April 6, 2011
Severe Acid Reflux Symptoms
Acid reflux disease is a disease that plagues thousands and thousands of people. The tricky thing about this disease is that it doesn’t simply manifest in one way for everybody, the symptoms of this disease, much like the cause of this disease, can vary from person to person. Finding what the cause is for you is the first step in knowing what needs to be done in order to cure the disease. Your cure may differ from another’s cure so it is of great importance that you pay careful attention to your body and its reactors.
Severe acid reflux is usually what develops when mild or moderate acid reflux is left unintended for an extended period of time. The key is to mend your acid reflux earlier on to avoid possible complications with the disease.
Acid reflux is a condition primarily affecting the stomach and the esophagus. What happens with acid reflux is that the acids in the stomach that are used for breaking down and digesting foods leak into the esophagus causing a pain and discomfort that is commonly known as heartburn. There is a circular muscle located at the bottom of the esophagus and the top of the stomach known as the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). The LES closes immediately after food passes through the esophagus to the stomach serving as a barrier. If the LES neglects to close or if it opens too often acid from the stomach may reach the esophagus. If this is a rare occurrence, you likely have nothing to worry about. If this happens 2 or more times a week, you are likely suffering from severe acid reflux.
If you are suffering from severe acid reflux, you must immediately address and rid the problem. If severe acid reflux lingers, the affects may cause several other health problems including esophagitis, which can cause ulcers or bleeding in the esophagus, strictures, which causes scar tissue and a narrowing of the esophagus, Barret’s esophagus, which are esophagus cell abnormalities, and other life threatening conditions.
Symptoms for severe acid reflux are much like symptoms for mild or moderate acid reflux except that they occur far more frequently. Symptoms include but are not limited to:
- Heartburn: Severe heartburn is one of the most common severe acid reflux symptoms. Heartburn occurs when the cell walls of the esophagus are met by the acids from the stomach. This causes a burning sensation in the esophagus that can also be felt in the chest, lower abdomen, and in some cases the back.
- Regurgitation: Regurgitation occurs when stomach acids and undigested portions of recently ingested food are vomited up from the stomach, through the esophagus, exiting the mouth. Regurgitation has been known to block air passages resulting in asthma-like symptoms.
- Difficulty swallowing: This is also known as dysphagia. In this instance the esophageal lining becomes inflamed due to constant stomach acid exposure. This can make it difficult to swallow as it creates the impression that the throat is blocked.
These are just a few symptoms of severe acid reflux. For more symptoms and cures please feel free to visit refluxremedy.com today.
Filed under Acid Reflux Symptoms, Severe Acid by admin
February 21, 2011
Treatment for Reflux
Reflux happens when the lower esophageal sphincter does not do its job well. This muscle is supposed to block stomach acid from going where it does not belong, in the esophagus. The LES should allow food to leave the esophagus by contracting to open, and then contract to close tightly right after. Acid in your esophagus can be damaging. The esophagus will become inflamed and irritated. Constant reflux can lead to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and even cancer of the esophagus.
Heartburn is a likely symptom that you will have if you have reflux. Dysphaia, or difficulty swallowing, will make eating foods unpleasant because of the feeling that food is stuck in your throat. Another symptom of reflux is regurgitation. This happens when food and acid is brought up to the mouth from the stomach, giving your mouth a nasty sour taste. Other symptoms like nausea and chest pain can occur but are less common.
If you have reflux there are several steps you can take to treat this disease. Some holistic remedies can discourage reflux from occurring or treat symptoms that have already been experienced. Natural remedies are the safest line of defense against reflux, GERD, and many other physical ailments.
- Aloe has many healing properties. When juiced and consumed, liquid aloe can reduce reflux symptoms. Aloe juice is a neutralizing force in the stomach and decreases irritation in the esophagus.
- Water can neutralize stomach acid too. Water dilutes gastric acid and makes it less acidic and corrosive. Drinking water before and after a meal is a great way to minimize the acidity of acid produced to digest that specific meal.
- Papaya enzymes are great for digestion. These enzymes assist the body with digesting foods naturally, therefore telling the body that a smaller amount of gastric acid should be generated to digest that meal.
- Ginger has multiple purposes and is a great remedy for reflux. Drink ginger tea or eat ginger root to calm your stomach when you have dysphagia or nausea. A settled stomach will reduce your discomfort.
- Eat meals several hours before you plan to go to sleep. Eating before bed is a bad idea. When you put food in your mouth and chew, the body begins to make gastric acid in preparation for digestion. Eating, then lying down for bed encourages the newly produced acid to slip by the loosened LES.
- Try eating smaller meals. Instead of eating three large meals per day, eat five smaller meals. Large amounts of food put stress on the stomach and increases stomach acid production. The presence of a lot of stomach acid can contribute to reflux.
- Eat foods that are right for you. Your body may react negatively to certain foods and cause acid to reflux. The most common food triggers for reflux are caffeine, garlic and onion. Reducing the amount of alcohol you digest can reduce reflux too.
These are just a few of the ways that you can treat reflux. For more information on these and other treatments and remedies, visit www.refluxremedy.com.
Filed under Acid Reflux Treatment by admin