Acid Reflux Disease: Causes, Risks and Cures

Get the facts on diagnosis and cure of acid reflux disease from an ex acid reflux sufferer and qualified nutritionist.

Acid reflux disease, or GERD – gastro-esophageal reflux disease as it is known, is caused by the coincidence of two medical conditions. The first condition contributing to acid reflux disease is the backward flow of food and acid from the stomach to the esophagus. Nonetheless, the reflux does not always result in symptoms of GERD or changes in the organic tissues, and can happen in healthy individuals as well, when it is referred to as "physiologic gastroesophageal reflux".

The second factor encouraging GERD is a malfunction of the LES, the lower esophageal sphincter. The LES is a circle of muscle of 3-4 cm, some two to three times thicker than the proximal esophagus and acting as a valve between the esophagus and the stomach. When acid reflux disease occurs, the LES fails to close correctly and stomach contents is pushed back into the esophagus. With symptoms of the disease after this process, this is then called gastro-esophageal reflux disease.

The typical sensation of acid reflux disease is persistent (twice weekly or more) heartburn. Heartburn is the burning feeling in the chest or the throat, when the stomach contents is pushed back to the lining of the esophagus. As people in good health may also have light reflux, occasional heartburn is common as well and does not immediately mean gastro-esophageal reflux disease.

Other sufferers of GERD may also feel chest-pains or suffer from coughs, hoarseness in the morning, vocal changes, problems in swallowing (notably lumpy foods), lasting earache, burning pains in the chest, nausea or sinusitis. Some sufferers describe sensations of food being stuck, choking or tightness in the throat. This is caused by the continual flow back of stomach contents in contact with the esophagus, resulting in swelling of the esophagus due scars from histological damage.

Acid reflux disease left untreated can have serious health consequences. These include constriction, bleeding, ulcers and spasms of the esophagus. When the acid from the stomach gets to the trachea as well as the upper esophagus, several severe conditions such as asthma, sinusitis and pneumonia can occur. Some patients can develop a condition known as Barrett’s esophagus, where abnormal shapes and colors of cells occur in the esophageal lining. This is an initial stage before esophageal cancer, notably in adults over 60 years old.

There are three options for treating acid reflux disease: surgery, medical therapy and holistic therapy that includes changes in diet and lifestyle and taking specific herbal supplements. Using surgery merits very careful consideration, given that certain underlying conditions can be complicated, such as constriction and muscular contraction disorders. PPIs and H2 blockers are among the options for medical intervention in cases of gastro-esophageal reflux disease. While it is possible to apply prescribed medications or acid blockers like these, remember that the results are sometimes only temporary and that conventional medicine can lead to serious side effects.

From an overall point of view, GERD is an alarm signal pertaining to a significant imbalance internally that must be correctly resolved. For this reason, alternative medicine such as homeopathic remedies, herbal medicine, changes in lifestyle as components of a full holistic plan are clearly recommended for sufferers of acid reflux disease.

Jeff Martin is a medical researcher, certified nutritionist, health consultant and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, "Heartburn No More – Open The Door To an Acid Reflux Free Life". Jeff has written dozens of holistic health articles and has been featured in ezines and print magazines, as well as on hundreds of websites worldwide.

To learn more about Jeff Martins Unique 5-Step Holistic Acid Reflux Cure System visit: Heartburn No More.

Find further information at: Acid Reflux Disease.

By Jeff Martin Published: 8/11/2008

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Knowing What Food to Eat and Avoid For Acid Reflux Disease

Acid reflux disease can be an extremely painful condition. For people who live a socially active life and attend frequent parties and gatherings, acid reflux is like a curse as they have to often miss out on the delicacies served because of fear of the acid reflux attacks.

Acid attacks, as the name suggests is the attack of the stomach acids on the esophageal lining. The frequency of such attacks can be extremely damaging for the esophagus because it leads to the formation of scar tissue. If this scar tissue is not able to heal, then it may lead to ulcers and in certain cases even the cancers of the esophagus. Of all the reasons, for acid reflux problem, bad eating habits contribute the most.

Hence, the first point to remember in the treatment of acid reflux is the knowledge of foods to eat and foods to avoid. Acid reflux may require you to create a new meal plan for yourself, giving more places to healthy and nutritious food and say goodbye to some other.

Why Are Some Foods A Problem?

To answer this question, let us first consider what causes acid reflux problem. The food goes into the stomach via the esophagus. Inside the stomach the digestion process begins where the food is acted upon by the digestive enzymes and the hydrochloric acid present in the stomach. The food remains locked inside the stomach by the action of valves that is present at both the ends of the stomach. Due to the acidic environment inside the stomach, sometimes the excess pressure causes the valve to open. This causes the acidic content of the stomach to move out into the esophagus. This condition is known as acid reflux.

It is therefore clear that the more acidic the content of the stomach, the greater will be the pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter valve and hence greater chances of acid reflux. So, to solve the problem of acid reflux, acid forming foods should be avoided.

Common Foods to Avoid for Acid Reflux

Having talked of acidic foods, let us list certain foods in this category that can trigger acid reflux problem. Red meat is one such food. Instead opt for fish that may be great nutrition wise and excellent from health point of view.

One also needs to stop consumption of dairy products. This not only includes milk but also creams, cheese, ice cream, shakes and any other food item that uses dairy. Apart from dairy, chocolates are also a prohibited for people having acid reflux. Food items such as pasta and macaroni should also be avoided. Instead whole grain bread can be used. Low fat yogurt however, seems to have relieved acid reflux in many people. Fruits and vegetables are generally alkaline forming and should be taken in adequate quantities. Tomatoes and tomato based products are yet another thing to be avoided. This includes tomato sauces and even tomato pickles.

It is important to use less oil and spices while preparation of food for acid reflux. There is a direct relation between acid reflux and obesity. People who are overweight are more likely to suffer from acid reflux problem. Hence foods rich in carbohydrate and fat content should also be avoided.

Picking the Right Food to Eat For Acid Reflux

Picking the right food to eat for acid reflux can be bothering especially for people who are very choosy about their food habits. But where there is will, there’s always a way. Using a little bit of imagination and creativity one can still find replacements for his/her favorite foods. For example, instead of opting for a scoopful of ice cream for dessert, one can go in for fruit salad combined with whipped low fat yogurt.

Not all foods can cause acid reflux problem to everyone. The condition varies from person to person. While some may get acid attack immediately after eating a bar of chocolate, the other person may not. One has to try and observe if a particular variety of food is causing acid reflux.

You may have to give up on your favorite hotdog or beef corn sandwich while dealing with problems of acid reflux. Choosing healthier means of cooking such as baking and grilling also is an advantage. Frying can not only destroy the nutritional value of the foods but can also be bad for acid reflux.

On the other hand fruits like pineapple, banana and apple are known to absorb the extra acid from the stomach and prevent acid reflux. Similarly vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower are alkaline forming and can prevent symptoms of acid reflux.

Visit acid reflux explained to learn more about acid reflux stomach cramping and natural remedy for acid reflux.

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The Secret To A Successful Planned Diet For Gerd

I am often asked what is the Secret to a Successful Planned Diet for GERD. Not surprising really as there is a lot of rubbish written about the foods that cause GERD, acid reflux and heartburn. If you want to create a planned diet for GERD that works for you, then you need to understand the foods that cause GERD in the first place and avoid them for a while until your heartburn symptoms subside.

The first thing to realise is that a bland diet will certainly help to ease the pain, but ultimately spicy and strong-flavoured food is not the cause of GERD. The true causes of GERD are actually many and varied but in terms of foods that trigger GERD, that’s a different story.

Do you want to know the most likely trigger ‘food’ for GERD? The food that causes acid reflux through bacterial fermentation action.

SUGAR

Now, at this point many people will say they don’t have much sugar in their diet. Think about this, sugar is not just something that you add to your coffee. Sugar appears in many different forms either naturally or added in the preparation process.

Let’s look at these two situations in turn. Sugar appears naturally not only in most fruits, but also in different forms in milk products and alcohol. Then sugar is often added to prepared foods to sweeten the taste even in food which is supposed to be savoury. Check all the food labels in the cupboard and you might be surprised how many foods contain sugar that really should not contain any. Not only that, sugar is often quite high on the list of ingredients which means there is a lot of it.

This long term unintentional exposure to sugar turns your digestive system into a fermentation vat which over time can lead to chronic acid reflux (GERD).

So what is the secret to a successful planned diet for GERD?

Simple, avoid as much as you can foods that contain sugar and do this for a few weeks. You may be pleasantly surprised to feel your GERD symptoms slowly subside. This is by no means the cure for GERD, but it should really help to control the painful symptoms of GERD while you work on finding the real cause of your GERD.

It is possible to live a life free of GERD and a planned diet for GERD is the first positive step.

By: Sebastian Arch

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Fed up of listening to the myths and lies written about Heartburn, Acid Reflux and GERD? Wish you could be Heartburn free and stay Heartburn free? Discover the REAL SECRETS to living a life free of Heartburn, Acid Reflux and GERD. Visit www.beatyourheartburn.com

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The Essential Gerd Diet

The essential GERD Diet for one person may be completely different to the GERD diet for another. Many people would have you believe that spicy food and anything with any flavour is causing your GERD.

This is utter nonsense!

The causes of GERD and acid reflux are many and varied and almost never to do with the flavour of the food. Sure, the symptoms of GERD and acid reflux feel worse when you have spicy food, but this is NOT the cause of those symptoms.

Staying off those foods will ease the pain but it will not deal with the cause. How can you get better if you are still eating the foods that really cause GERD?

So what is the essential GERD diet? A one size fits all GERD diet is possible and can work on a broad range of people even though some individual changes may be required to achieve the best results for that person.

The one key factor in your GERD diet should be SUGAR.

By that it is meant REDUCE SUGAR in your diet as much as you can. Remember, sugar comes in many forms. It is more than just something that you put in your coffee.

Sugar comes in fruit, milk products and alcohol. It is also added to a huge number of pre-prepared, pre-packaged foods.

Start looking at those food labels and you might be surprised how many products have sugar in them that really do not need it. The higher up the list the sugar is, the more there is in the food.

If there is an essential part of anybody’s GERD diet, it should be less sugar. This is by no means the only way to beat GERD, but it is likely to be by far the most effective.

If reducing sugar in your diet for a few weeks helps ease the pain of GERD you are closer to finding a longer term solution to being free of GERD.

By: Sebastian Arch

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Fed up of listening to the myths and lies written about Heartburn, Acid Reflux and GERD? Wish you could be Heartburn free and stay Heartburn free? Discover the REAL SECRETS to living a life free of Heartburn, Acid Reflux and GERD. Visit www.beatyourheartburn.com and start TODAY!

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Natural Reflux Treatments For Gerd

For those who suffer the effects of GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease) finding a natural reflux treatment can make life with this condition much easier. The natural treatment choices for acid reflux disease normally consist of lifestyle changes or modifications that usually start with diet.

One of the first things you should do if you suffer from GERD is keep a food diary for 2 to 4 weeks. Keep track of what you eat and which foods appear to cause symptoms. This will give you a good idea as to which foods to avoid. Knowing this can go a long ways towards the mitigation of your symptoms.

There are also a wide variety of foods that are known to exacerbate the symptoms of GERD. Chocolate, peppermint, caffeinated drinks, and alcohol all cause the stomach to secrete excess acid which worsens the problem. Fatty foods, spicy foods, and acidic foods such as tomatoes and citrus fruits should also be avoided.

Another natural reflux treatment that has worked to calm the stomach and reduce the secretion of gastric acids is the use of apple cider vinegar. To do this simply take a table spoon of the vinegar and mix it into a glass of water and drink it. This can be done as symptoms begin to appear or it can be taken as a preventative during a meal.

Many people suffer the most from GERD at night when they lay down to sleep. The reason for this is that gravity is no longer working to keep your stomach contents down. It is much easier for stomach acid and bile to move back up into the esophagus when lying down. The best way to combat this problem is to elevate your upper body using pillows or a pillowed wedge designed for this task.

Chewing gum is also a great way to mitigate the effects of acid reflux. What many people don’t realize is that saliva is a natural anti-acid and chewing gum increases the amount of saliva that gets swallowed. This calms the stomach and neutralizes excess gastric acids.

GERD is a serious condition and it is important that you talk to your doctor about it. It needs to be properly treated to prevent the more dangerous complications it can bring about. Part of this should include natural reflux treatment based upon lifestyle changes to diet.

By: Andrew Bicknell

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

For more information about acid reflux treatments please visit the websiteAcid Reflux Disease by clicking here.

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Acid Reflux Natural Cures – 10 Secrets To Help You Cure Your Gerd By Tonight

Is there more than one cure for acid reflux? Yes, because every person’s body is different, there are more than one acid reflux natural cures to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

If you are finally realizing that antacids are doing more harm than good, maybe it is time you try an acid reflux natural remedy. Because today, there are thousands of people trying to find reflux relief because antacids won’t do the trick anymore.

If you would like to say good-bye to reflux for good, here are 10 secrets antacid and prescription drug companies hope you never read.

10 Secrets about an Acid Reflux Natural Cure

1. Acid reflux is typically caused by a damaged esophagus or a damaged sphincter (flap that keeps stomach acids down). If you would like to cure acid reflux permanently, you need to heal your esophagus and sphincter.

2. Antacids are a band-aid which neutralize your stomach acid. Because antacids or prescription drugs can do nothing for your sphincter or esophagus, they will only work for a time being. Most natural health experts believe that these drugs can do more harm than good if used regularly.

3. Read the label of the antacid you are taking. Most antacids have a warning to take for only 2 weeks because they can actually harm you after a period of 14 days. The best advice for antacids would be to never use them but to treat your reflux naturally.

4. Cures like using 13 pillows while you sleep are ridiculous quack remedies. Because natural health is now researched (for the most part), you should only try remedies that are researched and proven.

5. My dad cured his acid reflux with an apple. After a near-fatal stomach surgery for reflux, my dad starting eating apples regularly. Whenever he feels an attack coming on, he takes a slice of apple and the reflux is gone. It may work for you!

6. Natural remedies could be the best way to treat your reflux. There are at least 3 researched remedies that are more effective than antacids because they treat the esophagus and sphincter. And the only reason why these remedies are not recommended by doctors is because most medical schools don’t teach any natural remedies.

7. Many people take Prilosec, Prevacid, or Nexium (prescription drugs) which help treat symptoms. But long term use can cause the body to produce a hormone called gastrin. Gastrin over-production has been shown to cause cancer. Make sure you read the labels of prescription meds and don’t take any longer than stated!

8. In the case of acid reflux, we have found that 97% of sufferers can cure acid reflux naturally (over 1000 sufferers tested). If you are part of that 3% who cannot, you may need to discuss options with a doctor and use prescription medication.

9. Your diet has been shown to help and hurt your reflux problem. Mainly, you should avoid crunch foods for at least the first couple days of treatment (allow tissue to heal), avoid spicy and acidic foods, and limit your coffee intake. You may also wish to chase every meal with a tall glass of water.

10. Finally, we also suggest trying at least 3 Acid Reflux Natural Cures. All 3 cures are researched and step by step to avoid any confusion. But the best part is they are 100% guaranteed to work. Visit Acid Reflux Natural Cures today.

Cure Yourself in 24 Hours

Hopefully these 10 secrets have shown you that you can cure yourself at home with simple natural remedies. By using step by step remedies and these secrets, you can actually cure yourself permanently in a matter of 24 hours Guaranteed. To learn about a 100% satisfaction guarantee (that lasts up to 6 months), please visit our website now. We promise you will not be disappointed. All remedies are currently 50% off!

By: Joe Barton

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