Acid Reflux Disease Triggers, Heartburn and Other Signs

Posted on March 5, 2008

» Filed Under Diseases |



A person with acid reflux disease or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is someone whose lower esophageal sphincter or LES is not functioning properly and is unable to keep the stomach liquid from splashing back up to his esophagus. The lower esophageal sphincter or LES is that small valve-like muscle at the base of your esophagus which function is to keep the food and liquid to be swallowed down to the stomach but prevents them from coming back up to the esophagus.

This stomach liquid contains acid that gets into contact with the esophagus and irritates it. When the person feels this irritation through a burning pain in the chest towards the throat, he is having a heartburn-the most common symptom of acid reflux disease. Further going up of this acid from stomach liquid to the back of the mouth gives one what is called acid indigestion, which is characterized by the strong bitter taste of bile.

Millions of Americans develop heartburn and other symptoms of acid reflux disease everyday. If these symptoms are left unattended, and are not given medical attention, these may lead to severe complications that could sometimes result to something more lethal.

CAUSES OF ACID REFLUX DISEASE

Acid reflux disease have been with humankind ever since but it is funny how literatures about the subject simply say that no one really knows why we develop acid reflux. There is a theory that hiatal hernia must be a cause. Hiatal hernia is the intrusion of the upper part of the stomach into the esophagus. The diaphragm above the stomach is not able to stop this from happening and this condition can afflict anyone regardless of age and sex.

Besides hiatal hernia, a person’s lifestyle contributes largely to the development of acid reflux disease. Alcohol abuse or heavy drinking can trigger heartburn (perhaps people may be too drunk sometimes to notice this condition!). Pregnancy is another trigger as this is a condition where the expectant mother has too much pressure on her stomach. Smoking is also a known cause of acid reflux disease.

Diet is one of the greatest factors of acid reflux disease. The foods that we eat largely determine our over-all health and ingestion of foods with high fat content, foods that are acidic like citrus fruits and juices, tomato-based foods, some spices like pepper and a wide variety of berries are just some of the common triggers of acid reflux symptoms.

Symptoms, on the other hand, could range from difficulty in swallowing, waking up and getting up in the middle of the night gagging, to the most common symptom shared by acid reflux disease patients: heartburn. This is the condition when one experiences a burning sensation in the chest that seem to crawl up the throat. This becomes worse when lying down, when bending or when coughing.

Hoarseness or loss of voice, frequent belches, and this is usually accompanied by regurgitated liquid that is bitter or sour from the back of the throat. Chronic acid reflux disease must be referred to a competent physician to prevent this ailment from developing into more complicated and more severe health conditions.

More information, tips and resources are available about acid reflux disease at http://www.TheAcidRefluxOnline.com

Article Author :Joe_Rizal


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