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.

If you or someone you love suffers from acid reflux (also called heartburn or GERD), your immediate reaction may be to go to your family doctor for a prescription drug, which you could end up taking for the rest of your life.

Sadly, most of these heartburn drugs also have the potential for harmful effects including abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, headache, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, taste alterations and more.

Antacids simply do not cure your heartburn, they only offer immediate relief from the heartburn symptoms and as long as the underlying cause of your heartburn is still there . . . it can never heal itself.

Plus antacids interfere with the normal digestion process, depleting your body of vital nutrients you need to heal. Worse, they often cause symptoms of other health problems such as heavy metal poisoning and even kidney disease.

You are not alone!

More than 60 million Americans suffer needlessly from heartburn daily and globally the statistics are staggering. If the real cause of your heartburn is left unchecked, it can lead to many other potential health problems.

Did you know more than 12,000 Americans die each year from esophageal cancer, and its first immediate warning sign is heartburn. Heartburn not only leads to GERD, but bleeding ulcers or heart problems can develop as well.

So reaching for immediate relief of heartburn is okay once in a blue moon, yet as you know leaving the cause unchecked is only asking for chronic acid reflux and serious heartburn issues.

The good news is there is a safe and clinically proven effective solution to eliminating your heartburn once and for all . . .

It’s the same thing that also prevents heartburn before it happens and it’s the same thing that reverses heartburn even in the later stages. It’s called making dietary and lifestyle adjustments.

By tuning up your metabolism and turning down unhealthy snacks, beverages and foods, immediate relief of heartburn is easy, plus eating properly will increase your overall health as well.

For immediate relief of heartburn try a teaspoon of aluminum free baking soda in a 10 ounce glass of carbon filtered water . . . for long lasting relief from heartburn get off the Standard American Diet (SAD) and get some mild level exercise on a regular basis . . . you’ll be glad you did.

You were born to heal,

Todd M. Faass

Health Advocate

Gallbladder disease can have very similar symptoms to heartburn, and although the gallbladder is connected to the digestive system, no genuine link has been found yet between the gallbladder and heartburn.

The Gallbladder

The reason people think they’re experiencing heartburn when they have a gallbladder issue is the pain is extremely similar and located in the same place that heartburn would be. The symptoms of gallstones and gallbladder disease include pain in the upper abdomen, belching, indigestion and nausea.

The gallbladder is used to store bile that then helps aid in the digestive process. After eating, the body signals the gallbladder to release the bile to help break down food in the small intestine.

For people who have problems with their gallbladder, antibiotics and surgery are generally the best options.

Heartburn

Heartburn is the result of too much acid in the stomach. This acid is then allowed to escape the stomach into the esophagus, resulting in pain that often radiates through the chest and into the neck as a burning sensation. Like a gallbladder problem, heartburn can also result in belching, indigestion and hiccups.

Heartburn has a number of causes. Food is one main cause. Things like spicy foods, onions, garlic, alcohol, caffeine and acidic citrus fruits can all cause heartburn, although many people have their own unique food triggers.

A person’s lifestyle can also stir up trouble in the heartburn department. For example, eating large meals can lead to heartburn. The influx of food in the stomach causes pressure to build and excess acid to be produced which irritates the esophagus. To solve this problem eat smaller meals more often. That helps the stomach digest foods more easily and keeps heartburn at bay.

Additionally, don’t eat right before bed, no matter how small the meal is. If you remain upright after eating, gravity helps keep food and acids down in your stomach, but if you lie down they can easily creep into your esophagus and cause pain and irritation.

Smoking can also cause heartburn, so if you smoke, don’t. It’s thought to increase the body’s acid production, leading to heartburn. It also slows the body’s ability to heal, so any damage done from excess acid takes much longer to be repaired.

Similarly, stress causes an influx of acid production in the stomach. So, try to keep stress out of your life as much as possible. Meditate, take deep breaths, count to 10, put on some soothing music, or even add a light exercise routine to your day. All these things can help you achieve a calmer mindset and prevent heartburn pain.

Heartburn pain can be relieved in a number of ways. Drinking a large glass of water is one simple way to reduce toxins in the stomach and wash acids through the system, relieving pain. Antacids can also help, although you should avoid becoming a pill popper if you have frequent heartburn. For more natural relief, try ginger. Whether candied or taken in tea form, it can help with all kinds of stomach indigestion problems.

For more natural tips and tricks for relieving heartburn, visit refluxremedy.com.

Although it’s easy to mistake a gallbladder issue with heartburn, the two so far have not been connected. Make sure you stay in tune with your body so that you can distinguish between the two health problems.

There are a few fortunate people who have never experienced acid reflux pain, but others suffer constantly. When food is swallowed, it passes down through the esophagus and into the stomach. At the bottom of the esophagus there is a muscle known as a sphincter. This muscle allows food to pass into the stomach. The stomach contains acid and other chemicals that process the food. But if the sphincter happens to relax for whatever reason, the food and stomach acid can back up into the esophagus, and the result is acid reflux pain.

Acid reflux pain is commonly called heartburn but it has nothing to do with the heart. The pain is a burning feeling in the abdomen which extends up toward the neck. Other symptoms include nausea, bloating, and belching. Nearly everyone suffers a mild attack of acid reflux pain now and then, especially after a holiday dinner.

There are many methods of dealing with acid reflux pain. Antacids in liquid or tablet form are available over the counter. These all contain an alkali which acts to neutralize the stomach acids. There are other drugs that suppress the acid and are available on prescription. However these are not always a permanent solution for chronic sufferers as the drugs are not designed for long term use and soon become ineffective.? They can also be a costly solution that involves frequent trips to the doctor and? pharmacy.

Some people with acid reflux pain have found certain lifestyle changes to be effective in reducing or eliminating the pain. Chronic sufferers have been advised not to eat close to their bedtime. It is easier for the acid and food to back up when one is in a prone position than when one is sitting or standing. And because of that, the majority of people suffering from acid reflux pain experience their symptoms during the night. They are also advised to consume mini meals. That is, eat more often during the day but consume smaller meals.

However, everyone is unique and acid reflux pain doesn’t affect everybody in the same way. While some foods do trigger acid reflux pain, there are different food triggers for different people. So they need to observe how their bodies react to the various foods and learn to avoid those that stimulate an attack.? Common triggers include garlic, caffeine, alcohol, citrus and onions.

What many people find most effective for dealing with acid reflux pain are natural remedies. Natural remedies are not likely to interact with other medications a person may need as drugs may. And since natural remedies do not contain harmful chemicals, they are not likely to cause allergic reactions in people who are prone to various allergies. Also, pregnant women are very prone to acid reflux pain and they can’t take many pain relievers, either over-the-counter or prescribed because of the adverse effect on the unborn fetus. For pregnant women, natural remedies and lifestyle changes are the only alternative.

Some natural alternatives include eating an apple to help neutralize the acid.? Also, ginger has been found to help with all kinds of stomach acids, including heart burn.? Even something as simple as drinking a glass of water can help flush acid out of your digestive system.

For people seeking natural remedies for acid reflux pain, Bob Barton has published a guide entitled Reflux Remedy Report that is available at www.refluxremedy.com.