Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), the medical term for “Acid Reflux”, is defined as the movement (abnormal reflux) of gastric contents into the esophagus, thus creating mucosal damage.
This disease strikes adults primarily, although infants and children can also be affected. Normally spurred by eating certain foods, 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 as 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 and in some cases it can lead to esophageal cancer.
However, constant heartburn sensations do not necessarily mean that one is suffering from GERD already. The risk occurs when heartburn happens more than once a week. This frequency could possibly lead to developing GERD.
The usual cause of GERD is the increase in acidity or gastric acid production in the body, obesity, pregnancy, or tight-fitting clothing. Yeast infections are also thought to be one of the causes of GERD-like symptoms.
An added ironical cause of GERD is the insufficient production of stomach acid in the body. The explanation says that the valve, a hollow organ with a flap that insures the one-way course of fluid through the stomach, 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.
There are several treatments for GERD today, one of which is healthy eating habits. If proper diet fails to work, one can shift to medication therapy or surgery, as suggested by your doctor. Below is a list of several selections of Acid Reflux treatment:
- Proper Diet: the natural way to cure Acid Reflux is through a change in eating habits. A good number of people affected by GERD found success in following this method. Avoid the foods which can intensify heart burn, such as caffeine, soft drinks, and smoking. Avoid eating two hours before sleeping; likewise, avoid lying down after having a meal.
- Another easy way to treat GERD is to elevate the head of the bed. The pharmacologic therapy, a combination of prevention of eating two hours before sleeping and the rise of the head of the bed, results in high chance of relief. The rise of the head of the bed is suggested to be from 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. Speak to your doctor about this method.
- Surgical treatment: the Nissen fundoplication is the standard surgical treatment for Acid Reflux. The function of this is to support the sphincter, a spherical bond of muscles that opens and closes to let the food or waste pass.
Tags: acid reflux, acid reflux disease, Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease, gerd