Acid reflux, more commonly known as heartburn, is a painful and pesky problem that affects millions of Americans. Although it is not a serious disease, it is annoying and gets in the way of social activities, work and even sleep. There are several causes of acid reflux, which is most commonly caused by food. But there are other, more serious causes too and if you experience acid reflux very often, consult your physician.

1. Food- acid reflux is most commonly caused by eating spicy food, especially late at night without leaving ample time for the food to digest. When you sleep, remnants of this food can back up into the lower esophagus causing a painful burning sensation in the chest. To counter this, eat spicy foods earlier in the day and pair it with a dairy product, like milk or yogurt, which counteract the effects of the spices. Also, over-the-counter medications such as Maalox, TUMS or Pepto Bismol can give some relief. Other foods that commonly contribute to acid reflux include alcohol, any strong flavors like onion or garlic, soda, coffee and other caffeinated beverages, citrus fruits and tomato-based foods and fried foods.

2. Hiatal Hernia- this is a stomach abnormality in which the stomach and lower esophagus move around within the chest cavity. This can cause acid to back up into the sensitive esophagus and cause the characteristic burning sensation.

3. Pregnancy- increased pressure on the stomach and lower abdominal area can cause acid to back up into the esophagus. The higher levels of hormones can also add to the condition.

4. Smoking- inhaling smoke and other harsh chemicals can eat away at the protective mucous lining of the esophagus, increasing its sensitivity to acid and irritation.

5. Loose esophageal sphincter- there is a muscular gate that connects the esophagus to the stomach to allow the passage of food. In normal individuals, this gate only allows for one-way passage and then closes tightly so that food does not back up. In individuals who suffer from acid reflux, this sphincter is not as tight as it should be and allows food and acid to reverse direction and enter the esophagus. In some cases, corrective surgery is needed to reverse this problem and tighten the sphincter.

6. Laying down or going to sleep too soon after eating- you should allow at least thirty to forty-five minutes for digestion after eating before laying down or going to sleep if you are prone to experiencing acid reflux. Sit up straight and allow gravity to work to keep food and acid in the stomach.

7. Not drinking enough water after a meal- saliva is a natural digestive and is needed to begin and continue the process of digestion. If a person is dehydrated, however, this decreases the production of saliva and can slow the digestive process down, increasing the chances of acid reflux. Be sure to drink a glass of water after a meal, and maybe two if it was a spicy meal.

There are several acid reflux triggers. The trick is to find your triggers and avoid them at all cost. For more information on acid reflux triggers visit Reflux Remedy at 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.

You want relief from acid reflux, but you’ve heard about the real dangers of taking OTC antacids. You already know that covering the symptoms of your acid reflux doesn’t spell true relief at all.

In fact the worst thing many people can do is start little antacid pills and tossing back shots of proton pump inhibitors to make acid reflux magically go away . . .

That’s why your reading this isn’t it? My guess is you’ve either heard that acid reflux can become worse by covering symptoms with OTC gimmicks or you’ve already learned that the hard way yourself, right?

The bottom line is this: Alkalize or die.

Your biological functions all depend on this simple fact. Your tissue needs to maintain a slightly alkaline pH of between 7.25 and 7.4 pH.

Acid reflux often has nothing to do with too much stomach acid, but rather too much tissue acid. When the pH of your blood, organs and bones has an acid pH, it means you lack cellular oxygen, minerals and nutrients.

Acid reflux relief means alkalizing your tissue pH, which doesn’t mean popping antacids to buffer access stomach acid.

Truth is having extra stomach acid production is rarer than you might first think and most cases of acid reflux are triggered from a stomach acid deficiency.

Being alkaline basically means being salty and trace minerals are salts. Most people who suffer from acid reflux suffer from just the opposite of what direct-to-consumer advertising leads them to believe.

You see when you lack trace minerals in your tissues; your entire body quickly falls short of optimal health. When you have less than optimal health your automatic healing systems can fail.

Acid reflux relief could very well mean you need these trace mineral salts to help your 60 trillion cells to conduct essential electrical signals, which obviously all your metabolic functions depend on . . .acid reflux is nothing more than a cellular communication breakdown.

Only when you have optimal health can you expect everything to function automatically and correctly.

Your digestive metabolism demands these trace minerals to be available to produce stomach acid, enzymes and other cofactors your immune and digestive system needs. Nature’s best forms of these cellular salts are ionic minerals ideally found in pure artesian well water and in organic heirloom vegetables.

Acid reflux relief can truly only be found in eating the right foods. Food truly is the first and last medicine, everything else is most likely just a gimmick and will contribute zero to your optimal health and acid reflux relief.

You were born to heal,

Todd M. Faass

Health Advocate

As you may already know I write a lot of articles about various health issues and I’ve found to my amazement that there is a tremendous request for information on acid reflux medicine and remedies.

The difference between an acid reflux medicine and an acid reflux remedy is that the remedy is based on natural science, whereas the medicine is based on what next up and coming drug or surgery is patentable.

By patentable, I mean, marketable as ‘medicine.’

What we think of today as medicine is nothing like what it used to be. Two thousand years ago Hippocrates, called the Father of Medicine, proclaimed to make “food your medicine and medicine your food.” For that matter, laughter was considered to be the best medicine, but now it’s regarded as one of the best unpatentable, or natural, remedies on earth.

If you do your own research and look into it there is plenty of science to back up food and laughter as sound remedies and who at least one of them may even help eliminate your acid reflux . . .

Imagine the right food actually being a remedy for your acid reflux, instead of pharmaceutical medicine, then who will have the last laugh?

Acid reflux is no laughing matter and neither is any health challenge, yet if you can find a way you can laugh about it, it may help alleviate some of the stress related factors often associated with acid reflux.

Acid reflux medicine is intended to be used ONLY for brief periods of time, NOT on a daily basis. I don’t care how cute the Alka-Seltzer commercials get, its patented medicine, which means there are side effects, especially if you take on a daily basis.

On the other hand acid reflux remedies supported by evidence-based science are completely safe to use on a daily basis. That’s not to imply that you need to take a remedy for acid reflux on a daily basis, but the same thing that prevents acid reflux also cures it . . .

That’s the ugly truth about medicine and the good news about remedies for acid reflux. Medicine is a product that as a drug only addresses the symptoms of acid reflux, sometimes making the symptoms come back worse later.

For example Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) are a medicine for acid reflux, which are documented to cause acid rebound, dependency and even lead to unnecessary surgeries in some cases.

Always look at the science of using a natural, proven safe and effective remedy, before running to your drug store to use medicine for your acid reflux. In either case if it’s recurring acid reflux see a few qualified health professionals before taking any medicine.

You were born to heal,

Todd M. Faass

Health Advocate