Causes of Acid Reflux

There are many different factors that can contribute to the development of acid reflux disease. If you have this disease, it was probably caused by a combination of issues surrounding your digestive system. Digestion is one of the most important processes of the body. Whenever you eat food, the process begins. Food that is swallowed goes down your esophagus, past the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and into the stomach. The LES opens and closes to allow food to enter the stomach. If you have a LES that is weak, you may develop acid reflux. A weakened or dysfunctional LES will not close normally. If it remains open, this can permit stomach or gastric acids to go up the esophagus. Other causes of acid reflux disease include pregnancy, hiatal hernia, obesity, diet, behaviors and certain medications like diabetes. Respiratory diseases can also contribute to acid reflux.

Symptoms of Acid Reflux

Heartburn is the major symptom of acid reflux. When stomach acid reaches the esophagus and throat, this causes irritation. Stomach acid is used to break down foods for the extraction of nutrients. This acid is too corrosive for other parts of the body. When stomach acid travels to other areas, this can cause you to feel a painful, burning sensation in your chest area.

Dysphagia is another symptom of acid reflux. This is when you have the feeling that food is stuck in your throat. You may also have difficulty with swallowing.

Regurgitation is also a sign of acid reflux. Food can also escape from the stomach through the LES and into the esophagus, causing discomfort. People with acid reflux disease may feel nauseated and uncomfortable. Nausea is related to another symptom which is excessive burping and vomiting. Wet burps also allow gastric acid to reach the esophagus and throat.

Bloating is yet another symptom. Bloating will cause you to feel pain and fullness in your abdomen. Bloating can trigger chest pain and hiccups as well.

Treatment for Acid Reflux

There are several treatment options for acid reflux. Some treatments are preventative while others offer a solution for acid reflux that is already present. These measures can help to prevent you from developing acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The easiest ways to combat acid reflux is to have lifestyle changes. You should try not to eat meals right before you go to bed because this increases gastric acid production at a time when your body will be horizontal. In this position, the acid can easily escape through a weak LES and get into the esophagus. Eating smaller meals is best for preventing acid reflux. Larger meals encourage acid production. You should also be careful about the kinds of food you eat. Fattening foods are not ideal. Stay away from caffeine, garlic, onions and alcohol. Aloe juice, water, ginger and papaya enzymes have been known to neutralize stomach acid, promote digestion and reduce the discomfort caused by acid reflux disease.

Hiatal hernias happen when a section of the stomach abnormally shifts to another area. The new location could be in the chest area or adjacent to the esophagus. There are also two kinds of hiatal hernias: sliding and rolling. The difference between the two is determined based on the new location of the stomach. Hiatal hernias occur because of a weak diaphragm? When your diaphragm isn’t as strong as it should be, it may open wider than normal and allow the stomach to move up, beyond the diaphragm. It is important for you to become knowledgeable about the warning signs and symptoms of a hiatal hernia. This will allow you to familiarize yourself with this condition so that you can’t try to detect whether or not you are suffering from it. Early detection will enable you and your doctor to get you back to good health.

Hiatal hernia is not something that can be totally diagnosed based on how you feel. Self diagnosis is very hard to do because the symptoms of hiatal hernia may reflect another disease or condition. Often times, signs of a hiatal hernia are very similar to the symptoms of GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease. Symptoms of GERD may include a burning pain in the throat, chest, regurgitation, hoarseness, and a sore throat. Common physical issues that are associated with a hiatal hernia are pain in the stomach and chest.

Heartburn and chest pain are two of the major signs of hiatal hernia. When stomach acid goes up into the esophagus, this causes irritation. Stomach acid is meant to be used to break down and digest food particles within the stomach. If stomach acid goes outside of the stomach, it essentially will have the same properties and effects. Stomach acid in the esophagus is harmful and corrosive because of the level of acidity. Heartburn doesn’t actually affect your heart. When the stomach acid enters your esophagus and travels upward, you can feel pain in your entire chest and heart area. That is why it is called heart burn.

There are a number of things that you can do to reduce your risk of developing a hiatal hernia.

Lifestyle changes are probably the best way to combat the symptoms of hiatal hernia.

• You can eliminate eating meals a few hours before going to bed.
• You can also eat smaller meals, which causes your stomach to produce lower quantities of stomach acid.
• The type of meals that you eat is also very important when it comes to relieving symptoms.
• Cut back on spicy and high fat foods.
• Reducing your alcohol consumption and cutting out smoking can lower the chances of having a hiatal hernia.
• You should also practice lifting objects with the proper technique and avoid lifting heavy objects in general.

If you think that you may be suffering from a hiatal hernia due to your persistent heartburn, you need to consult with a medical professional. To find out more about hiatal hernia symptoms and what you can do about them, visit www.refluxremedy.com today for more information.

Though acid reflux is prevalent in thousands of people the causes for the disease tend to vary from person to person. What may send your insides blazing may be a walk in the park for another sufferer of acid reflux and vice versa. The key to determining and tackling the causes for acid reflux would be to determine your specific triggers and take the necessary precautions to eliminate the triggers from your lifestyle thus improving (or eliminating) acid reflux altogether.

If you are unfamiliar with what is happening to your body before and during acid reflux here’s a little bit about what you should know–Acid reflux occurs when the acids in your stomach make way to your esophagus causing a burn that is referred to as heartburn. This heartburn can be felt in the throat (esophagus area), the chest and often times reaches down into the abdomen.

There is a small circular ring known as the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) that is located at the top of your stomach and at the bottom of the esophagus. The key to avoiding acid reflux all relies on the efficiency and functionality of this ring. The ring is a muscle. The job of this muscle is to close immediately after food or drink passes through, leaving the esophagus and making way to the stomach. If this muscle neglects to close or if this muscle opens too often the acids in the stomach have room to escape the stomach area making way to the esophagus causing acid reflux.

There is another way for stomach acids to reach the esophagus. This is by way of a stomach abnormality knows as a hiatal hernia. A hiatal hernia occurs when the LES and the upper part of the stomach moves above the diaphragm. One job of the diaphragm is to serve as a muscle that separates the stomach from the chest thus keeping stomach acids in the stomach. If you are suffering from a hiatal hernia, stomach acids can move into your esophagus causing a burning sensation and other acid reflux symptoms including regurgitation, nausea, bloating, burping, dysphagia (a narrowing of the esophagus), hiccups and weight loss.

You may be unaware but there is a possibility that there is something that you are doing that is causing acid reflux to take place. Here are a few tips on things that may need to be altered to eliminate the disorder:

• Try eating smaller meals instead of larger meals. Smaller meals are more easily broken down by the acids in the stomach.
• Drink lots of water. Eliminate drinks that are alcoholic or carbonated. Water does an excellent job at stabilizing the stomach acids and aiding in digestion. If you are already experiencing acid reflux symptoms, water may be used to soothe the burn in the esophagus.
• Don’t eat too close to bed time. Eat at least two hours prior to bed time. This allows sufficient time for your body to digest foods.

Diet can directly affect acid reflux. Alter your diet, alter your life. For more information on acid reflux causes visit refluxremedy.com.

Chronic acid reflux, also known as Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), is a condition that primarily affects the stomach and the esophagus. Chronic acid reflux disease is a result of an improperly functioning lower esophageal sphincter (LES) muscle. This muscle is located at the top of the stomach and at the bottom of the esophagus. The sole purpose of this muscle is to act as a barrier between the stomach and the esophagus protecting both from potential hazards. Mechanically, food travels from the mouth, down the esophagus in hopes of smoothly transition to the stomach. When food is traveling down the esophagus the LES opens up allowing the food to travel into the stomach and the muscle closes immediately after the food passes through.

When the LES malfunctions the muscle isn’t properly closing after food passes or it is opening too frequently. The open LES allows for stomach acids to leak up into the esophagus causing what is known as heartburn or acid reflux. If this happens occasionally, there is no need to be alarmed as your acid reflux is not chronic. If this heartburn happens two or more times a week you are likely suffering from chronic acid reflux. If not properly tended to, chronic acid reflux disease has been known to cause more serious health conditions.

It is not really clear as to why some people suffer from chronic acid reflux while others never seem to have a problem. Many speculate that a hiatal hernia is a great contributing factor. A hiatal hernia is a stomach abnormality that occurs when the LES and the upper part of the stomach move above the diaphragm. A major function of the diaphragm is to serve as the muscle that helps keep acids in your stomach. If you are suffering from a hiatal hernia the acids in your stomach acids can move up into your esophagus causing acid reflux symptoms.

There are many other factors that can lead to chronic acid reflux. Most of these factors are related to your daily diet. There are certain foods and drinks that can trigger acid reflux in those that are prone to the condition. If you are likely to drink soda, coffee or other caffeinated drinks you may want to eliminate these drinks and opt instead for a glass of water. Drinking water before, during and after meals works wonders for aiding in the digestive process. It also soothers the esophagus if you are experiencing heartburn.

Fried and fatty foods, though tasty, can be extremely hazardous not only in terms of acid reflux, but also in terms of health. Try eating healthy and see if your chronic acid reflux persists. Salads, vegetables and hearty fruits are always great alternatives.

See if you can eliminate bad habits. If you are a smoker, stop. If you notice that you are an overeater or that you are overweight, do what you can to control portions and lose weight. Eating smaller portions several times a day should ultimately help.

Make the necessary changes to nip your chronic acid reflux in the bud. Your health will thank you for it.