February 27, 2006

Caution When Treating Acid Reflux With Antacids

Filed under: Acid Reflux Treatment — Administrator @ 5:13 pm

It is the opinion of many researchers that antacid treatments actually increase the annoying experience of acid reflux rather than cure it.

Your stomach produces acid during meals which is part of its job, and a genuinely acceptable thing. Without stomach acid your stomach is unable to dissolve the food you eat or extract the essential nutrients you require, not only for optimal health, but just to live.

Neutralizing or suppressing stomach acid can in fact be detrimental to your health rather than a benefit.

I challenge you to find a biochemists who thenselves would ever use proton-pump inhibitors or antacid treatments with meals, yet this is exactly what the popular acid reflux medications do by decreasing or even eliminating stomach acid.

Furthermore, the suppressing of stomach acid can cause permanent
impairment of the stomach’s ability to form adequate acid for digestion as part of a continuing process.

Additionally, if your food is not effectively broken down by your stomach acid to be suitably digested, it is more liable to weaken your lower esophageal sphincter, which makes acid reflux more likely to happen.

Note that even the makers of antacid treatments advise that people use them for only 2 weeks or less, wheras numerous doctors keep their patients on them indefinitely.

The good news is that the rise in acid reflux is often linked to causes of our own making. That means we can make more healthy choices to decrease the chances of acid reflux. There are also more healthful ways to handle it when it does arise.

Thanks for dropping by. Please feel free to check out other articles within this site relating to acid reflux disease and associated matter

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February 26, 2006

Acid Reflux May Be Pre Malignant Barretts Syndrome

Filed under: Barretts Esophagus — Administrator @ 8:47 pm

Is your indigestion simple acid reflux or the much more sinister Barretts Syndrome, also known as Barretts Esophagus ?

If you have had persistent heartburn, indigestion, difficulty swallowing or have acid reflux disease, you may need evaluation for a pre-malignant condition known as Barretts Syndrome.

Barretts Syndrome is the most severe aftermath of chronic acid reflux. The method by which this happens is unclear, but the tissue coating the lower esophagus is replaced by tissue that is more allied the tissue in the stomach. The esophagus is normally covered by squamous epithelium, but in Barretts Syndrome, this is replaced by columnar epithelium. The columnar epithelium is more resistant to the effects of the reflux of stomach acid.

This might appear like a good thing to guard the esophagus from the acid reflux but unfortunately, this has been shown to be a pre-malignant condition. Numerous studies have established the association between Barrett’s columnar epithelium and adenocarcinoma (cancer) of the esophagus. Therefore, the occurrence of Barretts Syndrome is considered a pre-cancerous condition.
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February 21, 2006

GERD Symptoms (Gastroesophageal reflux disease )

Filed under: Acid Reflux, GERD Treatment — Administrator @ 9:26 pm

GERD Symptoms (Gastroesophageal reflux disease )

GERD is felt as a burning sensation plus pain in the stomach and chest behind the breastbone.
The symptoms of GERD include bloating, gas, and nausea, often accompanied by shortness of breath and an acidic or sour taste in the throat and mouth.

GERD is caused when hydrochloric acid, which is use to digest food, is released up the esophagus.
On its way up the acid can irritate the sensitive tissues in the esophagus and throat.
In normal stomach function, the esophageal sphincter muscle contracts and prevents the stomach acid from passing up into the esophagus.

GERD occurs if this muscle is not functioning properly and allows the acid to slip past it resulting in when GERD symptoms.

Other names used include Acid reflux disease ,dyspepsia, heasrtburn or acid indigestion.

If left un treated, repeated flow of acid through the esophagus can scar and produce changes in the cells lining, sometimes causing cancer.

A hiatus hernia develops when the stomach bulges up into the diaphragm, this condition can also cause Acid Reflux.
Other triggers for GERD are alcohol, smoking and eating acidic foods

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February 15, 2006

Heartburn Help

Filed under: Acid Reflux, Heartburn Treatments — Administrator @ 12:34 am

Most people have stomach acid reflux at some time in their lives, either as heartburn or acid regurgitation. When refluxed stomach acid touches the lining of the esophagus, it causes a burning sensation in the chest or throat called heartburn. The burning, pressure, or pain of heartburn can last as long as 2 hours and is often worse after eating.

People who eat too fast or fail to chew their food adequately may experience symptoms of indigestion or heartburn. Spicy foods, coffee and cola drinks are other common causes. To minimize heartburn I recommend avoiding large meals. Try and break your food intake into smaller, more manageable portions, and refrain from eating immediately prior to going to bed.

Heartburn that occurs regularly may be a sign of a more serious condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Another related cause of heartburn is hiatal hernia, in which a small portion of the stomach protrudes through the sphincter muscle in the stomach. However, many people who experience heartburn do not have a hiatus hernia.

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February 13, 2006

Acid Reflux all the Facts

Filed under: Acid Reflux Disease — Administrator @ 6:57 pm

The following article presents the very latest information on acid reflux. If you have a particular interest in acid reflux, then this information will be of great help.

Whether its referred to as acid reflux, GERD or heartburn, if you are suffering from belching, gas or a bloated stomach lets consider the cause.

Its been a hard and stressful day at work. You race home, gulp down a quick meal and collapse into bed for a well earned rest.

You may belch and probably feel bloated. This is the beginning of acid reflux, and can cause acid and stomach content to wash back into the oesophagus creating a burning sensation.

This is often an indicator that something is wrong in your digestive system. When we eat or drink, the digestive process begins in the mouth with enzymes in saliva beginning the task by starting to break down the food to promote easy digestion. The food continues down the esophagus, passing through a valve prior to entering the stomach where it comes in contact with stomach (hydrochloric) acid to further break down the food.

If the valve relaxes, or if an excess of acid is produced, acid may be forced back into the oesophagus causing the reflux or heartburn.

Think about what you’ve read so far. Does it reinforce what you already know about acid reflux? Or was there something completely new? lets continue.

Occasional reflux is normal, but when it occurs regularly and disrupts daily life, it is described as a disease - Gastro esophageal Reflux Disease, or GERD and can contribute to cancer where the stomach and esophagus meet.

If you are suffering from heartburn the first thing you should do is take a good look at what you are eating. Over consumption of fatty foods and refined carbohydrates including biscuits, cakes and white bread can affect digestion and and cause reflux symptoms. Other irritants include salt, spices, sugar, curries, coffee, fizzy drinks and alcohol.

Before you take drastic action to treat heartburn lets look at suitable supplements to aid digestion. As well as supplements that contain digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid, there are a number of specific formulas to relieve indegestion.

These contain ingredients such as active herbs including Globe Artichoke Leaf, Gentian Root, Fennel Seed and Ginger. These natural herbs have been used for years in treating stomach complaints. Swedish Bitters is another possible treatment well recommended.

Probiotics such as Lactobacillus Acidophilus and Bifidacterium lactis are beneficial for digestion by maintaining the friendly bacteria in the gastrointestional tract.

If you feel that you are not over indulging in any of these foods, and reflux symptoms persist, see your doctor, as untreated gastric reflux can damage the esophagus and even lead to cancer.

Now you can understand why there’s a growing interest in acid reflux as untreated reflux can be a pre curser to gastric cancer.

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Acid Reflux|Heartburn