Is your newborn always coughing and just seems miserable?

It may not just be a case of colic . . . it could be your baby has infant acid reflux.

When I found out that about 50% of newborns and up to 85% of all premature babies suffer from infant acid reflux I was shocked.

Most outgrow the acid reflux symptoms after the first few months, but then there are those who never seem to overcome it. In fact many that receive the best medical treatments continue to suffer from infant acid reflux and its dangerous complications.

Having a child with infant acid reflux can be about the most challenging things you can face as a parent. The constant misery of infant acid reflux symptoms can exhaust both parent and child.

Here are 8 signs of infant acid reflux:

1. Constant crying

2. Irritability and pain

3. Disturbed sleep patterns

4. Arching of the neck and back

5. Vomiting

6. Chronic hiccups

7. Ear infections

8. Sinus problems

Even one of these symptoms could indicate your child may have infant acid reflux.

If the root cause of infant acid reflux isn’t addressed it could lead to these complications:

• Anemia
• Constant drooling
• Sinus infections
• Swallowing problems
• Chronic hoarseness
• Sore throat
• Chronic ear infection
• Sleep apnea
• Lung problems
• Esophagitis
• Failure to thrive
• Eroded teeth
• Sandifer’s syndrome
• Halitosis

The obvious cause of infant acid reflux is generally straight forward. Normally, the ring of muscle between the esophagus and the stomach (lower esophageal sphincter) relaxes and opens only when you swallow.

Otherwise, it’s sealed tightly – keeping stomach acid where it belongs. Until your baby matures, infant acid reflux may cause food to flow up the throat, into the lungs, ears and sinus cavities and out your baby’s mouth.

Sometimes air bubbles in the esophagus may push liquid out of your baby’s mouth. In other cases, your baby may simply drink too much, too fast.

The artificial milk or baby formula you’re using could be the real problem.

Breastfed babies have been shown to have fewer and less severe infant reflux problems than artificially fed infants. Mother’s milk is more easily digested than artificial milk and is absorbed and digested from the stomach twice as fast.

Proper digestion and speed are vital to minimize irritating infant acid reflux. Mother’s milk is by far less irritating and much healthier for your baby than artificial milk products.

The bond between mother and baby is an important factor to preventing and curing infant acid reflux. Unhappy infants get overwhelmed and stress out which can trigger infant acid reflux.

Nursing is nature’s perfect way to protect your infant, plus hormones made when you breastfeed help relax you both . . . another reason to nurture your infant with breast milk.

Here are some tricks to help your infant to nurse:

1. Create a soothing peaceful environment-soft pleasant music helps.
2. Try nursing when your infant wakes from the acid reflux or when sleepy.
3. Give your infant lots of skin-to-skin contact and cuddling.
4. Try to keep your infant upright while your hands are free. Try a baby sling.

Research all the emotional and nutritional benefits of breast feeding . . .

You were born to heal,

Todd M. Faass

Health Advocate

Source: Breastfeeding the Baby with Reflux, La Leche League International, 1999

Treating acid reflux symptoms can be dangerous if they keep you from taking care of the cause of it.

Medical researchers are just beginning to understand the root cause of acid reflux symptoms, whereas science has known the cause for literally thousands of years.

It goes unsaid that if medicine can’t cure your acid reflux it’s time to take a closer look at the science of healing digestive balance.

The Western approach tries to treat the symptoms of digestive imbalance because it is truly ignorant of what causes acid reflux and its complications.

There are plenty of misconceptions about digestive disorders like acid reflux . . . the biggest one is assuming your acid reflux is some kind of drug deficiency. Why else would millions of people pop useless antacids, such as Tums, while simple cases of heart burn inflame into acid rebound cases and then gastro-esophageal reflux diseases (GERD)?

Did you know the makers of TUMS just recalled 15,000,000 packages of the antacid because they are full of pieces of metal scrap and wood chips? Apparently someone is sweeping the shop floor and dumping the garbage into the antacid mix. Who knows what other mystery ingredients have been swept up in the process?

From a medical standpoint your acid reflux happens because the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), a muscle between the stomach and throat, relaxes and allows stomach acid to invade your throat, lung and mouth area, but they never tell you what causes this.

Because the medical industry depends on selling acid reflux sufferers their drugs to treat symptoms, they really don’t need to tell you what really causes acid reflux.

Explaining the mechanics of acid reflux is limiting medical treatment to the effects and never addressing the root cause.

For thousands of years, as long as civilization has been recorded, science has offered acid reflux sufferers the remedy for the underlying cause.

Simply remove the cause and the effects or symptoms vanish as if they never were.

Acid reflux symptoms turn into what the medical industry calls a disease, only because the real cause of the symptoms has been ignored and allowed to fester and complicate.

In fact, acid rebound is a man-made or should I say . . . a drug-made disease.

It’s well known that antacids like TUMS are gateway products for stronger medications that can lead you right down the path of degenerative diseases like hiatal-hernia, gastro-esophageal disease (GERD) and even throat cancer.

So remember . . . when you want to cure acid reflux follow the real science. If all you want is to treat the symptoms, then follow the money . . . it will lead you right to your pharmacist and maybe even the surgeon.

All great science is learned by observing nature . . .

You were born to heal,

Todd M. Faass

Health Advocate

Gastric ulcers can be painful, and sometimes fatal if the symptoms are ignored. An ulcer occurs when the lining of the digestive tract becomes damaged, and a hole or tear occurs due to injury or trauma. An ulcer can happen anywhere in the body’s digestive system, but when it happens in the stomach, it’s labeled as a gastric ulcer.

Gastric ulcer symptoms are slightly different than ulcer symptoms located in other portions of the body. For example, eating doesn’t generally relieve pain as it might with other ulcers. In fact, eating may cause pain. The pain can be a dull ache located in the upper chest area, possibly below the breastbone.

Other symptoms of a gastric ulcer include:

• Heartburn or acid reflux
• Nausea
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss that wasn’t part of a planned diet program
• Waking up in the night with pain. Only about 3 out of every 10 people with a gastric ulcer will experience this symptom, and it generally occurs 3 or 4 hours after dinner. Eating late meals will exacerbate it.
• Vomiting, and vomiting blood, which may look like coffee grounds
• Blood in the stool, which would look like a black or tarry substance
• Some people may not have any symptoms at all

Causes

Gastric ulcers have a few causes, but one thing in particular is pointed to as the main cause, Helicobacter pylori. H. pylori is a corkscrew shaped bacteria found in most everyone. It’s unknown why it causes problems in some people and not others. An H. pylori infection occurs when the bacteria grows in the lining of the stomach, causing it to be easily damaged by stomach acids and other digestive enzymes. An H. pylori infection is generally cleared by a course of antibiotics, followed by additional testing to make sure the infection has been eradicated.

Pain killers are another main cause of gastric ulcers. Pain killers stop the body’s production of an enzyme that protects the stomach lining, making it more susceptible to damage. NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like Aleve and Ibuprofen as well as Aspirin and prescription pain killers can all be pointed to as causes of gastric ulcers.

Another thing thought to cause gastric ulcers is smoking. The nicotine found in cigarettes is thought to increase the presence of acids in the stomach, making the lining more susceptible to damages. Smoking also slows the body’s natural healing process, making it difficult to recover from an existing ulcer.

Alcohol can also erode the stomach lining. Although, it’s unclear if alcohol will actually go so far as to cause an ulcer, or just worsen an existing ulcer, it should generally be used in moderation.

Stress is another thing that can’t be pointed directly to as a certain cause for ulcers, but it will definitely worsen an existing ulcer. Stress is thought to be the cause of a wide range of health problems, so whether it caused your ulcer or not, it’s beneficial to try and get your stress levels under control. Reduce your stress by putting some instrumental or calming music on in the background at work, or enrolling in a meditation class. These techniques will help you relax and allow your body to heal much faster.

For more information on gastric ulcer symptoms, check out The Reflux Remedy Report at www.refluxremedy.com.

A gastric ulcer happens when the lining of the stomach becomes damaged or torn in some way. Some people may never experience symptoms of a gastric ulcer, while others will have intense pain and bleeding. If left untreated, a gastric ulcer can sometimes be fatal, so always seek medical attention if you suspect you have a gastric ulcer.

What would I feel if I had a gastric ulcer?

As stated before, some people won’t have any symptoms of a gastric ulcer. But, if you do experience symptoms they can include:

• Blood in your stool that would look like a black or tar-like substance
• Vomiting, potentially vomiting blood that may resemble coffee grounds

If either of these symptoms is occurring, seek medical attention immediately.

These can be signs of a bleeding ulcer, and should be treated as quickly as possible to prevent further complications:

• Nausea
• Weight loss that wasn’t part of a planned diet and exercise routine
• Loss of appetite
• Pain after eating
• Dull pain in the upper chest, near the breastbone
• Pain that wakes you up in the night

What can I point to for causing my gastric ulcer?

The most common cause of gastric ulcers, or ulcers located in the stomach, is the H. pylori bacteria. It’s a fairly common infection caused by regular day-to-day contacts, like kissing. It can also be found in some foods and contaminated water. Some people who have the bacteria don’t even know it, while in others it goes into overdrive and multiplies in the stomach lining, making it vulnerable to corrosive stomach acids. Your doctor can perform tests to see if you have H. pylori. If you do, a course of antibiotics is generally prescribed, followed by additional tests to make sure the bacteria has been killed.

Another common cause of gastric ulcers is pain killers. If you have chronic pain, like joint pain or headaches, you need to be aware that pain killers can have some pretty serious consequences when taken regularly. NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) inhibit the production of a protective enzyme in the stomach. Without this enzyme, the stomach lining is vulnerable to stomach acids and other digestive elements that are meant to break things down. Aleve and Ibuprofen are a few NSAIDs that should be taken in moderation, along with Aspirin and prescription pain medications. If you have an ulcer or are susceptible to them, your physician should be aware of it so he can prescribe your medications accordingly.

A few other things that are thought to worsen ulcers are alcohol and stress. Both cause the body to produce an excess of stomach acids, which leads to ulcers. While a direct link can’t be made between either and a cause of ulcers, they are defiantly blamed for worsening ulcers and making it more difficult for the body to heal from an ulcer. Eliminate these factors by lowering your alcohol consumption and focusing on relieving stress in your life.

Gastric ulcers can be a very painful condition. For more information on symptoms of a gastric ulcer, their causes and healing them, read The Reflux Remedy Report at refulxremedy.com today!