The symptoms of acid reflux and heartburn can be distressing for many people and may include bloating, burning pain, breathing problems, difficulty sleeping and coughing. Given the problems that heart-burn and acid reflux related issues can cause, many people find they are not able to lead the active lives they desire and begin to look for relief. While there are pharmaceuticals and drugs available over-the-counter to treat these conditions, relief from retail solutions is usually only temporary in nature. Proton pump inhibitors and antacids typically wear off, leaving the individual still suffering. Fortunately, there are a number of drug-free, natural treatments as well as lifestyle changes that can bring about long-term relief from heartburn and acid reflux.

One of the first steps that should be taken is to stop using acid reducers and antacids. Over-the-counter products often create what is known as a feedback loop within the digestive tract that actually creates even more acid in the stomach as well as more pain. The more medicine you consume to battle acid reflux, the more medicine your body needs.

It is also important to make sure that you elevate the upper part of the body while you are sleeping. Try raising the head of your bed or use a wedge pillow if you find that you experience burning sensations or reflux while you are lying down. Another good way to help in relieving acid reflux is to make sure that you eat smaller meals on a more frequent basis. Take the time to slowly chew your food so that it becomes mixed well with saliva. This is important because saliva assists in breaking down your food, meaning less acid will be required to break down the food once it reaches your stomach. You might also consider adjusting your diet as well. Bad dietary habits and eating the wrong types of food can be major contributors in creating acid reflux and heartburn. Make it a point to include foods in your diet that are known to reduce the symptoms of acid reflux and heartburn.

There are also natural, healthy substances you can take that can assist with the pain related to heartburn and acid reflux. These substances include honey. Try taking just a teaspoon of honey directly by mouth. This is quite soothing and can provide almost immediate relief from the symptoms associated with acid indigestion. Make sure to use unrefined honey. In addition, there are also many herbs that are known to provide relief from heartburn. Licorice is one of these substances, known for providing a soothing sensation to the digestive tract. Another herb that may assist in naturally relieving acid reflux is basic. Simply chewing on a basil leaf can often bring about relief from heartburn pain.

There is no reason to subject your body to over-the-counter medications or to suffer from the pain of acid reflux when there are many natural and holistic methods for curing heartburn, indigestion and acid reflux. Find out more when you download the Reflux Remedy Report at refluxremedy.com now.

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.

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.

Acid reflux disease, also known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), is a disease plaguing thousands of people every day. Acid reflux, simply stated, is what happens when the acids from the stomach that are used to breakdown and digest foods escape the stomach and leak into the esophagus causing what is commonly known as heartburn.

How does acid reflux happen?

Acid reflux happens when the circular ring, which is also a muscle, located at the entrance of your stomach and the lower part of your esophagus called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) doesn’t adequately serve its purpose. The purpose of the ring is to allow for the passing of food from the esophagus to the stomach. As soon as the food passes through, the LES is suppose to close, only opening if there is more food that needs access. If the LES neglects to close all the way or if it opens too often, the acid that is produced by your stomach to break down food can escape your stomach and make its way into the esophagus resulting in heartburn and other acid reflux symptoms. If this happens rarely, you should not be alarmed. However, if this occurrence happens two or more times a week you may be suffering from acid reflux disease.

Another cause of acid reflux disease is an abnormality of the stomach known as a hiatal hernia. This type of hernia occurs when the LES and the upper part of the stomach move above the diaphragm which is suppose to separate the stomach from the chest. The muscle that is the diaphragm serves as a sort of blockade helping to keep stomach acids in the stomach. With a hiatal hernia, acids may travel to the esophagus causing acid reflux disease.

Symptoms of acid reflux disease vary from person to person. While there are those who may experience acid reflux symptoms mildly, there are others that find acid reflux disease symptoms to be quite debilitating. The most common symptom of acid reflux disease is heartburn. Heartburn may be described as a burning or discomfort in the chest. This burning and discomfort has also been known to travel to the throat and lower abdomen. In rare instances, there have been reports of heartburn making its way to the back.

Regurgitation is also a symptom. Regurgitation happens when acids and undigested, recently consumed food and drinks travels up from the stomach into the esophagus and exits the body from the mouth. This symptom has been known to be accompanied by a sour or bitter taste in the mouth as well. Bloating, burping, hiccups, dysphagia (a narrowing of the throat), and in some cases nausea are also known symptoms.

There are ways to lessen the likelihood of acid reflux. The best way to rid acid reflux would be to change how and what you eat. Try eating smaller meals several times a day as opposed to large meals that may overwork stomach acids during digestion. Drink water instead of carbonated, caffeinated and alcoholic beverages. Eat at least two hours before bedtime, and if you are a smoker, quit. Also keep a food log. If you notice that some foods are triggers for acid reflux, eliminate these foods from your diet.

These are just a few suggestions. For more information on acid reflux disease feel free to visit refluxremedy.com.