If you have heartburn more than twice a week, you may have Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, or GERD.? The chronic heartburn condition is caused when the lower esophageal sphincter malfunctions.? When operating normally, the sphincter only allows food and liquids to flow one direction – into the stomach.? GERD occurs when stomach acid is allowed to flow the opposite way, and up into the lower esophagus. ?This results in pain and irritation of the esophagus.

What causes GERD?

GERD has several causes ranging from health and hormonal abnormalities, to daily habits.

• Medicines: Certain medications can be pointed to as causes for, and irritants of, GERD. Over the counter pain medicines called NSAIDS like aspirin and ibuprofen, as well as vitamin supplements like iron, potassium and calcium.
• Health: Hormones help control the contractions of the lower esophageal sphincter, so pregnant women often find they suffer from frequent heartburn. Additionally, a small percentage of people with Type 1 Diabetes have a digestive disorder (called gastroparesis). It delays food passage out of the stomach, causing pressure to build and leading to GERD. There is also a condition called Hiatal Hernia that is thought to worsen the symptoms of GERD. This happens when a part of the stomach is displaced and either forced into the lower esophagus, or beside it.
• Foods: It’s difficult to point to one certain food that causes heartburn, but some foods can cause it more frequently than others. Things like garlic, citrus, caffeine, alcohol and onions can make heartburn worse. But, everyone has their own triggers – something that may cause heartburn in one person, someone else with GERD may not react to at all.
• Habits: Daily routines can also cause GERD. Things like wearing clothes that are too tight and smoking can cause acid build up. Even if you’re just a little overweight, that added pressure on your abdomen can trigger heartburn.

What are the symptoms?

GERD presents with a few symptoms.? They include:

• Frequent heartburn
• Regurgitation
• Difficulty swallowing

These symptoms can be exacerbated if you lay down to soon after eating, eat a large meal, or even bend down to lift something heavy.

What can you do?

If you have GERD, there are many options for treatment.? If you’re a smoker, quit.? If you’re overweight, loose a few pounds.? You should also use caution with medicines known to aggravate GERD.

Even a change in diet can have a profound effect.? Try keeping a food journal and track what foods set off your heartburn, then avoid them.? Also, wait 2 to 3 hours after eating to go to bed, and eat smaller, more frequent meals to avoid pressure build up in the stomach.

Over the counter antacids or prescription medications can also be helpful.

If all else fails, your doctor may recommend surgery.? The procedure involves attaching the stomach around the lower esophagus, tightening the muscles there and blocking acid from making its way up.? However, this is generally a last resort.

For more on this condition and coping with its symptoms without surgery, read our Reflux Remedy Report.

In the search for a holistic treatment for GERD, a number of people have taken a closer look at their diets. What a patient eats from day to day may greatly affect the severity of their condition. Offering a safer, effective alternative to over-the-counter medications, a holistic treatment for GERD is a huge relief for medical practitioners and the general public alike.

As mentioned previously, many people have sought out a holistic treatment for GERD by way of changes to the diet. This is particularly important since many foods are known irritants of the stomach, and they tend to cause excessive production of acid, paving the way for GERD and other related conditions.

Among the many foods that have been identified as triggers and/or causes of GERD are spicy and acidic foods. Consuming foods as seemingly innocuous as citrus and tomatoes may be enough to bring on an attack. Oily and fatty foods should also be avoided, as they can cause considerable irritation to the stomach lining.

Caffeine is another known trigger, so a holistic treatment for GERD should involve a drastic reduction or even total elimination of coffee, tea, soda and even chocolate. Care should also be taken when eating foods with peppermint, since although they may soothe the stomach, they can also make heartburn worse in the long run.

Interestingly enough, apple cider vinegar may actually work as an effective holistic treatment for GERD, since it has natural antibacterial properties that soothe the stomach and bring about a more balanced acidic state. Apple cider vinegar can be taken in liquid or caplet form, but many prefer the quick-acting liquid option. All it would take is 1 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar dissolved in half a glass of water.

Aside from its calming effect and use as a cold remedy, ginger root is also an effective holistic treatment for GERD. Ginger is particularly effective for stress-related heartburn, and can be taken in tablet and capsule form, both of which are available in many organic health food stores.

If you are looking for even more holistic treatment options for GERD, you should check out the Reflux Remedy Report. This amazingly helpful collection of tips and advice has already aided thousands of people all over the world in overcoming GERD, and it has done so in a completely natural way with little to no side effects. Included are step-by-step guides to each remedy, so you will know exactly what you have to do to get rid of GERD. There are plenty of useful tips submitted by readers, some of which may be the holistic treatment for GERD that is right for you. If you are serious about getting rid of your GERD for good, this guide may just be the last heartburn-related material that you will ever need.

A modified diet for severe GERD is necessary when acids produced by the stomach begin entering the esophagus. The food that we eat travels through our mouth down the esophagus, and to the stomach. The stomach and esophagus are joined at the LES or lower esophageal sphincter. The LES opens up to enable food to enter the stomach. The sphincter normally closes to prevent stomach juices and food to move back to the esophagus.

The stomach produces certain digestive enzymes and juices that aid in digestion. The digestive track also possesses special mechanisms to protect it from damages caused by these enzymes and juices. However, the esophagus itself does not possess such defensive mechanisms and hence it is essential for the LES to close and prevent the juices from reaching the esophagus. Normally, some amounts of the stomach bile go back to the esophagus. However, if excess amounts of acid accumulate inside the esophagus it causes GERD. People suffering from GERD experience abnormal behavior of LES. Either it does not close properly or it opens up wrong moment. Severe GERD can result in ulcers, the narrowing and damaging of the esophagus, and even bleeding.

It is vital to have a proper diet for severe GERD. The diet should be combination of foods that are easily digestible and low in food which will help in weight reduction if you are obese. Avoid foods that worsen the condition including tomato, alcohol, caffeinated drinks, peppermint, chocolate and deep fried foods. These kinds of foods normally weaken the LES or fuel your stomach to produce more acid than necessary. Avoid mustard, garlic, spices, citrus fruits, vinegar and aerated beverages at any cost.

One of the best ways to end the severe effects of GERD is to eat in moderation while switching to highly nutritious and low fat foods. It is effective to eat in small proportions, consume less than 300 mg of cholesterol, restrict sodium intake to 2400 mg per day and count calories when you eat. Do not eat more than the daily caloric intake limit recommended for your body. Not every food will trigger GERD symptoms in your body. Mark the kind of food that specifically fuels GERD in your body and avoid them.

It is also important to eat timely and eat in small proportions instead of having large meals, and always leave a generous amount of time between meals and sleep. Acid travels easily into the esophagus when you are lying down, so try walking after you eat. For overweight people it is important to exercise every day to reduce weight.

Include poultry, whole grains, pears, bananas, fish, lean meat and low fat food in your diet for severe GERD, as well as skimmed milk and plenty of water. It is most important to eat the right combination food at the right time. Do not put pressure on your stomach by stuffing it with excess food, and avoid combining foods that require both the alkaline enzymes and stomach juices to work simultaneously. This leads to weak digestion and increased GERD symptoms.

Acid reflux disease can be referred to as either acid reflux, or the more severe diagnosis of gastro-esophageal reflux disease, or ?GERD.? Both denote a breakdown of the esophageal sphincter’s ability to properly close, allowing acid to come up from your stomach into your esophagus, throat and mouth. This is a wholly unnatural condition, since your stomach is the only body part properly equipped to withstand this corrosive stomach acid. The breakdown of the tissues in your upper gastrointestinal tract and throat causes heartburn pain, frequent swallowing, possible regurgitation of acid, the breakdown of tooth enamel, hoarseness, bad breath, frequent burping, and stomach pain. Occasionally, even chest tightness and GERD will go hand in hand.

Several factors contribute to this chest tightening feeling. Peripheral nerves in the esophagus and surrounding tissue can be aggravated by this condition, causing a feeling of tightness. The nerves surrounding the lungs can be agitated, causing a constriction of the airway, shortness of breath, and tightness in the chest cavity. While this symptom is not necessarily life-threatening, it can be alarming, and is one of many anxiety-causing symptoms of GERD and acid reflux.

When you go to a doctor to have either GERD or acid reflux diagnosed, you may be recommended a prescription medication that fits your particular symptoms, or you may request your doctor to direct a more natural approach to healing. Know that many of the popular over-the-counter remedies including Prevacid, Prilosec, and Zantac are meant to be taken only for two weeks, and then a lengthy break is recommended before starting again. You might try Rolaids or Tums, but as with other over-the-counter remedies, long-term use is ill-advised.

There are many common sense solutions that you can use on your own to combat the symptoms of chest tightness and GERD. First you must focus on treating the actual cause, which is the esophageal sphincter-failure due to too much acid in the stomach. Cutting back on the causes of excess acid is one path, including cessation of alcohol, caffeine and smoking. Also included in your ?don’t? list is salt, which has been shown to act as an acid producer. Other ways to combat the symptoms include limiting your food intake to smaller meals per sitting, since heavy meals seem to lead to increased production of stomach acid. Red apples have proven to be an effective natural remedy, along with many old fashioned ?cures? including drinking plenty of milk (which may coat your stomach for short-term relief but in the long run cause additional acid production). Instead, try plain crackers with water, or Milk of Magnesia for infrequent flare-ups.

Keep your doctor informed to changes in your diet, and let him or her know if your symptoms lessen or increase. They need to know details before recommending a different course of action, which may include either changing your medication or ceasing it altogether. Of course, your best tool against this disease and its attendant symptoms is knowledge. Learn as much as you can about what to do and what not to do for chest tightness and GERD, and diligently follow a plan to ensure relief from your suffering.