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... Advice for Sufferers of Acid Reflux Acid reflux affects people everyday. It is caused by acid in the stomach backing up into the esophagus. It makes people feel a burning, uncomfortable sensation. There are many names for acid reflux. Gastro esophageal Reflux disorder is used to describe a chronic form of acid reflux and heartburn is another name often used to describe acid reflux. It is all the same basic thing, no matter what it is called. Acid reflux can occur due to a variety of reasons. Most often a doctor can not diagnosis the exact cause without further monitoring of the condition. Sometimes it is caused by a medical reason. Some babies experience it because they are so small and their bodies can not function properly to keep acid from backing up. In adults acid reflux occurs mostly due to diet. A person should monitor their eating habits and record each time they have acid reflux. They should look for an association between their diet or activities they may do and their acid reflux. There are many things a person can do, though, to ease the symptoms before a cause is determined or even after the causes is found. Once a person figures out what causes their acid reflux, keeping it under control should not be difficult. However, for those who are not sure of why they are experiencing acid reflux here are some suggestions on trying to tame flare ups. - Avoid spicy foods. These types of foods tend to be most often associated with acid reflux. - Lie down after meals. It is best if the person is lying flat. This uses gravity to try to keep the acid down in the stomach. - Wear loose clothing. Tight fitting clothes can sometimes trigger acid reflux. - Eat smaller meals. Putting less food in the stomach causes it to create less acid, which in turn keeps acids levels where they do...