7 Steps That Can Halt Heartburn

Over-the-counter antacids and prescription medications are the most common treatments for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In the most severe cases, surgery may even be required. But regardless of how bad your GERD symptoms are, successfully fighting heartburn and acid reflux also requires some changes in lifestyle, ranging from the food you eat to the clothes you wear.

If you stick to them every day, these seven habits may help minimize GERD symptoms.

Small, frequent meals

Meals are often a trigger for GERD symptoms. In fact, all-you-can-eat buffets are almost always a recipe for heartburn.

A very full stomach can cause the valve between your stomach and esophagus (known as the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES) to relax, pushing stomach acids back up into the esophagus.

Eat several small meals throughout the day rather than the standard breakfast, lunch, and dinner. (Don't make that last meal too late, though: Eating close to bedtime can trigger GERD symptoms as well.)

Cut the cake

Be it chocolate or caffeine, certain foods and drinks are notorious for exacerbating GERD symptoms.

The list includes spicy foods, fatty red meat, French fries (and other fried foods), citrus fruit, raw onion, tomatoes, butter, oil, peppermint, chocolate, and caffeine.

Don't drink alcohol

Alcohol is a bad idea for most people with GERD, especially if you drink too much, or on a regular basis—alcohol relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter.

A 1999 study in the American Journal of Medicine found that the percentage of people reporting reflux symptoms increased with the number of drinks consumed weekly. Those who quaffed more than seven drinks per week were the most likely to have heartburn.

Another reason to shed pounds

Excess weight can contribute to heartburn and acid reflux. A 2003 study of more than 10,000 people in the International Journal of Epidemiology found a strong link between GERD symptoms and body mass index (BMI). Obese people are nearly three times more likely than people of normal weight to have heartburn and acid reflux.

Experts aren't exactly sure why. Excess abdominal fat may place pressure on the stomach, but it may also cause chemical or hormonal changes that make the body more susceptible to acid reflux.

Don't wear tight clothing

Much like excess belly fat, clothing that's a tight fit around the midsection can push against your stomach and force acid into the esophagus.

Sure those pants look cute, but is it worth it? If you have heartburn, skip belts, waistbands, hosiery, and undergarments that may be too tight.

Head up, sleep better

What does sleep have to do with heartburn? More than you might think. Avoid eating before bedtime and elevate your head six to eight inches while you sleep.

This position doesn't necessarily reduce the frequency of acid reflux, but research shows it helps stomach acid drain from the esophagus more quickly. One study reported a 67 percent increase in acid clearance time.

Don't own a Craftmatic Adjustable Bed? Prop up your bed on specially designed blocks or use a foam wedge, both of which you can find at most home stores. (Piling up the pillows isn't as effective.)

Quit smoking

Everyone knows that smoking damages your heart and lungs. But what about your digestive system? Yep, that too.

Nicotine, like alcohol, may worsen GERD symptoms by relaxing the lower esophageal sphincter.

Smoking also causes bile salts to migrate from the small intestine into the stomach and reduces the amount of saliva you produce. (Saliva helps flush stomach acid out of the esophagus and contains a natural acid-fighter, bicarbonate.)

What Causes Acid Reflux Disease, its Symptoms And Treatments

 Acid reflux is the common term for gastro esophageal reflux disease or GERD, the condition of abnormal reflux that causes mucosal damages. This disease can affect both adults and children or infants, but gives high vulnerability to pregnant women, smokers and people who doze off right after eating without prior rest. The symptoms of acid reflux are as follows: heartburn, which is characterized by chest pain; inflammation in the mucosa; difficulty in swallowing; cough and hoarseness.

These symptoms are felt by the infected person after eating a fatty meal or drinking liquor, when bending, and worse when constantly smoking. Acid reflux is primarily caused by the malfunction of the esophageal sphincter. In other cases, it can also be brought about by the abnormal production of the gastric acids. If there is insufficient supply of the stomach acid, the valve in the stomach responsible for churning up foods to the intestine does not open up. This irritates the esophagus and leads to inflammation. Some of the factors that can trigger acid reflux are hiatus hernia, zollinger-elison syndrome, hypercalcemia, scleroderma and systemic sclerosis. According to paradoxical beliefs, drinking alcohol, tea and coffee can lead to gastro esophageal reflux.

But recent studies show that although individuals already infected by this disease can be aggravated by alcohol, tea and coffee, these elements do not cause the disease. Compared to smoking which amplifies the risks of getting the disease, alcohol, tea and coffee had the least impact. But this doesn’t mean that GERD infected people are free to take the beverages stated above. Doctors still suggest avoiding drinking of alcohol in order to shun further aggravation. Smoking is the chief culprit that causes acid reflux disease. Regular smokers for twenty years are 70% susceptible to acid reflux disease compared to non-smokers. And symptoms of those who already developed the GERD are worsened day by day due to smoking.

The highlight of the research is that great amounts of salts are found to be equivalent to regular smoking in terms of the risk of developing GERD. It is not a common knowledge that table salts can cause acid reflux disease but researchers found out in their studies that people who are constantly using extra salt are 70% at risk to have gastro esophageal reflux disease. Gastroenterologists of New York University Medical Center attested this fact.

Gastro esophageal reflux disease can be diagnosed even by the infected person himself through the appearance of the symptoms. In the occurrence of these symptoms, it is advised to undergo the tests conducted by medical experts to clear doubts of having the disease or to carry out possible treatments. To treat this kind of disorder, there are varieties of ways possible.

It can be cured by prescribed drugs such as antacids, by natural way such as change of diet system, elevation of the head when lying down, or to the utmost is surgery. And of course, it will be best to stop or avoid smoking and drinking alcohol especially to people who are vulnerable to acid reflux disease. Gastro esophageal reflux disease causes a lot of discomfort that it can ruin even your lifestyle.

 To avoid its bad effects, precautionary measures should be considered. The cliché quote that prevention is better than cure applies always.

Get Rid of the Annoying Heartburns With Acid Reflux Medicine

 Alcohol lovers would often love to match their drink with spicy dishes and greasy and fatty foods. The perfect combination makes the drinking perfect to the palate.

Unfortunately though, this is bad for the esophagus and the stomach. The alcohol, the spicy dishes and the greasy and fatty foods causes acid reflux or also known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).

Other causes of acid reflux are pregnancy, genetic influences, presence of infection in the gastrointestinal tract, and the Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). The Gastrointestinal System of the body is composed of the following: the oral cavity, the esophagus, the stomach, small intestine, large intestine and the anus. The main function of the Gastrointestinal System is to digest food particles, absorb digestive juices and eliminate undigested materials which are of course the feces. The acid reflux affects the stomach and the esophagus.

This occurs when the liquid from the stomach which contains pepsin, an irritating substance produced by the chief cells goes up to the esophagus passing through the cardiac sphincter. The cardiac sphincter is the opening to the stomach from the esophagus. Its function is to prevent reflux of the substances in the stomach because these substances cause esophageal irritation and ulcer. If the cardiac sphincter fails to close after receiving food from the esophagus, acid reflux occurs. Acid reflux is a chronic condition. Once a person suffers from it, it becomes a life-long ordeal. Injury in the esophagus also is a chronic condition.

Even if the esophagus has healed with treatment and it is being stopped, the injury will return in most patients within a few months. Once heartburn treatment  is begun, it usually needs to be continued indefinitely. Normally, liquid reflux in the stomach occurs to a healthy individual. However, people with the acid reflux or GERD, has more acid in the liquid. This may be caused by the genetic influences, specifically, an increased number of parietal cells which produce pepsin in the stomach. The body has mechanisms to protect itself from the harmful effects of reflux and acid.

 Most acid reflux happens during the day when individuals are upright. In said position, the refluxed liquid is more likely to flow back down into the stomach due to gravity. Moreover, while individuals are awake, they continually swallow, regardless if there is reflux or not. Each time individuals swallow the reflux liquid slide back into the stomach. The last body defense to reflux is the salivary glands in the mouth. These glands produce saliva, which contains bicarbonate. Every time an individual swallows, the bicarbonate-containing saliva slides down the esophagus.

 The bicarbonate neutralizes the small amount of acid that remains in the esophagus. Basically, acid reflux medicines inhibit the production or release of pepsin produced by the chief cells and hydrochloric acid produced by the parietal cells in the stomach. Other medicines may not totally inhibit the production but they neutralize the acid. The acid reflux medicines are the Histamine Blockers or the H2 receptor antagonists. Histamine stimulates a pump in the stomach that releases hydrochloric acid. The H2 receptor antagonists prevent the histamine from stimulating this pump. They block the production of the hydrochloric acid thereby reducing secretion and concentration into the stomach.

One of the acid reflux medicines is the Cimetidine which was introduced in 1975. It has a short half-life and short duration of action. The three most popular H2 blockers are Ranitidine, Famotidine and Nizatidine. They are more potent than Cimetidine because in addition to blocking gastric acid secretions, they also promote healing of the ulcer by eliminating its cause. They also have longer duration of action.

As the cliché goes, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, you can avoid having an acid reflux or GERD by avoiding too much smoking and alcohol, and by eating less of spicy and greasy food. When taking NSAIDs, be sure you take it after meals. Lastly, avoid stress because it stimulates the release of the deadly acid.