Acid Reflux

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Author:
Susanne Garris

Acid Reflux Symptoms

The typical cause of heartburn or acid reflux is when acid from the stomach backs up into the esophagus. If your lower esophageal sphincter is not normal, stomach contents may flow back into your esophagus and cause heartburn. Stomach acid flows into the esophagus (called acid reflux), causing the burning sensation. Acid reflux is caused by stomach spasms which cause acid.

Many believe that acid reflux symptoms affect the heart or mistakenly diagnose acid reflux as a heart related problem. In fact acid reflux has nothing to do with the heart - it is a digestive problem. Indeed for most people, a proper eating habit may help fixing the heartburn problem. Eating high-fiber bread instead of white bread, and exercising for 30 minutes at least once a week, decreased the odds of getting heartburn. Keeping a daily diary for a week can help keep track of specific food items and circumstances related to episodes of heartburn.

One is solution to eliminate acid reflux is to stop smoking. After a meal, when the stomach is full, smoking increases the chances that you will suffer from acid reflux. Loss of weight can also reduce stomach acid reflux. Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to heartburn in their third trimester as the growing uterus puts increasing pressure on the stomach.

Here are some easy things that doctors recommend:

Wait at least three hours before going to bed after eating.

Sleep with your head at least 8" higher than your stomach so that gravity can help keep stomach acids from coming up into your esophagus.

Avoid exercising or bending over right after eating.

Eat 5 or 6 small meals a day instead of the three, traditional, big ones.

Acid reflux tends to be more of a problem at night, while you are lying down or sleeping. Having the head and shoulders higher than the stomach lets gravity work to keep acid from refluxing. If heartburn is a continual or severe problem, it's a good idea to see your doctor. In patients with acid reflux, the heart valve pressure is usually low, which is the root of the problem. Some people have only an occasional acid reflux symptom. For others, however, acid reflux and regurgitation are persistent, chronic symptoms that return several times a week, if not every day. Medical evaluation of heartburn is recommended for individuals who experience persistent symptoms several times a week. If acid reflux (heartburn) occurs on two or more days per week despite the measures discussed above, you should consult your family doctor. For chronic reflux and heartburn, the doctor may prescribe medications to reduce acid in the stomach.

About the author:

Susanne Garris is a stay at home mom. But that doesn't mean she isn't at work. Susanne works as a research assistant and freelance writer on a variety of subjects. Her private research is devoted to blogs you can find at: http://www.acid-reflux-diet.blogspot.com

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Acid Reflux... Acid Reflux and Your Diet There is an undeniable connection between the occurrence of acid reflux and diet. Everything in your body has a delicate balance. The human body is a miracle of systems that maintains just the right conditions to keep everything running smoothly. Therefore it’s the healthiest when there is an acidic balance or equilibrium. The stomach regulates acidic digestion with enzymes that convert acids into manageable alkaline or basal substances. However, when there is an over-production of acid, usually helped along by lifestyle choices like overeating or smoking, acid reflux is likely to occur, and if it goes unregulated, acid reflux disease can develop. Fortunately, acid reflux and diet can be effectively improved by launching a few lifestyle changes. One of the most important things you can do to cool heartburn down is to avoid certain foods. In many cases, just changing the diet is all that is necessary to control acid reflux. Most health care professionals recommend a low-acid diet consisting of more alkaline or basal foods. Foods such as chocolate, foods with a lot of extra cheese, tomato sauce or catsup based foods, onions, chilies, caffeinated beverages, fatty or fried foods, alcohol, mint, and citrus fruits have been known to aggravate digestion, acting as catalysts for acid reflux. So what foods are safe to eat? The key qualities in heartburn-friendly foods, for most people, are low fat and non-spicy. So, with that in mind you can probably guess that leafy greens and broccoli, lean cuts of grilled meat, egg whites, low-fat cheeses like feta, apples and bananas, multi-grain breads, and low-fat salad dressings are good choices. Junk food? Occasionally, but with caution, choose fat free cookies, baked potato chips, or red licorice. A good exercise to do if you...