Acid reflux syndrome occurs primarily as a result of an abnormal or weakened lower esophageal sphincter (LES). The LES is a very important part of the digestive process. The lower esophageal sphincter is a muscle that is located in between the esophagus and the stomach opening or diaphragm. A functional LES acts as a gateway for food to pass through from the esophagus to the stomach. A weak LES however, permits stomach acid to pass from the stomach to the esophagus. This is how acid reflux is allowed to happen. Normally, the LES opens for food to enter the stomach and closes afterward. If the LES does not close tightly enough or at all, this can pose a serious threat to your body and cause acid reflux.

Stomach acid is not something that is safe in other parts of your body. Because of the acidity and corrosiveness of stomach acid, no other part of the body is equipped to deal with it. The stomach has several layers and lining that prevents this acid from doing damage to the organ. The purpose of the acid is to help to break down the food you eat into tiny particles. Once broken down, the particles are transferred to the large and small intestines where nutrients, proteins and minerals are extracted and delivered to other parts of the body.

When stomach acid refluxes into the esophagus and even up to the throat, this can be very painful and irritating. Acid in the esophagus can eat away at the nearby tissue and cause you to feel uncomfortable. Frequent stomach acid in the esophagus and throat may be classified as acid reflux syndrome. To determine whether you have acid reflux or not, you should become aware of the causes and symptoms.

Causes

There are some things, other than a weak lower esophageal sphincter that can contribute to the development of acid reflux syndrome. Having a hiatal hernia, being pregnant or obese can all encourage acid reflux to occur. These conditions cause a shift in your internal organs, especially the stomach. If you are pregnant or obese, this can put excess pressure and weight on the stomach, forcing it to shift and morph. This can allow stomach acid to seep out. Your diet and eating habits are also a factor in the development of acid reflux syndrome. Eating fatty foods, large portions and eating right before bed, are not good for acid reflux. You should also avoid lifting heavy objects.

Symptoms

The most prevalent symptom of acid reflux is heartburn. Heartburn affects more than 40 percent of Americans at some point in their lifetime. Heartburn causes you to feel a burning and sometimes painful sensation. It is called heartburn because it happens in the esophagus and throat, where acid is present. This area is close to the heart. If you have persistent heartburn, more than a couple times per week, you probably have acid reflux syndrome. Treating acid reflux syndrome is something that can be done through your diet and lifestyle choices.

For more information on acid reflux syndrome, review The Reflux Remedy Report to get all of your questions answered.

There is a muscle that is located above the stomach and just below the esophagus. It is called the lower esophageal sphincter or LES. This muscle acts as a link between the esophagus and stomach, allowing food to pass from one to the other during the process of digestion. Some people have or develop a weak LES, which can be harmful. A dysfunctional LES sometimes allows stomach acid to leave the stomach and travel up the esophagus and even to your throat. This is harmful because stomach acid is corrosive and irritating to areas that are not naturally protected against it. When stomach acid and food is regurgitated or brought up to the esophagus, this is called acid reflux. Frequent acid reflux— acid reflux that occurs more than a few times per week is commonly classified as gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. Stomach acid in the esophagus can cause a burning sensation, commonly known as heartburn.

Causes

• Unhealthy behaviors can promote acid reflux and GERD. Habits like smoking and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can encourage the development of GERD. You should also practice eating lighter meals. Don’t eat a meal right before going to bed because this promotes gastric acid production.
• Some foods can cause acid reflux. Try to avoid foods that have a lot of caffeine, garlic and onions. You should also eat meals that are low in fat, because this is easier for the stomach to break down. Fatty foods require more gastric acid to digest.
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can cause acid reflux. These over the counter drugs include aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen, all found in many readily available pain killers. Vitamin supplements that have too much potassium, calcium and iron can contribute to GERD.
• Medical conditions can also increase your chances of developing GERD. People that are pregnant, have diabetes, obese or have respiratory problems are more likely to develop GERD.

Symptoms

• The main symptom of GERD and acid reflux is heartburn. Heartburn is experienced by about 40 percent of the population. The occurrence of heartburn doesn’t necessarily mean that GERD is present. If you have persistent heartburn, then you may be suffering from GERD.
• Regurgitation is another symptom of GERD. When acid and/or food back up into the throat, this is called regurgitation. This may be joined with burping and a bitter taste. Regurgitation causes painful irritation in the esophagus and throat.
• Other less common symptoms of acid reflex and GERD include nausea, chest pain and abdominal pain. Atypical symptoms include having asthma, laryngitis, a persistent cough and sinusitis.

Management and Treatment

• Diet is a contributing factor for acid reflux and GERD. Eliminate fattening foods and alcohol from your diet. You should eat a balance of acid and alkaline forming foods. Meals should not be eaten right before bed. Make sure that you drink a lot of water along with aloe juice, papaya and ginger. For more treatment methods and information visit www.refluxremedy.com today.

Acid reflux is a condition or disorder that happens as a result of having a lower esophageal sphincter, or LES, that is dysfunctional. The LES is a major part of the digestive system. Whenever you eat or drink something, it has to travel through your esophagus and pass the lower esophageal sphincter to get to your stomach for digestion. Without being able to reach your stomach, the food you eat could not be digested and used as nourishment for your body. The LES is like a muscular ring that sits at the bottom end of the esophagus. It is close to the diaphragm, near the opening to the stomach. The LES opens when food needs to enter the stomach. It then closes after the food has gone into the stomach. When you have a dysfunctional LES, it may remain open even after the food has gone through.

A weak LES allows stomach acid to travel through the diaphragm and into the esophagus. Stomach or gastric acid is very corrosive because it is needed to break down foods for the digestive process. The digestive process is necessary for your health and survival because this is what provides your body with the right proteins, nutrients and minerals. When there is stomach acid in your esophagus, and even your throat, this can become a very serious problem. The acid could irritate your esophagus and cause tremendous pain.

When stomach acid makes contact with your esophagus, this is very hazardous to your overall health. Since the esophagus lacks the protective lining that the stomach has, it is vulnerable to acidic substances. If stomach acid backs up into the esophagus, this is referred to as acid reflux disorder. Acid reflux disorder can be caused by many different things. You may develop acid reflux disorder if you are pregnant. The development of the fetus causes the other organs to shift to accommodate the growing baby. When this happens, the stomach acids have a higher chance of seeping through the diaphragm and into the esophagus.

Acid reflux could also happen because of having a hiatal hernia. This is when the stomach moves above the diaphragm near the esophagus or chest cavity. This is an abnormality. Acid reflux can also be caused by the type of food you eat as well. Consuming foods that are high in fat put you at risk for developing acid reflux. Foods that are spicy or acidic tasting are not necessarily foods that will cause you to have acid reflux. Acidic foods can only be classified based on their characteristics once digested in the stomach.

The time you eat meals is also essential to preventing acid reflux. If you eat a meal right before you go to sleep, this can cause more stomach acid to produce right before you lie down. Lying in a horizontal position also increases the likelihood of the gastric acids passing through the diaphragm. To learn more about reflux acid symptoms and treatments, visit www.refluxremedy.com today for more information.

The fourth stage of throat cancer is acid reflux pain and inflammation. As with any health problem be it acid reflux or cancer, it all starts with the loss of cellular energy and gets worse from there.

To heal your acid reflux pain the first thing you need to do is go directly to the root cause of it all . . . no matter what stage your at.

The loss of cellular energy happens when the natural mineral balance of your body becomes acidic.

So if you think your acid reflux is isolated to a stomach acid problem, you just don’t see the big picture. The environment or terrain of your tissue is where it all starts and ends. Your tissue includes your blood, bones and flesh.

In order for you to live a long and healthy life your body tissue has to keep a delicate balance between alkaline and acid called pH.

This pH scale starts at zero, near where you stomach acid is. In fact any pH reading below 7 is considered acid . . . your stomach acid reads around pH 2.

In order to avoid acid reflux pain and inflammation your pH needs to stay between 7.25 and 7.4, which isn’t acid at all. Truth is all your organs need this slightly alkaline pH.

Only your stomach acid and urine should have an acid pH.

Did you know your urine is really dirty blood? It’s acid because it’s full of acid waste. Too much build-up of acid waste means your dehydrated, lack ionic minerals and therefore you are losing cellular energy.

Once you start down this path acid reflux pain and inflammation can’t be far behind.

After loss of cellular energy, metabolism slows, toxins build-up, stress begins to affect normal organ and tissue function, then the pain and inflammation kicks in.

If the root cause of your acid reflux pain isn’t addressed, eventually the flesh lining of your sensitive throat begins to degenerate, actually becoming stiff and leathery, more like the lining of your stomach.

The pain of your acid reflux increases because your throat isn’t made to resist the strong acid pH level of stomach acid . . . the final stage is where the tissue inside your throat begins to mutate and literally becomes the same as your stomach lining.

The pain of acid reflux isn’t limited to just the burning sensation of stomach acid erupting where it doesn’t belong . . .the pain comes from the degeneration, stiffness and mutating cells it ultimately causes.

The final stage of ignoring the cause of your acid reflux pain is throat cancer and then . . . your risk of death increases greatly.

The moral of the story is to never ignore the cause of your acid reflux pain and as you know taking antacids is the same as ignoring the real cause- antacids don’t cure the root cause of acid reflux pain . . . in the end they make it much worse.

You were born to heal,

Todd M. Faass

Health Advocate