Monday, November 22, 2010

In Search of the Best Acid Reflux Cure

You can help find a cure for your acid reflux (or gastroesophageal reflux disease) with a little patience and a lot of will power. Finding an acid reflux will not be as easy as you think; it will take some hard work to achieve a pain free body. The most important thing is to get as much information as you can on acid reflux.

Be familiar with the condition. You also need to talk to your doctor about any acid reflux cures and treatments available to you. You can then start to design your lifestyle around being acid reflux free. You will need to incorporate all these things into one to get the best acid reflux cure possible for your situation.

Information about acid reflux and heartburn is the vital key that can help solve problems with mild or severe acid reflux. Acid reflux is a very painful condition that can cause serious damage to the esophagus and the digestive system if left untreated. The search for an acid reflux cure involves helping the sufferer find comfort as well as prevent acid reflux from reoccurring.

You can try any number of acid reflux cures for your condition. Work with your doctor so you can have the best chance of having a good outcome. Find the right care and take an active role in understanding what is going on inside your body so you can take the proper steps. Your acid reflux condition does not only affect your digestive system; it affects your entire body.

Acid reflux medications that do not work with the chemicals in your body will prove to be ineffective acid reflux cures. In addition, they may cause more harm to your system. It is a fact that there are medications available that can cause more damage than actually treating the acid reflux. There is nothing worse than taking medications you think will give you acid reflux relief and find out that they only make your condition worse. This is the reason you need to consult with a doctor because he or she can prescribe the right acid reflux cure for you.

Your doctor can also inform you of the possible side affects of such medications and advise you of the steps you need to take to ensure you avoid complications.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

What Options Are Available For Acid Reflux Treatment?

Acid reflux, also known as gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD), occurs when the sphincter that is positioned at the bottom of the esophagus stops functioning properly. This will allow food in the stomach to come back up through the sphincter into the esophagus and sometimes even into the mouth, resulting in a painful heartburn (a burning sensation in the chest and throat) or even permanent damage to the esophagus if no proper acid reflux treatment is sought.


Acid reflux treatment varies among individual upon diagnosis. To some, lifestyle changes will be necessary to reduce the pain and discomfort of the disease. One such change is to avoid foods that trigger the symptoms. Foods that give rise to Acid Reflux are aplenty and obtaining a list of them is a good place to start. Yet, a food that cause problem for one may be perfectly fine for another. Therefore, patients are regularly advised to keep their own diet diary, so that offensive foods can be identified and avoided.


Those diagnosed with Acid Reflux should also avoid overeating, alcohol, coffee and smoking. A person who is obese may be advised to loss some weight as part of an acid reflux treatment plan. Since symptoms can get worse after a night of lying flat, one might find relief in the morning by elevating the upper body by about eight inches during sleep.


Acid Reflux Drugs Are Very Effective


If lifestyle changes are not able to provide the desired relief, one can then consider taking Acid Reflux drugs. Sometimes readily available antacids will do. In other cases, a prescription drug might be required. A point to note is that this form of treatment will have to be taken regularly and continued indefinitely


The good news is that the treatment is not difficult to administer for acid reflux in adults and children. It is rather excellent and extremely fast in relieving most, if not all of the symptoms of the person suffering for quite some time.


Are The Acid Reflux Drugs Good Or Bad To Treat The Acid Reflux


The acid reflux drugs are highly capable of getting rid of all the symptoms within a day or two from the start of the treatment. They will be free of chest pain, heartburn, and etc. These treatments are simple and direct which include one of two main acid reflux drugs.


If you do not like too many drugs, you can consider using herbs and other alternatives which can be just as effectively.


Understanding Acid Reflux Surgery


For those who do not wish to continue with medication forever or the medication is ineffective, they can consider surgery.


It is important to understand the surgical process and the complications involved if you are considering it as an option for your suffering. This is a grave matter that deserves serious consideration in terms of your options. Unless all your natural options are unsuccessful and you cannot find effective relief in either a dietary or a lifestyle change, then you can consider surgery as a solution for your recovery. You will thus have to consider the plus and minus of the surgery before deciding.


The Surgical Procedure


One procedural option for acid reflux surgery is called laparoscopy. This is a technique that is similar to tying the Fallopian tubes in females. The same principle applies and the surgeon would fold the upper stomach. It is wrapped and sutured to the esophagus from this point, wrapped around both sides of the food tube. This technique aims to restore the typical amount of pressure on the sphincter and, thus, creates a normal operation procedure that allows the correct quantity of acid to flow to the right places.


An alternative to the surgical procedure is to reduce the amount of stomach acid through medication. This is preferred to acid reflux surgery only if the surgery is deemed too dangerous for the patient or if it is not thought to work with the patient's biochemical reactions.


The choice of treatment lies with the individual whether surgical or non-surgical procedure is used to eliminate the pervasive problem of acid reflux.


The Cure And The Suffering


The cure for acid reflux actually lies in your hands. It is not about the medicine, drugs and surgery available to cure Acid Reflux. It is about having the right diet to combat the symptoms. For someone suffering from acute acidity and acid reflux, their diet should be specially designed and they should make sure that they are never caught hungry.


People who skip breakfast or spend two hours eating lunch/dinner would never get their health back. When the stomach stays hungry for prolong period, a lot of acid is created, and it is possible for the stomach to 'fight back' and force it up towards the mouth. This is when you get a sour taste in the mouth.


Visit a doctor if you suspect that you are suffering from acidity. If treatment is delayed, the danger of getting esophageal ulcers will be greater. This might lead to cancer at a later stage. Always remember, "Prevention is always better than cure."

Saturday, November 20, 2010

What is on Your "Acid Reflux Food Not to Eat" List?

Certain food and drinks can add to the problem of acid reflux. How do we know which acid reflux foods not to eat and what ones are unlikely to cause reflux to flare up? The best way to be certain if a particular food is causing an attack of reflux, is to keep a list of the foods you eat and drink. Also, record any symptoms you have during this period. A food that causes excess stomach acid in one person may not cause it in someone else. Keeping a record will help you determine the foods you need to avoid in order to control your acid reflux. There are certain foods that are more likely to cause reflux than others are.


Acid Reflux - Food Not To Eat


Foods commonly known to cause heartburn include dairy products such as milk, ice cream, cottage cheese, and even yogurt. Milk may seem like a quick solution to sooth the stomach and stop reflux. The truth is, it encourages the production of more stomach acid.


Drinks that can increase the secretion of stomach acid include beer, wine, and soda pop. Drinking beer can double your stomach acid within an hour.


Fried food, fast food, fatty foods, mints, chocolate, other sweets, potato chips, and tomato-based products can all contribute to excess stomach acid. Other foods include ground beef or chuck, chicken nuggets, Buffalo wings, macaroni and cheese, spaghetti with sauce, mashed potatoes, and fries.


You may discover that reflux occurs after eating foods that are not on a typical "acid reflux food not to eat" list or that you can eat certain foods on the list with no problems. For example, eating chocolate may not trigger an acid attack in you, but may have the opposite effect on others. Keep a record to see what you can and cannot eat.


The best way to avoid acid reflux is to eat smaller meals throughout the day instead of three big meals. This will reduce the amount of acid required to digest the food. Foods such as bread, pasta, and rice have a tendency to absorb the acid and are prone to be easier on the stomach.


Do not lie down soon after eating, wait at least an hour. Avoid heavy meals in the evening. The more food you eat, the longer it takes to digest and thus produces more acid. Elevate your head six inches or more when lying down.


According to some studies, there is no evidence to support the claim that acidic fruit, coffee, and spicy food trigger acid reflux. In fact, many claim that citrus fruits such as lime actually reduce their acid reflux. However, many people with acid reflux can not tolerate these foods and they are leading contributors on their "acid reflux food not to eat" list.


The symptoms of reflux can be very painful. Most people take prescriptions or over the counter medications such as acid reducers to alleviate the symptoms. The condition can be controlled by making diet and behavior changes. Learning the foods you need to avoid, eating smaller meals, elevating your head at night, and not eating too soon before bedtime. You may want to talk to your doctor and work with him or her on a plan for controlling your reflux. But you must keep an "acid reflux food not to eat" list to know for certain what foods your own body can handle!

 
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