm that lies between the stomach and the abdomen.

Risk factors from lifestyle and bad diet habits

Risk of GERD will also come from abuses of smoking, drinking or eating. A negative impact will also be engendered by a sub-optimal lifestyle and diet habits.

Experience also indicates that asthmatic respiratory and coughing problems increase the risk of GERD by boosting the pressure on the stomach. Asthma is also contributes indirectly because the medicaments that are used by doctors to enlarge the air intake also have a laxative effect on the lower esophageal sphincter muscle. This then leads to the back flow of gastric matter up to the esophageal cavity.

The danger grows greater still when pregnancy is a factor, as this boosts the production of progesterone, a hormone with laxative effect on several muscles, including that of the lower esophageal sphincter. The stomach is also under increased pressure during pregnancy. There may be considerably more danger of GERD for pregnant women therefore.

Getting to the real reason for GERD

This is where holistic solutions are much better adapted for results, as they focus in the true causes to arrest or even banish GERD. Although classical medicine attempts to treat GERD, any lasting benefit only comes with a holistic program. Conventional drugs unfortunately do nothing but target the symptoms, without resolving any of the basic, causal elements.

So adopting a holistic point of view is essential in order to handle all of the aspects involved. GERD is complex and the causative agents are multiple, including genetically transmitted characteristics, bad diets, irresponsible lifestyles and even candida infections. This is why the holistic remedies are the solution of choice for eliminating GERD.

Acid Reflux Cause: Why You Have Acid Reflux?

The coincidence of a number of medical and lifestyle factors leads to acid reflux disease making causes complex and rooted in many factors. GERD – gastro-esophageal reflux disease, or acid reflux is the product of physiological conditions such as the sensitivity of the mucus of the esophagus to the refluxed stomach content, the contra-flow of the food and acid content into the esophagus and LES (lower esophageal sphincter) hypotonia, which is the gradual weakening of the LES.

A mechanism exists at the junction of the esophagus and the stomach that acts like a valve. This is the LES (lower esophageal sphincter). When you swallow food it travels down your throat where movements of the esophagus muscles then move it towards the stomach. Closing the LES stops stomach acid from returning or refluxing into the esophagus.

For healthy people, the LES will only open when food travels from the esophagus into the stomach. The valve shuts again when the food inside the stomach, to prevent stomach acid and content coming back up. LES difficulty is the first factor that sets off the disease of acid reflux. The pain and the burning sensation called heartburn is caused when a weakened LES no longer succeeds in closing as it should, opening the way for acid to move back up your throat.

A weakness that is inherited, obesity and eating too much fatty foods all contribute to preventing the LES from properly shutting. As well as these factors, muscles also sag because of the aging process undergone by humans, a tendency which affects the LES as well.

As already seen, an LES that is already weakened has a direct physiological link to the onset of gastro-esophageal reflux disease. The next factor or set of factors resulting in acid reflux disease are due to behavior and lifestyle. Different nutrition, drugs and interactions of the nervous system can make the LES muscle lose its force and in turn create GERD. Orange juice, lemons and lemonade, grapefruit juice, tomatoes and their juice, fried potatoes, sour cream, tea and coffee are nutritional elements that may increase the risk of heartburn.

Several options exist for dealing with symptomatic acid reflux. However the esophagus is not properly protected or treated by the classic approaches and the use of these over the counter and prescription drugs, including antacid, over a long period of time can cause multiple side effects with varying degrees of risk. In other words, the conventional frequently used approaches, based on prescription and over the counter medication, only handle the symptoms of chronic heartburn. They may not be good enough to stop heartburn other than in the short term.

There are many alternatives to short-term superficial treatments such as prescription medication. These include homeopathy, herbal remedies and all encompassing all natural holistic therapies. While dealing with the internal causes of acid reflux, these natural remedies help your heartburn problem by treating the causes rather than only attacking related symptoms that are external.

Acid Reflux Home Remedy that Scores RESULTS

Even though acid reflux home remedy, when properly chosen and applied, can be effective in reducing most of the symptoms of this medical condition, it is important to note that acid reflux, also known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is a complex issue and the result of a combination of internal factors. Most remedies are not cures in themselves. However, selecting the right treatment and taking the correct doses have proved almost miraculous results proven for most GERD sufferers.

Let's briefly examine the immediate biological reasons behind GERD as a medical condition, before discussing the acid reflux home remedies that can be applied and how to choose them.

Normally, the gastric system is controlled by a circle of muscle situated at the end of the esophagus. This muscle is the lower esophageal sphincter or LES. Food or drink travels down the esophagus to trigger opening of the LES, which then lets the food and drink into the stomach. Acid reflux as a disease happens when stomach acid splashes back up into the lower end of the esophagus, resulting in a disagreeable burning sensation.

Physiological degradation of the LES caused by a combination of influences such as inherited traits (which must be accepted) and several aspects of lifestyle and diet make up the "internal environment" bringing on GERD. It is to be regretted that most conventional treatments whether medicinal or surgical, target only the immediate cause acting locally to trigger gastroesophageal reflux disease.

The majority of these holistic treatments are easily acquired at your local food store for application in the privacy of your home. The holistic program also offers a full methodology for tackling the root causes of acid reflux, which can be very simple to use. As a bonus, holistic treatment brings acid reflux sufferers a wide choice of natural cures that have been demonstrated to provide almost immediate relief.

A large quantity of food is harder to digest and needs much more time. By eating small and frequent meals, your digestive system gets the respite it needs from heavy food intake. Another treatment would be simple alterations to your diet. Eating smaller meals is strongly recommended for acid reflux sufferers by both doctors and alternative therapists. As another example, relief can be found for acid reflux symptoms by taking organic apple cider vinegar. And on the same theme, certain foods and drinks have been associated with increased risk of acid reflux and should not be taken. The list includes alcohol, coffee, citrus fruits, soda, chocolate, and also foods that are high in fat and dairy products.

Enhancing sleep, including changes to your sleeping position, has been demonstrated to effectively alleviate acid reflux symptoms. Lifestyle changes are yet another category of answers to gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Quitting smoking may be bring considerable benefit, as the substances in cigarette smoke may act to relax the LES making it open to cause reflux of stomach acid.

The herbal supplements in such programs may bring distinct advantages in the short term. Different herbal supplements are available to patients who want an immediate solution to relieve acid reflux symptoms via home remedies. When you use these possibilities together with a holistic program to resolve the basic causes of gastroesophageal reflux disease, you will have the possibility to relieve acid reflux symptoms and permanently stop them coming back.

Jeff Martin is a medical researcher, certified nutritionist, health consultant and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, "Heartburn No More- Open The Door To an Acid Reflux Free Life". Jeff has written dozens of holistic health articles and has been featured in ezines and print magazines, as well as on hundreds of websites worldwide.

Acid Reflux Treatment SECRETS

Before giving a brief overview of various acid reflux treatments, I will discuss the immediate physiological reasons of acid reflux (also known as GERD – gastro esophageal reflux disease) and the medical condition. Acid reflux solutions can be put into three main divisions: surgical operations; prescription or over-the-counter medication; and holistic, 100 per cent natural programs.

The backwards flow (reflux) of the stomach acids can give a variety of symptoms: a salty taste in the mouth, coughing, pain in the chest, nighttime attacks of asthma and hoarseness. The main symptom of gastro esophageal reflux disease is a nagging burning feeling in the chest and the throat. This is produced when stomach acids reflux into your esophagus.

Acid reflux is, speaking technically, the result of valve mechanical failure, this valve being located at where the stomach and the esophagus meet.
When the valve called the lower esophageal sphincter or LES fails to shut correctly, the gastric contents are thrown back up into the esophagus. Heartburn is then the result of the gastric acid burning into the esophageal lining.

As mentioned above, several different methods exist for tackling acid reflux, each approach with its own perception of the condition. When surgery is performed for gastro esophageal reflux disease, parts of the stomach are wrapped around the lower esophagus to prevent reflux of gastric content from touching the esophagus. Thus, surgery for gastro esophageal reflux disease has the objective of resolving weakness of the LES, by strengthening it to prevent acid from contacting and inflaming the esophagus.

Sadly, these medicaments are typically only effective for temporary relief and occasion numerous secondary effects. In general, these acid reflux medicaments have the goal of reducing an excess of acidity in the stomach. Despite their limited effectiveness, medicaments, including H2 blockers, antacids and PPIs, whether prescribed or over-the-counter, are very popular for treating gastro esophageal reflux disease.

Medication only targets the skin-deep symptoms of GERD. This is the big disadvantage of treatment offered by conventional medicine for gastro esophageal reflux disease, which includes surgical and medicinal approaches.

The real remedy for acid reflux must tackle the deeper problem instead of constantly limiting its action to attempting to stop or alleviate only superficial physical symptoms. Gastro esophageal reflux disease is a complex condition. It is the result of a combination of factors including diet, lifestyle and behavior.

Holistic treatment is based on set of modifications in lifestyle and diet (avoiding acid favorable foods, diminishing and capping stress, enhancing sleep, etc.). Better than the other "quick-fix" solutions where the compromise solution is just for alleviating painful and handicapping acid reflux symptoms, the holistic approach handles gastro esophageal reflux disease in an all-natural and overall way. Reduction and prevention of the recurrence of acid reflux securely and effectively. as well as detox and the use of specific supplements derived from herbs, is the only solution that targets the internal contributing causes of acid reflux instead of the local symptoms.