acid reflux

Gastroesophageal reflux (or more commonly known as “acid reflux” or “heartburn”) occurs when food and stomach acid reverses from the stomach back into the esophagus. Usually the Lower Esophageal Sphincter acts as a valve and keeps food on its way down after you swallow. Reflux in infants is common because a baby’s LES is still weak, as the necessary muscles haven’t strengthened yet. Symptoms of acid reflux for adults include a burning sensation in the chest and throat or a bitter, puke-like flavor in the mouth. Some people with frequent symptoms of acid reflux may produce an over-abundance of stomach acid that spills over out of the stomach.

Some heartburn remedies simply involve a change in habits. One cause of this malady is over-eating, which makes it a big problem around holidays. “The holiday season is clearly one of the worst times of the year for patients with GERD,” says William Chey, M.D., a University of Michigan gastroenterologist. “The large amounts of food we eat during the holidays, and the types of food served during the holidays – especially fatty and caffeinated foods – can be a recipe for disaster for chronic heartburn sufferers.” When we eat large amounts of food, the stomach stretches and the Lower Esophageal Sphincter naturally relaxes. Instead of three big meals or one big meal, try eating smaller meals continuously throughout the day to keep acid production normalized.

If you’re a chronic sufferer, there are some basic foods you should avoid as much as possible. Fatty, greasy food can be a big problem, since the stomach needs to produce more acid to break down these substances. You know where that excess acid winds up — coming back up the esophagus! Less obvious culprits are caffeine in drinks, ice cream and chocolate, which may also exacerbate heartburn acid reflux. Red wine is a frequent cause of heartburn too, as are spicy foods, citrus fruits, tomatoes, spearmint and pepper.

The time of day and post-eating rituals have a significant impact on heartburn and acid reflux. Dr. William Chey adds, “Gravity actually serves as an important barrier for acid reflux during the day. So when you lie down at night after eating a meal, you no longer have that gravity barrier to prevent acid reflux.” It’s recommended that you try to remain relatively upright for two or three hours after eating. People who try lifting and bending immediately after eating a big meal typically have trouble with too. Avoid tight clothing that may worsen symptoms. Smoking also causes the esophagus valve to relax.

The good news is that people with GERD symptoms can find quick, over-the-counter relief. For the occasional sufferer, Tums, Alkaseltzer and Maalox can all neutralize stomach acid quickly and effectively. Likewise, Histamine 2-Receptor Antagonists like Pepcid or Zantac can be effective, longer-lasting medications that fight acid reflux. However, those with chronic heartburn will want something stronger like Prilosec or Nexium Proton Pump Inhibitors that suppress acid production. Reglan speeds up the digestion process and a drug like the over-the-counter Gaviscon neutralizes acid and creates a foam barrier to prevent acid from seeping back up again.

Now that you know the triggers and treatments for acid reflux, you won’t have to dread that extra drumstick this holiday season. Just remember not to lay down or lift things right after eating. Keep antacids on hand for emergencies and avoid that extra spicy treat.

Acid reflux disease is caused by stomach acids becoming too overwhelming and abnormally reflux up into the esophagus. Most people experience this after eating certain foods or large meals, depending on the person and the food.

The human body will create gastric and stomach acid to help digest the foods we eat. Normally, after the digestion in the stomach, the food is delivered by the digestive muscles to the intestines for extra digestion. However, people who experience acid reflux disease it is because, the stomach contents move back up the esophagus which makes them feel bloated. Certain food items are known to increase the problems associated with acid reflux disease; such as: cigarettes, caffeine, alcohol and fatty or deep fried foods.

Our present knowledge about acid reflux based on medical research, tells us that this disease is common in men as it is in women. There is no sexual preference. Still, it is most commonly reported to be found in people that are of 40 years of age or older.

The symptoms of acid reflux can be either typical or atypical. However, it is interesting to know that around 70% of the people that struggle with it; do not have any of the typical symptoms early on.

Often, most of the typical symptoms and concerns are related to the esophagus. Such symptoms include the following:

1. Heartburn. This can be a painful symptom and is a condition that feels like a deep burning sensation in the esophagus. The pain often develops in the chest and may swell to the neck or throat. This is most probable to occur in relation with these activities: after a heavy meal, lifting, bending over, and lying down. Research has shown that around 75% of all people with heartburn, have found it to occur at nighttime. Often when it occurs in the evening, it is much more painful then those whose symptoms happen at other times of the day.

2. Dyspepsia. Researches show that about half of acid reflux patients have dyspepsia. Dyspepsia is upper abdominal fullness and feeling full earlier than expected with eating. It can be accompanied by bloating, belching, nausea or heartburn. It is not a rule however, that those who have dyspepsia have acid reflux.

3. Symptoms of Regurgitation. When regurgitation occurs, it is from the gastric contents backing up into the pharynx area and sometime will go into the mouth. In cases where the acids have spilled into the tracheobronchial tree, respiratory complications can be stimulated.

However, the majority of acid reflux patients do not experience the symptoms associated with regurgitation and Dyspepsia. Most commonly they experience the atypical symptoms that usually include some of the following:

1. Throat Issues. Although it does not commonly happen, acid reflux patients suffer from symptoms that occur in the throat. Hoarseness, the feeling of having a lump in the throat and dry coughs are experience by those who have acid laryngitis, a throat symptom. They can also have a condition known as dysphagia, which makes it very difficult to swallow. In some of the more severe cases, food can get trapped in the throat, which can cause distressing chest pain to occur. A few other throat symptoms include: sore throats and even hiccups.

2. Feeling Nausea and Vomiting. Patients that experience nausea for several weeks on end can have acid reflux from it. There are few instances where vomiting can occur as often as once a day.

3. Respiratory Symptoms. Coughing and wheezing are counted as respiratory symptoms. When the stomach acids back up into the tracheobronchial tree it creates bronchoconstriciton. Bronchoconstriction is the constriction of the airways in the lungs due to the tightening of the surrounding muscles, with consequent coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath

Acid reflux disease can last for several months if not given proper medical attention. Sometime people are prescribed prescription drug treatment; however it can not be used for a long amount of time. But when the symptoms tend to repetitively occur, the drug treatment may have to be reapplied.