Separating Fact From Fiction When Dealing With Heartburn Or Acid Reflux

While it may feel like your heart is on fire, it is actually your esophagus that is causing all the pain and discomfort. The esophagus is the tube that carries the food you eat to your stomach. The medical term for this condition which is also called acid reflux disease is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) which is a common disorder as evidenced by the prevalence of antacids on the market with most people taking them at least twice a week. In order to stop acid reflux, it is important to separate fact from fiction.

What is Acid Reflux Disease?

At least 7% of the population in the US suffers from this condition everyday which shows how common this condition is. The burn which is a common symptom of this disease is caused by stomach acids that are literally burn the esophagus. These are very strong, industrial strength acids that are meant to stay in the stomach because the stomach features a protective lining to prevent being damaged by these stomach acids which are necessary in the digestion of food.

The reflux occurs when the contents of the stomach including some stomach acids get back into the esophagus before the esophageal sphincter closes. This is the valve at the base of the esophagus that is meant to keep the contents of the stomach from returning to the esophagus.

If you have suffered from heartburn or acid reflux disease symptoms, you know how painful, unpleasant and even frightening it can be. And while many can be treated with antacids, in some cases this condition can be very serious if there is a complication in the esophagus in which case acid reflux can lead to an increased risk of cancer of the esophagus.

Common Symptoms of Acid Reflux Disease

1. A hot, dull, burning ache or pain behind the breastbone which leads to many calling this heartburn
2. A great deal of belching with no apparent cause
3. A sour taste in the mouth from the acid being regurgitated back into the esophagus
4. Pain or difficulty swallowing
5. Sudden appearance of a large quantity of saliva in the mouth

Acid Reflux Fact or Fiction?

1. Acid is the only chemical involved

Answer: Fiction

Fact - New research has shown that it is not just stomach acids that are involved with this condition. Other chemicals produced by the body that may play a role in this condition besides stomach acids include bile and pepsin.

Bile is produced by the liver and helps to break down fats and usually stays in the gallbladder and intestines. In some cases bile mixed with other pancreatic juices may reflux back into the stomach and then into the esophagus.

Pepsin is secreted by the cells found in the stomach lining and is important for breaking down protein. When pepsin refluxes into the esophagus especially into an esophagus that is already damaged by acid reflux, it can injure the esophagus by digesting the proteins in this organ.

2. Spicy foods, tomato products and citrus can lead to heartburn

Answer: Fiction

Fact - In order to stop acid reflux, many people may seek to avoid the above foods thinking they cause this condition. While the above foods can irritate an already inflamed esophagus, no research shows that they cause heartburn.

If someone has an inflamed esophagus, avoiding these foods can certainly help. Research has shown however that there are certain foods that can cause heartburn and these include greasy or fatty foods as well as eating large meals. Additional food and drink (alcohol, caffeine, chocolate) and medications also have a direct link to heartburn as they cause the esophageal sphincter to relax leading to acid reflux.

3. Acid Reflux is prevalent in people who produce more stomach acid

Answer: Fiction

Fact - Sufferers of acid reflux disease do not produce any more stomach acid that anyone else who does not suffer from this condition whether the stomach is empty or full. The problem with this disease is not the amount of stomach acid but the amount that refluxes into the esophagus repeatedly and why it occurs in certain individuals and not others which could be due to lifestyle differences as well as many other reasons.

If you suffer from recurring acid reflux and heartburn symptoms and are getting frustrated with conventional medical treatment that does not seem to be able to stop acid reflux and its recurrence for good, click here to get rid of acid reflux for good using a 5 step system to cure this condition in as little as two hours. Prevent damage to your esophagus starting today!

Heartburn – Foods That Help The Fire Burning In Your Chest

Acid reflux disease that is commonly referred to as heartburn is a condition that commonly affects both men and women of any age. There are many drugs that are available on the market and as is common with many drugs, they only treat the symptoms and not the root cause which means that this often excruciatingly painful condition will return again and again. To not only treat the symptoms of heartburn but also the root cause, here are some home remedies for acid reflux.

Anyone who has experienced heartburn knows that although you know that your heart is not burning, it certainly feels like it. Some people may even rush to the nearest hospital mistakenly thinking that they are having a heart attack because the pain in the chest can be that intense.

What Causes Heartburn?

Between the mouth and the stomach is a long tube known as the esophagus by which food travels from the mouth to the stomach. At the bottom of the esophagus, there is a tight little muscle known as the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) that ensures that food and liquids that reach the stomach and mix with the strong stomach acids does not return to the esophagus.

The stomach acids that help to digest food are so strong that they are meant to remain in the stomach because the lining of the stomach is adequate to prevent damage to the stomach by these acids. When the LES relaxes at the wrong times, these stomach acids splash back (reflux) into the esophagus scotching the tender tissues in the esophagus which causes the burning feeling associated with heartburn.

Many foods that we consume and the times that we eat them are the common culprits that lead to acid reflux and since food is the common cause, it makes sense that food should also be able to treat this condition. Before you reach for an antacid which only treats the symptoms, here are some home remedies for acid reflux. Persistent heartburn can result in the development of scar tissue in the esophagus which can build up which can cause food to become stuck in the esophagus and require medical attention.

Home Remedies For Acid Reflux

1. Ginger

One of the most effective home remedies for acid reflux is ginger. Ginger contains properties that can increase the strength of the LES so that it has more holding power to prevent reflux of the stomach juices. Strengthening the LES will help to keep the stomach acids where they belong – in the stomach.

Ginger on its own is very spicy and a better way to consume it to help strengthen the LES is to add up to one teaspoon of freshly grated ginger or up to a half teaspoon of ground powdered ginger to one cup of hot water and steep for about 10 minutes. Strain out the ginger and then drink this concoction.

2. Complex Carbohydrates

Eating rice, pasta, breads potatoes, etc, that are high in complex carbohydrates is also one of the best home remedies for acid reflux. Processed rice, pasta, breads, etc, do not contain any complex carbohydrates therefore avoid all "white" food items. Choose brown rice, pasta, breads etc or those made with whole grains in order to get the benefits of complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are great at absorbing stomach acids.

3. Do Not Lie Down

Another of the great home remedies for acid reflux is to avoid lying down after a meal. A full stomach makes it easy for reflux to occur. Lying down ensures that gravity will work against you causing the acids to splash back into the esophagus. Make gravity work for you and keep food in a downward motion by staying upright by either standing or sitting up in a chair.

4. Bananas

When you are dealing with the burning sensation associated with acid reflux, you may want to reach for a banana instead of an antacid. Bananas act as a natural antacid as they contain properties that can quell the flames and provide needed relief.

These are only a few home remedies for acid reflux. For more remedies for heartburn as well as information on the foods to avoid with acid reflux, with the various articles and resources on this site. The resource to the right will help you get rid of acid reflux for good using a 5 step system to cure this condition naturally in as little as two hours. Persistent heartburn will only lead to bigger health problems so take action to action to prevent this from happening.

When What Goes Down, Comes Back Up - 10 Steps To Stop Acid Reflux Disease

Though your heart is not literally on fire, it can feel like it sometimes with one of the main symptoms of acid reflux disease which is heartburn and knowing how to stop acid reflux from taking a hold of your life is key and is possible. There are many behaviors that can lead to acid reflux disease and in order to prevent the development of this condition only 10 are discussed below.

What is Acid Reflux Disease?

In order to stop acid reflux, an understanding of this condition is necessary. While it can feel like your heart is burning, it is actually the esophagus that's on fire. The esophagus is the organ that transports the food eaten to the stomach which contains various industrial strength stomach acids that are a crucial part of the digestive process. These stomach acids are meant to stay in the stomach because the stomach lining is adequate enough to provide a cushion from being harmed by these acids. The esophagus does not have this protective lining.

Acid reflux disease occurs when the various stomach contents including these stomach acids come back up through the esophageal sphincter which is supposed to prevent the contents of the stomach from returning to the esophagus.

When one gets hit by acid reflux, the most common symptom is a burning feeling between the neck and the stomach. Most people usually feel this burning sensation below their breastbone. By far the easiest way to stop acid reflux is to pace yourself when eating. Do not eat to fast or too much but if you are experiencing the symptoms, here are steps to quench the fire.

10 Steps To Stop Acid Reflux

1. Milk contains properties that can help with neutralizing the acid and is one of the best ways to stop acid reflux disease.

2. Elevating your head will help protect your esophagus when you sleep from this reversal of the stomach contents by taking advantage of the gravitational pull that will keep food going down and not up. You may want to consider elevating the head of your bed about six inches with the help of various resources such as bricks or logs.

3. Avoid the couch for at least an hour after eating in order to stop acid reflux. Lying down on a couch with a full stomach will only increase your risk of developing this condition.

4. Do not overeat otherwise your stomach that contains too much food may be tempted to seek relief by reversing the digestive process for some of the food in the stomach. Avoid second helpings in order to stop acid reflux disease.

5. Pregnancy is one of the risk factors for the development of heartburn so be careful of what you eat and how much you eat. Following your doctor's directions on the diet to follow as well as the amount of weight you should gain is important. The eating for two mentality will only lead to you gaining weight in excess of your doctor's recommendations and increasing your risk of developing this condition. You only have one stomach and it is not a garbage bin just because one is pregnant.

6. In addition to pregnant women, everyone else should follow a proper diet that is low in fried foods, other fatty foods as well as spicy foods which may lead to acid reflux disease. Add more fiber and complex carbohydrates to your diet because these take longer to digest which will help stop acid reflux disease.

7. Smokers usually develop more heartburn than non smokers because of the nicotine present in cigarettes that irritates not only the lining of the stomach but the valve between the stomach and the esophagus. In order to stop acid reflux, consider quitting the habit.

8.  Those who exercise on a regular basis and stay in shape are less likely to suffer from acid reflux. In order to stop acid reflux, consider an exercise regimen even if it is as simple as walking but make sure not to exercise immediately after a meal. Wait at least two hours.

9. Stress and poor stress management leads to the risk of developing various health problems including acid reflux, so learn how to reduce or eliminate the stress in your life.

10. Be careful of the painkillers you use as common types such as aspirin and ibuprofen  can burn not only the stomach but the esophagus so consider switching to a painkiller containing acetaminophen.

These are only a few steps to stop acid reflux disease. 

By Terry Robbins

Natural Remedies for Acid Reflux

Have you been suffering for a long time from gastro esophageal reflux disorder and helplessly tried all the alternative drugs that just ended up to tolerance?  And you don’t even make yourself feel better at all? Then you become sluggish and lose your appetite to go out and meet with friends or any other activities?

Most probably you’re just making the drug companies wealthier by patronizing a product that doesn’t even heal you at all. When you become addicted to the prescribed drug, it seems that you can no longer live without   it. So put a stop to your suffering and heal yourself effectively. There are better natural remedies that can provide the cure that you actually need. No side effects. No addiction. And with steps so easy to follow. The only thing you have to do is to make it a part of your system.

Studies show that treatment of acid reflux disease does not only fall on attacking the GERD alone, but on treating the whole person. This means that the individual infected by the disease should inculcate a good living habit while taking medicines. The primary habit that must be corrected to outwit the acid reflux is the change of dietary habits. Since the disease involves abnormal stomach acid production, the person must stay away from certain foods that trigger or aggravate acid reflux. Fatty and acidic foods must be avoided in preparing meals for those who have excess acid production. The same case is true on alcohol, caffeine, and soft drinks. This will prevent the symptoms, such as heartburn, to occur.

A severe smoking habit must also be stopped. Paradoxical and scientific basis had proven how smoking could worsen the acid reflux disease plus the risk that it can give to those people who do not yet have the disease.  Those who smoke regularly are 70% vulnerable to get a gastro esophageal reflux disease compared to those who do not smoke.  And the symptoms of those who are suffering from the disease are doubled due to this bad habit. This spells out to doubling of the pain that they also have to suffer.

For almost any body disorder, the chief advice is exercise. Perhaps this universal cure could be so powerful that it covers a wide range of diseases. Exercise does not only keep the body parts functioning properly, more so, it uplifts the spirit. If you feel tired and sluggish and you still confine yourself in a corner, the sicker you will most likely get. Besides, the early morning sun is so soothing to strained body systems that it can easily transform it to an energetic one.

Modifying a lifestyle includes the avoidance of lying down right after a meal. Enough time must be given for the stomach to properly digest the food before slumber. Also, eating must be avoided two hours before sleeping. And when its time to sleep, there is also a system to be followed: the head must be elevated than the body. The altitude of the elevation must be about 6-8 inches. A great percentage of those who follow this method find a complete relief from the acid reflux disease.

These simple tips will work well in the combination of herbal products. And if you keep a good system of eating, exercising and avoiding things that pollutes you, you are healing yourself better than any drugs can.

Heartburn and Acid Reflux

The most common digestive system disorder people experience is heartburn, which is highly associated to acid reflux. Often, many people will encounter heartburn or acid reflux during night time. When this happens, a burning sensation in the chest will be felt. This particular pain is similar to heart attack symptoms. However, heartburn acid reflux is also a very serious disease that can affect many individuals including infants and young children as well as adults. Infants usually grow out from this condition after time while most young children will likely experience acid reflux in their lifetime. Meanwhile, many adults are likely to experience possible occurrences of this condition due to lifestyle factors and eating habits.

Understanding how heartburn occurs is essential to those diagnosed with acid reflux. Eating habits or lifestyle factors should be changed to prevent heartburn associated to acid reflux. As such, unhealthy eating or eating excessively in one time can cause improper movement of the gastric juices in the lower portion of the esophagus causing possible heartburn to occur that can result to acid reflux eventually.

These juices in the gastric area are highly acidic. When the gastric juice touches the lining of the esophagus, irritation and inflammation of the esophagus occur, causing heartburn. The abnormal gastric juice flow is due to either Lower Esophageal Sphincter, LES in short, caused by the relaxation of the muscle between the esophagus and the abdomen or other related factors such as structural defects or disorders like hiatial hernia or lifestyle factors.

Heartburn or acid reflux needs treatment especially when a night time attack happens. Night time attacks have similar daytime attack symptoms except that night time attacks include snoring, restlessness, fatigue and even abnormalities in breathing are all night time symptoms. Attacks during the night are more severe than attacks during daytime.

Many people with heartburn or acid reflux understand the cause of their condition. However, there are still many people lacking essential knowledge of how heartburn acid reflux can be triggered. The simplest answer is food. Many people experience acid reflux after having a large meal due to improper breakdown of foods causing acid reflux to occur. Foods such as spicy foods, chocolates, fried and fatty foods can trigger this condition. In fact, even citrus fruits have a tendency to flare up heartburn.

If you have been diagnosed with acid reflux, you should try preventive medication and treatments to help aid in its cure. One way that can help lessen the occurrences is by changing your lifestyle. A change in lifestyle can really help rid of acid reflux from recurring. Also, you should avoid eating aa heavy large meal at one time. Instead, eat small meals at intervals. Eating large meals can increase pressure in the esophageal sphincter and at the same time, expand your stomach. Other preventive measures include maintaining your weight, avoiding alcoholic beverages, and not wearing tightly fitted clothes around the waist because all these factors can cause acid reflux.

Acid reflux is a common condition that can lead to severe problems if left untreated. If you are diagnosed with this condition, always take necessary precautions when experiencing it to avoid further serious problems that could affect even the respiratory system. Because acid reflux is a serious problem, people with heartburn acid reflux should seek advice on how to prevent and treat this particular condition.

Acid Reflux Basics

 

Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), the medical term for “Acid Reflux” is defined as the product of abnormal reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus thus, creating a mucosal damage, likewise known as the chronic symptom.

This disease strikes adult primarily, while infants and children can also be affected. Normally spurred by eating certain foods, if not pregnancy, or taking a sleep right after eating a heavy meal, a large number of persons suffer from acid reflux at one time or another.

Heartburn or acid indigestion is another name that refers to acid reflux. Heartburn, the major symptom of Acid Reflux in the esophagus, is described to cause a burning uneasiness at the back of the sternum.

The symptoms may come as coughing, voice transformation, hoarseness, constant ear ache, or sinusitis. The complications brought upon by acid reflux may lead to esophageal ulcers or worse this can lead to esophageal cancer.

However, constant heartburn sensations do not necessarily mean that one has captured GERD already. The risk occurs when heartburn happened more than once a week, this occasion could possibly lead in developing GERD.

The usual cause of GERD is the increase in acidity or gastric acid production in the body, obesity, pregnancy, or tight-fitting apparels, these all can add to the problem. The yeast infections are also thought to be one of the causes of GERD-like symptoms.

An added ironical cause of the GERD is the insufficient production of stomach acid in the body. The explanation says that the valve, the hollow organ with a flap that insure the one-way course of fluid through the organ, once emptied triggers acidity in the intestines. If the valve fails to open, the contents of the stomach will be blended into the esophagus, and then irritation occurs.

Meanwhile, there are already several treatments for GERD today, one of which is the balance and healthy eating habits. Now if proper diet fails to work, one can shift to medication therapy or surgery as suggested by the doctors. Below are the lists of several selections of Acid Reflux treatment:

•    Proper Diet: the natural way to cure Acid Reflux is through change in their eating habits. A good number of people affected by GERD found success in following this method. Avoid the food ingredients which can intensify heart burn such as caffeine, soft drinks, and smoking. Avoid eating two hours before sleeping; likewise, avoid lying down after taking meal. These are the regular suggested change in lifestyle.

•    Another easy way to treat GERD is to elevate the head of the bed. The pharmacologic therapy, the combination of prevention of food two hours before sleeping and the rise of the head of the bed, there is a great chance for a patient to gain a 95 percent relief. The rise of the head of the bed is suggested to range for only 6 to 8 inches or 20 cm. Using this method the backflow of gastric fluids will be hampered.

•    Drug Treatment: Drugs reduce the secretion of the gastric acid, for instance and famotidine and omeprazole lessen the secretion of gastric acid and the Antacids counteract the acid.

•    Surgical treatment: the Nissen fundoplication, the standard surgical treatment for Acid Reflux, the medication process will only cover a short period of time. The function of this is to support the sphincter, a spherical bond of muscles that opens and closes to let the food or waste to pass, as well as stop Acid Reflux, and of course restore the hiatal hernia.