Acid Reflux

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Author:
John Mancini

Gastroesophageal reflux disease, also referred to as GERD or acid reflux disease, is an illness where the liquefied contents of the sufferers stomach backs up into their esophagus. The stomach contents that is regurgitated contains acids and pepsin that may cause quite severe damage to the esophagus although this only happens in very few cases. Acid reflux disease is a chronic disease and once you contract it you are likely to become a lifelong sufferer. If the esophagus does become damaged this is also a chronic disease. Treatment can be given to improve the state of the esophagus wall but if the treatment is stopped the problems can return within a matter of weeks.

1- Heartburn is by far the most common symptom of acid reflux disease and if a doctor suspects your heartburn is cause by acid reflux disease he or she will prescribe you with a medicine that stops the production of acid in your stomach. If it stops then it is assumed that you do indeed have acid reflux disease. This approach of diagnosis can be unreliable.

2- An endoscopy is another way of diagnosing acid reflux disease. A tube is swallowed so that doctors can see exactly what is going on inside your body. However, a esophagus of a patient suffering from the disease ordinarily looks quite normal so this method of diagnosis will only directly work for those patients whose esophagus has been damaged by their acid reflux disease. However, if an ulcer or other ailment that can cause similar problems is spotted then it may be possible to discount acid reflux disease.

3- Biopsies can be used to search for the existence of cancer. They can not be used to look for evidence of acid reflux disease but alternative causes of symptoms may be found.

4- Examining the throat and larynx is an approach that is sometimes consider for the diagnosis of acid reflux disease. Inflammation of either may indicate that a patient has acid reflux disease but there a number of other problems that may cause these symptoms too.

5- Esophageal acid testing is probably the most accurate way to test for acid reflux disease but is the most obtrusive as well. A tube is placed through the nose and into the esophagus where it remains for 24 hours. This tube has a sensor on the end and measures the amount of reflux generated over 24 hours.

About the author:

John Mancini has been writing about Acid Reflux online and offline for a long time. Visit http://acid-reflux-solutions.info or http://acid-reflux-web.info to read more about matters like acid reflux diet and acid reflux surgery.

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 - Tips for Prevention Acid reflux is the result of stomach acids moving back into the esophagus through the sphincter valve separating the two. Since the esophagus does not have the protective lining that the stomach has, the introduction of this acid into the esophagus is very painful. Continuous exposure to stomach acids can seriously damage your esophagus. Suffering from acid reflux doesn't have to be a permanent state for you. While everyone experiences some heartburn periodically, those that have frequent acid reflux experience this as often as every day. There are steps that you can take to control and prevent acid reflux. First and foremost, you want to visit your doctor. Acid reflux can be a symptom of a larger problem. Some dietary changes that you can make to help control your acid reflux are: Eating more protein at meals. It is possible that eating protein can help strengthen the muscles of your esophagus, therefore reducing the amount of reflux you experience. Limit carbonated beverages. These drinks can aggravate acid reflux. Avoid food and drinks that contain caffeine and reduce or eliminate alcoholic beverages. These can increase acid production in the stomach, which can lead to acid reflux. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables aids in digestion, although avoid acidic ones such as tomatoes and citrus fruits. Seventy five percent of all people who suffer from acid reflux find that it occurs most often at night or while lying down. You can help prevent acid reflux by doing the following: Do not go to bed full. Stop eating at least two hours before going to bed. After your last meal of the day, get some exercise rather than lying down on the couch. Sleep with your head raised slightly. You can do this with an extra pillow (making sure it is supporting your...