Acid Reflux

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Author:
Stephen Kreutzer

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 not back up into the esophagus.

- Look at medication. If a person is taking certain medications their acid reflux may be caused by them. Most over the counter medications will list acid reflux as a possible side effect if they are known to cause it. For prescription medications a person can ask their doctor or pharmacist.

- Stop or cut down on smoking. Smoking has been linked to stimulate acid production. More acid means more chance of acid reflux.

- Elevate the head when sleeping. Elevating the head also uses gravity to keep the stomach acid down.

If doing any of these activities reduces or eliminates acid reflux then a person has found their trigger.

Acid reflux is a part of daily life for many people. The key to eliminating it is to find the reasons behind it and stop doing them. A trip to the doctor never hurts to rule out medical problems as well.

About the author: Stephen Kreutzer is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides acid reflux information on Acid Reflux Aid.

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 Symptoms 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...