February 15, 2011
Burning In the Chest
Feeling a burning sensation in the chest is alarming! You may panic because this feeling can be very painful and sharp. Depending on your tolerance for pain, burning in the chest can be incapacitating. It is possible that the burning you feel is derived from heartburn. Heartburn can create a radiating pain in your chest region that may be unbearable for you. Heartburn is a symptom of acid reflux and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and is caused when the stomach acid goes into the esophagus by way of a weak lower esophageal sphincter. Heartburn that occurs more than twice per week is used to diagnose acid reflux and GERD.
Heartburn is what causes a burning feeling in the chest. Due to the acid that has entered the esophagus, the esophagus can’t help but be damaged. The acidity of the gastric acid is too high for the esophagus to handle and defend against. An esophagus is not capable of resisting the damage induced by gastric acid, unlike the stomach. When the acid comes into contact with the esophagus, the lining of the esophagus becomes bruised and irritated. This irritation can cause you to feel like you are burning up on the inside.
Since the esophagus is positioned in the torso, adjacent to the breast bone, this occurrence can be referred to as heartburn or burning in the chest. The intense feeling is enough to make you weak. When you lie down, lift heavy items or bend over after a heavy meal, the burning feeling can escalate. Eating and drinking while you feel the burning sensation may worsen the pain level.
Burning of the chest could mean that you are having a cardiovascular problem. You may think that you are having a heart attack. Symptoms of a heart attack and heartburn can be extremely similar so you should always err on the side of caution. Don’t assume that you are having one problem over the other. Contact a medical professional if you feel severe burning in the chest. A heart attack can be fatal so always seek appropriate help.
Other symptoms of heartburn are burning of the throat, hoarseness, chest pain, chronic coughing, difficulty swallowing and a bitter taste in the mouth. Holistic remedies for heartburn are having aloe juice, drinking water, eating papaya and ginger root. If these remedies don’t stop the burning in your chest, try changing your habits. Quit smoking and drink limited amounts of alcohol. Eat healthier meals with lots of vegetables. Exercise and maintain a healthy weight to prevent obesity and diabetes, both causes of acid reflux and heartburn. Eating lighter meals can reduce acid production and reflux. Make sure that you understand which foods cause your body to react. Review your eating habits to ascertain the foods that are making you reflux and have heartburn.
If you have questions or are looking for more information about the causes and treatments for the burning feeling in your chest, read The Reflux Remedy Report today.
Filed under Heartburn Treatment by admin
January 21, 2011
Acid Reflux Cough
If you have to clear your throat a lot during the day, you may have acid reflux cough.
I found there are several different types of coughs. One of the best ways to identify acid reflux cough from other coughs is by duration of the cough suffered by the patient.
According to studies done on acid reflux cough in children with chronic coughing, the coughing is less frequent than non reflux coughing.
Cough specialists have discovered that chronic coughing lasts longer than 8 weeks. Amazingly people who have had chronic coughing for many years can be cured by identifying and removing the root cause.
Acid reflux cough originates in the diaphragm and throat area, but not all coughing arises from the chest. Some types of coughing can originate from problems in other parts of the body.
If your cough lasts less than 8 weeks, it’s defined as acute rather than chronic and odds are it’s due to one of many viruses. It’s not unusual for the cough to persist even after the virus has gone.
If your acid reflux cough becomes chronic (lasting longer than 8 weeks) an X-ray will help determine if it really is an acid reflux cough or a cough triggered by something else.
Acid reflux happens to be the most common cause of chronic cough. Acid reflux cough may seem to suddenly appear for no real reason, but there is always an underlying development of factors leading up to it.
An acid reflux cough usually persists through the day and calms down and goes away in the evening and at bedtime hours. Apparently the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES), which is a valve at the bottom of your throat closes at night and then in the morning opens back up to release intestinal gases (burps).
The worst thing you can do if you suffer from an acid reflux cough is to eat a large meal late at night. It’s best to eat 3 hours before sleeping or at least a good hour and a half before. It seems acid reflux coughing is satisfied by constant eating, which ultimately causes further indigestion and more acid reflux.
Blocking stomach acid production calms the acid reflux cough for about 50% of the people, at least while they are taking the medicine . . . but it’s not a cure.
The other 50% most likely have a stomach acid deficiency, which can also cause acid reflux symptoms simply because food builds up and places pressure on the diaphragm and Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES).
Leading experts agree the nutritional approach is a natural way to target the real cause of acid reflux cough for long term results, without drugs or drug side effects.
You were born to heal,
Todd M. Faass
Health Advocate
Filed under Acid Reflux Symptoms by admin
It’s important to know and be able to identify Hiatal Hernia symptoms so that the condition can be properly treated and prevented from escalating to a state of bleeding.
Symptoms of a Hiatal Hernia often closely resemble heartburn. They include a burning sensation in the chest, acid reflux (or stomach acids making their way up into your mouth), burping, hiccups and chest pain. However, this chest pain is different from the chest pain of a heart attack and it’s vital to differentiate between the two.
Hiatal Hernia chest pain is often the result of spasms due to the displaced stomach. The pain can be extreme, but it is often just pain, or pain accompanied by heartburn symptoms. The pain of a heart attack is often accompanied by shortness of breath and pain or numbness in an arm or hand. Knowing and understanding what these different symptoms indicate can be the difference between life and death. If you’re experiencing chest pain associated with shortness of breath, seek medical attention immediately.
Causes
A Hiatal Hernia happens when a portion of the stomach becomes displaced, and is forced through an opening in the diaphragm. Although it can be difficult to point to specific causes, some risk factors that may make you more susceptible to a Hiatal Hernia are smoking, obesity, and aging.
Hiatal Hernias that occur in younger children or infants are often a congenital condition that they were born with.
Solutions
Hiatal Hernias are rarely serious conditions, but shouldn’t be ignored. They can often be somewhat painful, and so should be dealt with promptly. Surgery is seldom necessary, as your body can often heal itself of a Hiatal Hernia. However, there are a number of things you can do to help speed the healing process up.
If you’ve been diagnosed with a Hiatal Hernia, eat smaller meals, but do so more often. That way you’re giving your body the same amount of nutrition, just over a longer period of time, so that it can better digest the food and extract nutrients from it without getting overly stressed. This helps reduce the impact of eating on your already strained digestive tract.
Also, don’t eat right before you lay down. This will help prevent food from gathering in your stomach, and moving back up into your esophagus where it can cause irritation. You really shouldn’t eat less than two hours before bed if you are battling heartburn or a Hiatal Hernia. That way you won’t have any food or acid lying in wait when you do decide to go to bed.
Additionally, quit smoking. Smoking is very detrimental to your health, including your digestive system. Quitting will help your body heal at a more natural rate, and will help prevent a future Hiatal Hernia from occurring.
You can also reduce stress in your life to help your hernia heal. Although stress can’t be directly blamed as a cause for Hiatal Hernias, it can certainly hinder your body’s ability to heal from one. It tends to cause an overproduction of stomach acid, which can irritate your esophagus and stomach, slowing the healing process. So, do things to help yourself relax, like getting a massage or adding regular exercise to your routine. These things will help you tom maintain a healthy mind and body.
For more information on Hiatal Hernia symptoms, visit refluxremedy.com today!
Filed under Hiatal Hernia by admin