Posts Tagged ‘Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease’

Getting the Lowdown on Acid Reflux Disease

Acid reflux disease is a condition wherein the gastric juices which contains acid travels from the stomach then to the esophagus. Most people who have it do not usually recognize it because of its subtleness. However, you will learn of its existence through its symptoms, which includes but not limited to heartburn, regurgitation, chest pain, and hoarseness in the voice.

Others may think that it’s normal but you never know it’s already a sign of acid reflux if you’re having difficulty in swallowing, dental erosion and asthma.

How could one get acid reflux disease? Some people may experience regular gastroesophageal reflux disease when the food in the stomach is not fully digested by the acid in the stomach and the enzymes that are involved in the digestion process.

These partially digested acids should go into the small intestine to be further digested. However, people with acid reflux disease experience that the acid content travels backward into the esophagus instead which will cause inflammation and damage. People with stomach full of food are much more prone to acid reflux disease than those who don’t usually eat much. This is especially true when a person lies down.

Acid reflux disease normally lasts for several months or even longer unless treated. Some symptoms may reoccur despite the fact that you’re taking medications.

The most common ways to treat this condition is to use acid suppressants such as histamine2-receptor antagonists or blockers. Proton pump inhibitors are used to reduce the production of acid in the stomach and prevent it from worsening.

Antacids are probably the most common way of treating it as it can be bought over the counter. It is used to treat symptoms like heartburn and indigestion but is not advisable for severe cases. Those are just some of the basic symptoms and treatments that you should be aware in order to prevent panicking once you think you have acid reflux disease. Of course, it is advisable to visit a doctor for a proper diagnosis.

Acid Reflux and Heartburn

stomachHeartburn or pyrosis is a painful and burning sensation in the esophagus, just below the breastbone usually associated with regurgitation of gastric acid. The pain often rises in the chest and may radiate to the neck, throat, or angle of the jaw. Heartburn is a major symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease; acid reflux is also identified as one of the causes of chronic cough, and may even mimic asthma. Despite its name, heartburn actually has nothing to do with the heart; it is so called because of a burning sensation near to where the heart is located – although some heart problems may give rise to a similar burning sensation. Compounding the confusion is the fact that hydrochloric acid from the stomach comes back up the esophagus because of a problem with the cardiac sphincter, a valve which misleadingly contains the word “cardiac,” referring to the cardia as part of the stomach and not, as might be thought, to the heart.

According to the Mayo clinic, chest pain that is not related to heart disease is most commonly caused by acid reflux syndrome or GERD, which is gastro-esophageal reflux. The terms are used interchangeably. In order to determine if a person is experiencing acid reflux chest pain, doctors may use tests to measure acid levels in the esophagus, this is the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. A symptoms diary is also helpful to determine if the pain is acid reflux chest pain or another condition. If a person notes that the chest pain occurs when other acid reflux syndrome symptoms are present, then the doctor may conclude that the pain is caused by the acid reflux syndrome.

Studies have shown that between 22 and 66 percent of patients who had chest pain that was not related to heart disease suffered from acid reflux syndrome. This is not to say that all non-cardiac chest pain is acid reflux chest pain, there are other possible causes. Researchers have investigated the possibility that some chest pain, not caused by heart disease or acid reflux syndrome, may be caused by a heightened sensitivity to pain in some organs. Studies have shown that in some patients, the muscles of some organs are sensitive and quick to send pain signals to the brain. No one knows why this happens, but research does continue.

Once the determination is made that no heart disease is present, treatment of acid reflux chest pain is no different form treatment of acid reflux syndrome without chest pain. Antacids or proton pump inhibitors are commonly prescribed. Acid reflux syndrome should be carefully monitored to be sure that stomach acid is not damaging the esophagus. It does not appear that acid reflux chest pain is related to damage of the esophagus.

Some people prefer to treat acid reflux syndrome with herbs or botanicals and dietary or lifestyle changes. If these effectively reduce stomach acid, then they should relieve the acid reflux chest pain. Some lifestyle changes that can help relieve acid reflux syndrome include giving up tobacco and/or alcohol use and weight loss. Some dietary changes that can relieve acid reflux syndrome include eating smaller meals more frequently and removing highly acidic, fried and fatty foods from the diet.

There are many herbs and botanicals that may relieve acid reflux syndrome and therefore acid reflux chest pain. These include fennel seed or oil, ginger root, chamomile and aloe. These ingredients and others are sometimes combined by herbalists to create a product for relief of acid reflux syndrome.

It has been said that acid reflux chest pain can mimic heart pain, but most people experience a burning sensation rather than a sharp, squeezing pain. The symptoms and intensity of acid reflux syndrome symptoms vary greatly. In addition to acid reflux chest pain, most people experience nausea, but some people actually vomit. In cases of unexplained vomiting, acid reflux syndrome is one of the first conditions that doctors suspect.

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