How To Overcome Symptoms of Gerd and Acid Reflux Disease
The painful condition where the contents of the stomach want to flow back the way they came to cause heartburn is something we may all have experienced in our lives: it is called acid reflux. Many similar conditions exist but they all exhibit pretty much the same range of symptoms but all fall under the umbrella of gastrointestinal disorders. In order to assimilate the food we eat, our stomach dissolves it with a strong acid. The burning sensation experienced by sufferers of this disorder is caused by the stomachs digestive fluid attempting to return up the esophagus.
When food enters your stomach, a valve called the lower esophageal sphincter opens to allow food into the stomach which normally remains closed so that stomach food and acid do not flow back up into your esophagus area. However there are times when the lower esophageal sphincter does not remain closed, when this happens acid from the stomach can reflux or flow back into the esophagus.
You may also hear the name gastro esophageal reflux disorder, which is its full title or sometimes abbreviated to GERD. Although the real cause of acid reflux disorder has not yet been found, it is thought that eating the wrong foods could be to blame; factors that include overeating, can also put a strain on the stomach and contribute to the disorder.
Too much strain is placed on the muscles of the stomach when we overeat and the result of this a build up of internal pressure. Something has to give; this being the acid which returns or refluxes back up the esophagus bringing with it the very unpleasant heartburn. The aim is to lessen the stress on your stomach and stop any damage the stomach acid will cause to your esophagus.
This can be achieved by consuming smaller meals, the incidences of heartburn should reduce. Your mouth, esophagus, and stomach are the first areas of food processing so if something goes wrong in this area, if will affect the health of the entire body. This is because the stomach is not only responsible for breaking down our food but also for preparing this food to be converted to specific nutrients that everyone’s body needs.
The use of readily available, anti-acid drugs is not the long term answer. However, these can interrupt natural body processes and cause other health problems. The long term treatment for acid reflux is to adapt your lifestyle habits in particular eating and drinking. This should be done for a period of a few months to strengthen your stomach’s normal processes. If you can reduce the heartburn occurrences, in time you may well be able to slowly start eating those dishes that have needed to be cut out.
Of course acid reflux can also be aggravated by a number of other situations; for instance:
Smoking any kind of tobacco products
Allergic reactions to certain types of food
Prescription and OTC drugs and medication
Alcoholic drinks
After meal napping
As you can tell, most of these factors can be overcome by practicing some behavioral modifications and a change in lifestyle, If you need an incentive to stop the occasions where you suffer with heartburn then this should be it! All that is required is a little dedication on your part to be careful about what you eat and drink to possibly clear up your acid reflux problem. Whether you decide to take this and your doctors advice is really up to you!
