Acid Reflux Symptoms

Digestive System

Acid Reflux?

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (G.E.R.D.), or more commonly known as acid reflux disease occurs when acids from the digestive process backs up into the esophagus provoking a burning sensation, causing chest pain, problems swallowing, among other things. As a chronic acid reflux sufferer, I know all too well the troubles and discomfort this can cause you.

EsophaWHAT?

The esophagus is the tube that carries the food from your mouth to your stomach. Problems occur when the lower sphincter doesn’t close properly. If this happens often, chronic symptoms due to acid reflux occurs which weakens the esophagus leading to esophagitis, which can also lead to other serious problems. Medication. such as aspirin can aggravate this condition. Smoking and alcohol will also have adverse affect on your system if you suffer from chronic acid reflux. If acid reflux symptoms is not addressed immediately, chronic acid reflux can cause discomfort for months.

One of the acid reflux symptoms you can suffer from is heartburn. People have been administered in emergency rooms believing they are having a heart attack, when in fact, they are suffering from regular heartburn, due to acid reflux. If you have frequent heartburn, it is best to see a physician to get a proper diagnosis. Another acid reflux symptom is regurgitation. If you are waking up at night due to regurgitation, you need to take this seriously because this is a strong sign of acid reflux disease.

Hiatal hernia

To the unlucky people who suffer from acid reflux disease, a hiatal hernia might be the culprit. Hiatal hernia is the opening or protrusion of the uppermost part of the stomach into the diaphragm, which causes it to bulge, in turn interfering the way the sphincter works. Unfortunately, if hiatal hernia is the cause of your acid reflux symptoms, surgery will be required to correct your acid reflux. It is important to note that teens who suffer from acid reflux symptoms most likely does not have a hiatal hernia.

If you do not have a hiatal hernia, medication and the proper diet can remedy your acid reflux symptoms, effectively treating your acid reflux disease. A proton pump inhibitor in the morning half hour before breakfast is recommended. After lunch and dinner be sure to take an antacid. Most importantly is to eat small meals. If you have a severe case of acid reflux, taking 5 milligrams of metoclopramide before your last meal or before bedtime is recommended.

Acid Reflux Symptoms:

If you experience these symptoms, there’s a strong possibility that you have acid reflux disease.

* Burning sensation in your chest, that can radiate to your throat (heartburn)

* Difficult swallowing, feeling that food is stuck in your esophagus

* Pressure in your chest

* Nausea

* Shortness of breath

* Temporary spasms that narrows your esophagus

* Burping

* If you are vomiting blood (serious problem; see your physician immediately)

* Sudden weight loss

* Sour acid taste in the mouth, especially lying down resting

* Sore throat, coarse sounding voice

* Dry cough; Bad breath

If you suffer from any of these symptoms more than 3 days of the week, there’s a strong possibility that you have acid reflux disease. Typically, heartburn for normal healthy individuals only occurs maybe once a week. Certain individuals have a higher risk if they:

* are 50 years old and older

* are obese, overweight

* smoke

* are pregnant

* drink alcohol, coffee

Prevention:

Certain lifestyle changes and medication can help prevent/alleviate acid reflux symptoms. Diet plays an extremely important role preventing acid reflux symptoms from occurring. Generally, it is wise to avoid these foods to prevent acid reflux symptoms:

* Tomato based foods; such as pizza, pasta sauce, even ketchup

* Citrus fruits; oranges, grapefruit, lemon, lime

* Chocolate, mint, caffeine

* Spicy foods, greasy foods with a lot of fat

As previously stated, changing the your daily routine will also greatly improve your chances of avoiding these acid reflux symptoms. Here are a few to keep in mind:

* Sleep, lay down, with your upper half body in an inclined position. This prevents your stomach contents from putting pressure against your esophagus. Let gravity help you to keep food where they belong, in the stomach digesting. This incliner sleep wedge has helped me tremendously with my night time (nap time) acid reflux symptoms. Also, if you want to use your existing mattress, you can try the mattress genie that will give you that incline position so crucial to avoid acid reflux symptoms at sleep time.

Incliner Sleep Wedge

Mattress Genie

* Eat small meals instead of large meals. It is preferred to eat 6 small meals a day, instead of 3 large ones. The stomach has a feedback mechanism, if it’s overloaded with food, it increases digestive acid production which in turn increases the chances of refluxed food.

* Avoid exercising before and after you eat. Exercise! Just don’t do it before or right after meals.

* Avoid putting pressure on the stomach after meals. Putting pressure in the stomach can sometime push the acid upwards into you esophagus.

* If overweight, try to lose some weight. Again, being overweight just adds pressure to your organs, such as your stomach.

* Drink water. Not too much at one time, because it will dilute the digestive acids in your stomach triggering a feedback mechanism which makes the stomach produce more acid.

* RELAX!!! Too much stress is bad for overall health.

Try to follow these simple lifestyle and diet changes and you are half way of preventing acid reflux symptoms.

Medication:

Acid reflux can be medicated with various drugs known as proton pump inhibitors. From my experience certain drugs are better than others. I will now list the most popular of these medications as I have used pretty much all of them in my fight to alleviate my acid reflux troubles. Please note that some of these are prescription drugs; please consult your doctor before starting medication.

PRILOSEC (omeprazole): is a proton pump inhibitor used to treat dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease (PUD), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GORD/GERD) and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

PROTONIX (pantoprazole): is a proton pump inhibitor drug used for short-term treatment of erosion and ulceration of the esophagus caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease. Initial treatment is generally of eight weeks duration, after which another eight week course of treatment may be considered if necessary. It can be used as a maintenance therapy for long term use after initial response is obtained.

PREVACID (lanzoprazole): is a proton pump inhibitor which prevents the stomach from producing acid. It is manufactured by a number of companies worldwide under several trade names. Also can be treated for of dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease (PUD), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GORD/GERD) and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Help prevent the acid that causes heartburn pain. Provide heartburn relief for up to 24 hours Heal damage to your esophagus.

NEXIUM (ezomeprazole): is a proton pump inhibitor marketed by AstraZeneca. It works similar to Prilosec, since it is the S-enantiomer of omeprazole. However, the manufacturer claims improve efficacy of this enantiomer over omerprazole. Ezomeprazole is the third biggest selling drug in 2005, with more than $5.7 billion in sales.

Slippery Elm Bark Extract

Herbal Alternative:

Slippery Elm Bark Extract

Natural supplement that can combat acid reflux symptoms. This herb is called Slippery Elm; sold in extract form it is used to make  tea. Slippery Elm works as a protective coating for the stomach and the esophagus, protecting it from acid reflux disorder. One cup of tea usually is sufficient for protection all night long, till the next morning.

To close, I would like to say there is no one ‘cure’ to acid reflux. A conscientious effort in part is needed to combat acid reflux symptoms, which includes lifestyle changes, diet changes, medication, or even surgery.

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Heartburn is the irritating feeling that originates from the diaphragm all through to the chest culminating with sour tasting food particles entering the mouth. In most cases it makes the chest have a burning sensation just behind the breastbone in the upper chest for there is the point of build up. In most of the documented records, there is a clear indication that heartburn affects everyone in a lifetime. Globally over eighty percent of the population experience some sort of heartburn at least once in a month.

How do you know the seriousness of the illness?

If one experiences heartburn once a month the condition is deemed to be mild. Most of the mild heartburn suffers do not seek medical attention which is wrong for this could signify the beginning of a lifelong problem. In cases where heartburn is more frequently experienced; one or more times in a day the condition is severe and seeking medical attention is not an option. Severe heartburn could result in cancerous condition or tearing of the stomach esophagus walls due to excess acid.

Factors Causing Heartburn

Heartburn results due to the reflux of the stomach acids in anti normal direction or up the esophagus causing pain in the system. The acid reflux is thought to occur due the following reasons;

i) Weakening or relaxation of the Lower esophageal sphincter (LES) which is a valve that keeps the stomach acids inside. This in other times signifies the onset of the Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERI

ii) Immediate sleeping after consumption of very heavy meals without giving the body some time to initiate digestion.

iii) Unwarranted pressure directed towards the stomach by constant body movements as bending, and very tight clothing on the stomach area.

iv) Smoking result to heartburn due to changing of the stomach pH thus it becomes more acidic.

v) Reaction of some medication with you stomach content

vi) Extreme or prolonged stress may increase the severity of the heartburn.

How to Manage Heartburn

The lasting solution to the problem or recurring heartburn calls for the total change in life styles which include dietary makeover. Apart from the prescribed medication by your physician you can use the following home remedies which have been proven to be effective, easy and safe to use.

i) Consumption of frequent smaller food portions then bigger ones at once. This reduces the amount of acid excreted in the stomach

ii) Improve on the table etiquette where you taking time when eating than rushing to finish the food.

iii) After eating rest for about three hours before sleeping.

iv) Sleeping with your upper body elevated as with the pillows to avoid easy flow of the acids to your upper digestion system as the mouth.

v) Keep off from foods and drinks that accelerate and trigger heartburns as coffee, peppermints, alcohol, chocolates and man y others.

vi) Relax your body by exercising and wearing loose clothes especially around the stomach.

vii) Try to keep your recommended BMI. Being overweight posses a problem in heartburn management.

viii) You can chew gums to lessen the heartburn for it stimulates the excretion of the saliva which in turn dilutes the acid in the stomach

ix) Nurture the habit of taking some fluid after every meal to dilute the acids in the stomach.

So despite the nature of the heartburns; not occurring consistently as other ailments always seek professional advice for these could be the unexpected precursors to more serious problems.

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If you suffer from heartburn as a result of excess stomach acid, chances are Prevacid has been prescribed by your physician. With the generic name lansoprazole which is the active ingredient in Prevacid, this medicine is used for many types of ailments involving acid. From stomach ulcers to a condition known as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, the use of Prevacid for many is relief from the daily suffering caused by stomach acid.

Often Prevacid is used in combination with an antibiotic for treating infections of the stomach. A delayed-release capsule, this medication comes in two dosages – 15 mg. and 30 mg. Prevacid works by stopping the stomach from producing acid. The relief from heartburn, a cough that persists, problems swallowing and even lack of sleep are all benefits of taking this medication. For many this has been the only relief they have found after taking many over the counter medications as well as other prescriptions for their condition.

Prevacid is known as a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). Other uses include treating acid reflux and erosive esophagitis. Over time ulcers and other stomach problems can cause cancer of the esophagus or stomach. This medication stops the acid from building to the point of causing major damage to the digestive system.

Prevacid is taken daily, preferably at the same time each day. The medication is a capsule which is taken by mouth before eating. If there is a problem swallowing the capsule, it may be opened and combined with food or drink. The strength of the medication will be determined by your doctor according to your needs. Over the counter antacids can be taken with along with this medication if necessary.

Prevacid is also prescribed for children who suffer from gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD is a problem for adults and children alike. The esophagus which is the tube that leads from your mouth to your stomach can become irritated from acid build-up in the stomach. Often children have problems with asthma, bronchitis and ear infections which cause GERD. Over time this problem will cause painful sores on the esophagus.

When this happens Prevacid can be prescribed to stop the stomach from producing too much acid and heal the sores already present. This medicine is the first that has been officially sanctioned for children who have GERD and those who are as young as 12 months of age.

As is typical with any medication, there is the possibility of side effects when taking Prevacid. This is not typical and most people experience no side effects. The ones that have been reported include diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, and constipation. However, these problems can normally be cleared up by consulting with your doctor.

Even more rarely symptoms of allergic reaction, high blood pressure, gout, insomnia, chest pain and weight gain have been reported by those taking Prevacid. Although these side effects may in fact be caused by something other than the medication because they are uncommon. This should be discussed with your doctor to see if this is the result of taking Prevacid or something else entirely.

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Across the globe, self awareness about medical conditions continues to grow as access to medical information becomes more prevalent. This is particularly true when it comes to the subject of Chronic Acid Reflux Disease, also known as Gastroesophageal Acid Reflux Disease (GERD) and more importantly, how to identify its symptoms. Symptoms are classified as a sensation or experience that is identified in association with a condition, such as having a sore throat; pain in the chest or joints; having a headache; dizziness or any other sensation that is not proven by a scientific explanation.

Common symptoms for Chronic Acid Reflux are heartburn, chest pain, painful or difficulty swallowing, regurgitation, excessive salivation and nausea. The degree to which a person might experience some or even possibly all of these symptoms depends on how severe the acid reflux or GERD condition is. Knowing what causes each symptom(s) can help ease the discomfort the person experiences by enabling them to know how to alleviate or even eliminate the symptom(s) through proper diet, homeopathic remedies or over the counter medications.

Heartburn is the most common symptom experienced by people. Heartburn is the result of acid from the stomach being allowed into the esophagus through the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). The LES is the ring of muscle that acts as the valve to stomach. Normally the LES will close immediately after food passes through it. When the LES doesn’t close all the way or is opened too often, the result is acid reflux or heartburn. If the acid reflux happens more than twice a week you have chronic acid reflux disease.

Painful or difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) is another common symptom of chronic acid reflux disease. The dysphagia presents itself when the regurgitated acid from the stomach begins to damage the esophagus and vocal cords. Dysphagia can lead to various other health problems such as: dehydration, abnormal weight loss, pneumonia and esophagitis, which is an infection in the esophagus.

Chest pain that can sometimes mimic heart pain is another symptom of reflux. Sometimes instead of getting heartburn a person will get chest pain that mimics a heart attack. This is commonly called angina. Angina is usually experienced after eating, lying down or bending over. The angina related to reflux is usually caused by a spasm of the esophagus. Nobody knows what actually triggers the spasm but the pain responds to nitroglycerin, much the same way as most common anginas.

The two least common symptoms of chronic acid reflux are nausea and excessive salivation. While not as common as the three previous stated symptoms, they can be just as annoying and frustrating to manage. Although not common, nausea can be frequent and severe and may result in vomiting. The cause of the nausea or why some people have it instead of heartburn is not known. Nausea can trigger excessive salivation which is the body’s preparation for vomiting.

Should you or someone you know experience these symptoms on a regular basis, it is advised to consult with a physician.< >< ><-->

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One of the growing health problems interfering with the quality of life of millions of people is acid reflux. With changes in diet acid reflux can become less of a problem but first you need to understand the cause of your problem and why antacids won’t be a long-term solution. The diet acid reflux method is much more effective.

When you have those occasional bouts of heartburn, the cause is a temporary malfunction in your digestive system. You see, when you eat normally a band of muscles at the bottom of your esophagus will relax so what you eat and drink can pass into your stomach where acids will begin digesting them so they can be turned into energy for your body. After the food passes through, the muscles tighten again.

Heartburn occurs when those muscles don’t work right. If they don’t tighten enough, stomach acid can end up coming into the esophagus causing a burning sensation. Because antacids help counteract the acids, they can work for occasional heartburn.

You need to consider the diet acid reflux approach, however, when you are having frequent bouts of heartburn, especially once those burning sensations stop responding to antacids.

Changes to Diet Acid, Reflex Improvement Tips

To reduce your risks of acid reflux, you should start by eating smaller meals. When you eat a lot of food at one time, your stomach responds to the heavy load by producing more acids because there will be more to digest. Any time your stomach contains a lot of acid you are going to run the risk of having some of that seep into your esophagus.

Another idea is to increase your intake of complex carbohydrates, such as whole wheat products and vegetables. Because these foods are harder to digest, they use up a larger amount of stomach acid which leaves behind less to cause your acid reflux problems.

Similarly, you want to avoid foods which contain high levels of saturated fats, such as fried foods and fatty meats. High fat foods have a tendency to stick around in the stomach for a longer period of time. As a result, your stomach keeps producing more acid to try to digest these foods. Again, more acid in the stomach means more acid can reach your esophagus and cause heartburn.

Myths, Diet, Acid Reflux, and More

While diet, acid reflux are related, some people believe false statements about this relationship. One is the belief that certain foods are more likely than others to cause heartburn. Repeated studies have shown that spicy foods and coffee, for example, are no more likely than bread or milk to lead to acid reflux reactions. Speaking of milk, its been one of the most commonly suggested treatments for the problem but that can actually backfire. Because milk is just like any other food or drink, when the stomach starts digesting it acid is going to be released. Diet acid reflux and these myths could actually be hindering not helping your symptoms.

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Chest pain is amongst the most common problem that has people calling for emergency medical help. Although, chest pain is not always life threatening, it is considered a major symptom of many serious medical conditions and needs to be treated with significance accorded to a medical emergency. Every case of chest pain has to be examined for every potential life threatening cause, and only by the process of elimination can the case be declared non-fatal and further probing is then done to identify the source of the pain.

The difficulty in analyzing chest pain lies in the fact that even in the chest area, any organ could have been the source of pain. Organs in the chest area include heart, lungs, esophagus and skin, but the pain could also be caused by the muscles and the bone in the area. Moreover, the nerve distribution across our system is so complex, that the chest pain could have originated from an organ in a completely different part of the body. The stomach, diaphragm or any other organ in the abdominal region, just below the chest area could also have been a potential cause of chest pain.

There are a number of life-threatening causes that lead to chest pain.  Some of them are:

• caused by coronary heart disease or coronary artery disease
• caused by blockage of artery supplying blood to the heart, usually due to a blood clot
• Pulmonary embolism: caused by variety of factors like obesity, pregnancy, immobility, etc.
• Aortic dissection: caused by damage to aorta
• Perforated viscus: caused by injury or damage to the diaphragm
• caused due to damage to the lungs

Some of the non life-threatening causes that lead to chest pain are as follows:

• Pericarditis: caused by bacterial or viral infections, cancer, radiation treatments, etc.
• Pneumonia: caused by infection of the lungs.
• Esophagus disorder: caused by acid reflux, infections, etc.
• Costochondritis: caused by inflammation of cartilage between ribs.

If you have any chest pain, it is advisable to be rushed to nearest medical emergency center. Since, it is impossible for a lay person to isolate or identify the cause of chest pain, it is important that you seek medical help. An early diagnoses can be life saving and delay could potentially cause more damage, or even death. A doctor is trained in being able to isolate dangerous issues from trivial ones and is also in a position to provide immediate pain relief. A doctor will also examine your medical history, recent health changes, potential external factors like smoking or drinking, family medical history, and will be able analyze their influence on your current condition. An emergency room also provides the facility for a number of tests that are required to identify the cause of chest pain. Some of these tests include:

• Electrocardiogram
• Pulmonary Angiogram
• Several blood tests

An emergency doctor will eliminate or confirm all causes from very serious to trivial, and will be able to identify the cause of pain. Even if the cause for chest pain turns out to be non-fatal, it is still important that this diagnosis is made by a qualified medical professional.

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Have you ever wondered that a minor heartburn after a heavy meal can at times turn out to be a chronic disease! Relax!! The idea here is not to scare you but to make you aware of the seriousness of the condition called acid reflux symptoms that can result out of this minor discomfort.

Most of the times we are quite casual in the matters of heartburn or acid reflux and tend to ignore it but the fact is, if ignored in the initial stages, the condition can lead to severe health problems changing the quality of your healthy and happy life. The most feasible reason of our carelessness is the bitter truth that we are ignorant of the proper acid reflux symptoms and thence it has been rightly quoted by a great personality, “Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity!!”

In medical terms, the condition is more appropriately called Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERD and interestingly a heavy meal is not the only cause behind this trouble. Acid reflux can also occur due to the activities like lifting heavy weights, bending over for a long time, and lying down on the back for long hours. The most basic symptom of the condition is the ruthless burning sensation that originates in the stomach region and radiates upwards towards the chest and the throat. Apart from this there are several other symptoms that can be your intestinal gas guide and will assure you that you are suffering from acid reflux.

Acid reflux symptoms:

Chest pain is another common symptom of this condition. However, people sometimes confuse this problem of the upper digestive system with heart attack. Ridiculously, the chest pain that is accompanied with a burning sensation has nothing to do with heart disorder. The pain can also subside to the upper part of the abdomen causing nausea and making you feel sick. At times embarrassing situation like belching, burping, bloating, or noisy stomach can also be a strong indicator of acid reflux. Some people also suffer from an acid taste in the mouth that also results in vomiting tendencies at times.

Other than these common symptoms, acid reflux can also result in some rare symptoms that can make diagnosis actually difficult. A relentless cough, particularly during the sleeping hours and asthmatic wheeze and cough are also few of the uncommon GERD symptoms. Such acid reflux symptoms arise mainly because of the refluxed acid that persistently irritates the trachea resulting in continuous coughing. There are other unusual acid reflux symptoms as well like sore throat, gum problems, bad breath, a feeling of lump in the throat, problems in swallowing food and pertinacious abdominal pain.

All the above symptoms can point towards the occurrence of acid reflux and need your immediate attention. If not diagnosed early, the same symptoms can result in complications at a later stage. The condition gets worse because most of the patients are frequented with these symptoms at night making life almost like a hell.

Since acid reflux affects your everyday life and work, it is important to reduce and possibly cure all the acid reflux symptoms. However, acid reflux cannot be treated overnight and there is evidently no magical cure for the condition. A balanced blend of proper diet, medication and a few lifestyle changes over a period of time can help get rid of heartburn and acid reflux symptoms and take you back to your normal life.

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Acid reflux symptoms in babies is experienced by half the world’s population. As we grow into adults, plenty of us continue to suffer from the symptoms of heartburn. What care should we as parents take to treat acid reflux symptoms babies?  Read on to find out how you can assist in decreasing discomfort that infants suffer in their early years.

Acid reflux or Gastroesophageal Reflux (GERD) is a term used in medicine to explain the state wherein stomach acid and food make their way back into the esophagus. There is a circle of muscles at the base of the esophagus called the lower esophageal sphincter. The lower esophageal sphincter opens and shuts to let food pass into the stomach. After meals have been had, the lower esophageal sphincter opens in order to let out gas. But sometimes you may find that it’s not just gas that comes out. The contents in the stomach may find their way back into the esophagus and then out into the mouth. Parents may notice that the baby is spitting but it can also lead to vomiting.

Acid reflux symptoms in babies can happen after a feed or even during a feed. It can also happen when babies cry or cough. Acid reflux is found to occur in the majority of babies in the first three months of their life. It is pretty common and is normally referred to as spitting up. Yet most babies don’t really require any kind of treatment. Acid reflux symptoms in babies normally vanish when the baby attains the age of 12 to 18 months. Very few babies suffer from symptoms which can be quite severe; only such cases need medical treatment.

Listed below are the most widespread acid reflux symptoms in babies:

Regular coughing
Recurrent hiccups
Wet burping
Bad breath
Spitting up often
Irritable while being fed
Has disturbed sleep
Arches the back while being fed
Sudden or persistent crying
Refusing to take in food or having little quantities

Now we shall list the acid reflux symptoms babies which are not so common:

Drools excessively
Suffers from sinus or ear infections often
Noticeable weight loss or poor gain in weight
Recurrence of sore throat
Difficulty in swallowing
Suffers from wheezing, asthma bronchitis or pneumonia

Very often your doctor will diagnose acid reflux depending on the description of acid reflux symptoms babies provided by the parents, the feeding history and a physical examination even if the baby is healthy and growing very well. If the doctor suspects that the condition is more serious like Gastroesophageal Reflux, he may ask for other tests. Such tests comprise of esophageal pH monitoring which measures the level of acidity in tyour baby’s esophagus. Another test is the upper endoscopy wherein a tube along with a light and a camera lens is put into the baby’s esophagus and stomach through its mouth. The doctor can then tell whether there is a narrowing or inflammation of the esophagus or not.

Acid reflux symptoms in babies is very common in the first year of their life. It is very important to discuss the various treatment options available with your baby’s doctor before starting on any treatment especially before you make use of any over the counter medicine. So if you do notice any acid reflux symptoms babies, consult your doctor immediately.

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Acid reflux is also known as Gastro-esophageal reflux disease; this rather long terminology is commonly reduced to GERD. Persons suffering from acid reflux experience a regurgitation of the stomach’s liquid content into the esophagus. Repeated refluxes of this liquid can cause an inflammation of the esophagus’ lining and thus damage. A limited number of people suffering from this condition exhibit these inflammation signs. The refluxed liquid has significant amounts of both pepsin and acid which are both generated in the stomach. In some instances this liquid contains bile. The bile accumulates in the stomach when it is itself refluxed from the duodenum. Of all the three constituents of this liquid, acid has the most damaging effect. Bile and pepsin may have some effects too but this remains unclear.

For persons suffering from acid reflux it is most likely that this condition will persist throughout the entirety of their lives. Both acid reflux and esophagitis are chronic conditions. Though one can receive treatment for the latter, the condition will recur in a couple of months upon cessation of treatment. This implies that such persons will have to be under constant treatment for indefinite periods of time. It has been proposed that persons who exhibit sporadic acid reflux symptoms but have no subsequent esophagitis can receive discontinuous treatment. Treatment can then be sought in symptomatic instances.

Many persons experience such refluxes of stomach liquids into the esophagus. Research has revealed that acid reflux occurs in normal individuals as much times as it does in persons suffering from GERD. However, acid reflux patients have to bear with higher acidity contents in the regurgitated liquid and the fact that this acid tends to be retained in the esophagus for longer. Additional research has revealed that in GERD patients the refluxed liquid climbs to a much elevated level; more than would happen in normal persons.

The human body has its own safeguard measures against acid reflux and the effects that come with it. Reflux is predominant in daytime. Most persons are upright during the day and the force of gravity becomes instrumental in ensuring that these liquids find their way back into the stomach. As long as one is awake it is second nature to keep swallowing. The very action of doing so actually ensures that refluxed liquids are redirected into the stomach. Human saliva contains bicarbonate. As one swallows, the saliva passes through the esophagus and neutralizes the small traces of acid that have escaped both swallowing and the pull of gravity. As one sleeps, gravity ceases to be of much assistance. Swallowing is halted and the mouth’s salivary glands cut down on saliva production. In the event that acid reflux occurs during this time, it is most likely that the refluxed acid will be retained longer in the esophagus. Much more damage to the esophagus is therefore expected during sleep.

Acid reflux is aggravated in a number of conditions. Expectant mothers are chief candidates for these symptoms largely because of the pressure exerted by the fetus in the abdomen and also due to the effects of increased hormonal influences that tend to depress pressure in the mother’s lower esophageal sphincter. The incidence of acid reflux is also elevated in individuals that suffer from ailments that enervate the esophageal muscles including mixed connective tissue disease or even scleroderma.

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