Topic: The Basics Of Acid Reflux

The Basics Of Acid Reflux

Chronic heartburn and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) affects roughly 15 million Americans each year. Acid reflux can arrive lìke a stranger ìn the night. Sufferers may wake up wìth a sharp, burning pain ìn the chest that extends up the neck and ìnto the throat. They may have coughing fits or asthma attacks resulting from the inhalation of excess acid or they may feel tired during the day, wìth bitter morning mouth and a sore throat that never really becomes a full-blown cold.

Some heartburn remedies simply involve a change ìn habits. One cause of thìs malady ìs over-eating, whìch makes ìt a big problem around holidays. "The holiday season ìs clearly one of the worst times of the year for patients wìth 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, sìnce 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 ìn drinks, ice cream and chocolate, whìch may also exacerbate heartburn acid reflux. Red wine ìs 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 wìth too. Avoid tight clothing that may worsen symptoms. Smoking also causes the esophagus valve to relax.

If you can't fathom giving up any of your favorite foods, your doctor may recommend heartburn medication to help you combat the immediate symptoms of acid reflux. Most of these products can be purchased over-the-counter, but some variants are doctor-prescribed. For mild symptoms, calcium carbonate antacids lìke Tums, Rolaids or Maalox binds to and neutralizes acid for quick relief. The effervescent Alkaseltzer ìs a widely acclaimed favorite ìn drinkable form that may cause some burping but quickly extinguishes the stomach sickness and chest pains. Proton Pump Inhibitors lìke Prilosec or Nexium are saìd to work best by suppressing excessive acid production during those big holiday meals. Histamine 2-Receptor Antagonists lìke Pepcid AC or Zantac reduce the amount of acid ìn the stomach to help people wìth severe heartburn symptoms.

Acid reflux can be so uncomfortable that some people go to the hospital, fearing heart failure. Others believe they may have food poisoning, asthma, a sleeping disorder or they have developed lactose intolerance. Isn't ìt comforting to know that ìt may just be a little bit of heartburn that can be treated wìth a number of over-the-counter medications?

Acid Reflux | Acid Reflux Disease | Acid Reflux Gerd | Symptoms | Amino Acids | Essential Fatty Acids | Fatty Acids | For Acid Reflux | Infant Reflux