Acid reflux is a disease that is caused by an irregularly functioning lower esophageal sphincter (LES). The LES serves as a gateway for foods that have been chewed and swallowed into the stomach. Ideally, the LES closes after food passes through to the stomach. If the LES malfunctions and does not close completely or at all, this allows stomach acids to enter into the esophagus, causing acid reflux. Acid reflux affects many people and can be caused by several things. If you experience acid reflux symptoms more than twice in one week, you may have contracted acid reflux disease or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Signs and Symptoms

• Heartburn is the leading symptom of acid reflux and is also referred to as acid indigestion. If you feel a burning sensation in the chest, abdomen or throat, this could be a sign of heartburn. Heartburn can trigger chest pain as well.

• Dysphagia is characterized as a symptom of acid reflux. It creates the feeling of food being trapped in the throat or neck. Trouble swallowing is a signature effect of dysphagia and prevents people from enjoying meals normally.

• Bloating causes the abdomen to feel uncomfortably full. Painful bloating is associated with chest pains and hiccups. Stomach bloating that is a result of acid reflux will not subside until the food has been completely digested.

• Nausea involuntarily prompts you to vomit or burp. A sign of acid reflux, nausea makes you feel discomfort in the stomach, and throat. This feeling can cause stress, especially when driving or walking.

• Regurgitating food is a dangerous symptom of acid reflux. Food that has passed through the esophagus and is now imbued with stomach acid has the opportunity to damage the esophagus when refluxed. Food and acid that has been regurgitated causes a burning sensation.

• Chest Pain can be severe and uncomfortable. Chest pain can cause difficulty breathing. Be careful not to assume that chest pain is related to acid reflux and not a heart attack.

• Excessive Burping is an effect of acid reflux. Belching and burping usually brings up the wet gastric acid from the stomach. Burping up acid can cause bad breath.

Causes and Treatment

Acid reflux may be caused by other health conditions. Hiatal hernias, pregnancy, obesity and diabetes can ignite symptoms. People that have respiratory diseases are more likely to be affected by acid reflux.

Eating heavy meals right before you go to sleep, lying down after a meal and not lifting heavy objects are preventative measures. Lifestyle modification can go a long way in treating acid reflux. Preventative measures can be taken to reduce your chances of suffering from the symptoms of acid reflux and can ward off GERD. Adjusting your diet and habits are also beneficial. Diets that are low in fat are excellent for decreasing the frequency of symptoms.

For more information on the symptoms of acid reflux and possible treatment options, visit refluxremedy.com today and find out more.

Acid reflux disease can be very harmful to your body, possibly causing long-term effects. Stomach acid in your throat and esophagus is dangerous and can cause inflammation. Acid reflux can affect you physically, mentally and socially. Heartburn, difficulty swallowing, regurgitation, sore throat, chest pain, hoarseness and nausea are just some of the symptoms of acid reflux that can leave you in significant pain.

Humans need the right balance of foods in order to be healthy. A heavily acidic diet is not good and can cause acid reflux, stress and imbalance. The kinds of food you eat are closely linked to acid reflux. A balanced diet should include foods that are alkaline and acidic. Alkaline foods are foods with a pH above seven. Naturally, human blood is just slightly acidic. Acidic foods are considered those with pH levels below seven. Having a seven pH is neutral. A high presence of hydrogen in your body increases your risk of having acid reflux. When you eat acid forming foods, hydrogen levels increase.

Most people think that acid forming foods are all acidic tasting. This is not true. Many acidic tasting foods, once combined with gastric acids are more alkaline than acid. The nutrients that come from some of these foods don’t always have the effects you think they will. If you are unsure about which foods are acid forming, make sure to eat a balanced diet that is full of vegetables. Vegetables have a lot of minerals and encourage alkaline formation within the body. Minerals are essential to the body but can’t be absorbed properly when acid levels are high.

Some vegetables that will help to fight acid reflux are: cucumbers, pumpkins, lettuce, eggplant, and all kinds of greens. In each meal make sure to eat a protein, fruit/vegetable and carbohydrates. It is okay to eat most foods in moderation. Foods that are generally bad for reflux are fatty foods. Fatty foods stress the digestive process and increase the likelihood of reflux.

Since acid reflux can be triggered by different foods, keep a record of the foods you eat every day. When reflux happens, write down the food that may have caused it and try to eliminate that food from your diet. Find a substitute for that food item that has similar nutritional value. Make sure to incorporate water into your diet. Water counteracts acid and has a diluting effect. Drink water after a heavy meal when the stomach is producing acid for digestion.

Leaving acid reflux untreated is very risky. If you ignore your acid reflux, this can lead to more harmful conditions. Understanding how diet can affect acid reflux should be your first priority. Doing something about it is the next step. Be proactive about your diet and make the necessary changes to help you control your acid reflux symptoms.

If you would like to find out more information about the types of food that can help you to prevent acid reflux, review The Reflux Remedy Report today.

Some vegetables that will help to fight acid reflux are: cucumbers, pumpkins, lettuce, eggplant, and all kinds of greens. In each meal make sure to eat a protein, fruit/vegetable and carbohydrates. It is okay to eat most foods in moderation. Foods that are generally bad for reflux are fatty foods. Fatty foods stress the digestive process and increase the likelihood of reflux.

Since acid reflux can be triggered by different foods, keep a record of the foods you eat every day. When reflux happens, write down the food that may have caused it and try to eliminate that food from your diet. Find a substitute for that food item that has similar nutritional value. Make sure to incorporate water into your diet. Water counteracts acid and has a diluting effect. Drink water after a heavy meal when the stomach is producing acid for digestion.

Leaving acid reflux untreated is very risky. If you ignore your acid reflux, this can lead to more harmful conditions. Understanding how diet can affect acid reflux should be your first priority. Doing something about it is the next step. Be proactive about your diet and make the necessary changes to help you control your acid reflux symptoms.

If you would like to find out more information about the types of food that can help you to prevent acid reflux, review The Reflux Remedy Report today.

Is your newborn always coughing and just seems miserable?

It may not just be a case of colic . . . it could be your baby has infant acid reflux.

When I found out that about 50% of newborns and up to 85% of all premature babies suffer from infant acid reflux I was shocked.

Most outgrow the acid reflux symptoms after the first few months, but then there are those who never seem to overcome it. In fact many that receive the best medical treatments continue to suffer from infant acid reflux and its dangerous complications.

Having a child with infant acid reflux can be about the most challenging things you can face as a parent. The constant misery of infant acid reflux symptoms can exhaust both parent and child.

Here are 8 signs of infant acid reflux:

1. Constant crying

2. Irritability and pain

3. Disturbed sleep patterns

4. Arching of the neck and back

5. Vomiting

6. Chronic hiccups

7. Ear infections

8. Sinus problems

Even one of these symptoms could indicate your child may have infant acid reflux.

If the root cause of infant acid reflux isn’t addressed it could lead to these complications:

• Anemia
• Constant drooling
• Sinus infections
• Swallowing problems
• Chronic hoarseness
• Sore throat
• Chronic ear infection
• Sleep apnea
• Lung problems
• Esophagitis
• Failure to thrive
• Eroded teeth
• Sandifer’s syndrome
• Halitosis

The obvious cause of infant acid reflux is generally straight forward. Normally, the ring of muscle between the esophagus and the stomach (lower esophageal sphincter) relaxes and opens only when you swallow.

Otherwise, it’s sealed tightly – keeping stomach acid where it belongs. Until your baby matures, infant acid reflux may cause food to flow up the throat, into the lungs, ears and sinus cavities and out your baby’s mouth.

Sometimes air bubbles in the esophagus may push liquid out of your baby’s mouth. In other cases, your baby may simply drink too much, too fast.

The artificial milk or baby formula you’re using could be the real problem.

Breastfed babies have been shown to have fewer and less severe infant reflux problems than artificially fed infants. Mother’s milk is more easily digested than artificial milk and is absorbed and digested from the stomach twice as fast.

Proper digestion and speed are vital to minimize irritating infant acid reflux. Mother’s milk is by far less irritating and much healthier for your baby than artificial milk products.

The bond between mother and baby is an important factor to preventing and curing infant acid reflux. Unhappy infants get overwhelmed and stress out which can trigger infant acid reflux.

Nursing is nature’s perfect way to protect your infant, plus hormones made when you breastfeed help relax you both . . . another reason to nurture your infant with breast milk.

Here are some tricks to help your infant to nurse:

1. Create a soothing peaceful environment-soft pleasant music helps.
2. Try nursing when your infant wakes from the acid reflux or when sleepy.
3. Give your infant lots of skin-to-skin contact and cuddling.
4. Try to keep your infant upright while your hands are free. Try a baby sling.

Research all the emotional and nutritional benefits of breast feeding . . .

You were born to heal,

Todd M. Faass

Health Advocate

Source: Breastfeeding the Baby with Reflux, La Leche League International, 1999

Vomiting with Hiatal Hernia isn’t a terribly typical symptom. More often vomiting causes a Hiatal Hernia, as a result of the pressure that is placed on the abdomen while retching.

To be clear, a hernia can occur in any part of the body, but when it happens to the stomach, it’s called a Hiatal Hernia. Specifically, it happens when the upper portion of the stomach gets pushed through the opening of the diaphragm and into the chest.

Symptoms

As stated before, vomiting is not a typical symptom of a Hiatal Hernia; however that doesn’t mean it won’t happen to you. As a matter of fact, some people don’t experience any symptoms at all of a Hiatal Hernia. However, if you do have symptoms, you might experience a sudden onset of frequent heartburn, including indigestion, acid reflux, burping and hiccupping.

Chest pain can also be associated with a Hiatal Hernia; however it shouldn’t be confused with a heart attack. Chest pain from a Hiatal Hernia will not be associated with anything other than heartburn. If you experience shortness of breath or numbness in one of your arms, seek medical attention immediately. The most important thing here is to be in tune with the signals your body is sending you and understand what they indicate.

Treatments

Generally a Hiatal Hernia just needs time to heal, and doesn’t require surgery. A few simple things you can do at home will help this process along.

• Eat smaller meals. Eating a ton of food at once bombards your stomach with more than it can deal with, creating more pressure on an already sensitive area. By eating less more often you spread the same amount of food over a longer period, allowing your stomach time to handle it all without putting too much stress on your injured digestive system. Additionally, once your hernia is healed, you should maintain this practice, so that the condition doesn’t recur.
• Stop smoking. Smoking is thought to cause, and worsen a variety of health problems, including a whole host of digestive problems. Plus, smoking slows the body’s ability to heal, meaning it will take you significantly longer to get over your hernia. So, just quit! Your body will thank you for it.
• Don’t eat right before you go to bed. This causes food and stomach acid to get trapped in the esophagus, with no natural help from gravity to make its way down into the stomach. Eat at least 2 hours before you lie down, and that way food will have had a chance to start digesting and won’t put unnecessary strain on your stomach and esophagus.
• If you do breech that 2 hour window, prop yourself up when you go to bed. Placing an extra pillow under your head can help give your body the upper hand and keep food moving through your digestive tract.

If none of these methods are productive, your doctor may prescribe medications to help the healing process along. Only in severe cases is surgery necessary. More often than not though, simple lifestyle changes can make a big difference.

Vomiting with Hiatal Hernia isn’t common, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. For more information on Hiatal Hernias and what you can do about them, visit refluxremedy.com.