Are We Overlooking Acid Reflux Disease in Children?

An 11-year-old boy in Boston developed a Gastro esophageal reflux Disease (GERD). According to his mother, Cathy, it was the end of June in the year 2005 when his son developed a cough which usually happens during sleep, and even during daytime. It is only a short dry cough symptom. His pediatrician thought it was only allergy, however, when his son was tested, result showed that his son had no allergy.

According to her, it was his son’s asthma that relates to GERD. Studies show that GERD is likewise normal to infants and children like in adults, though this fact is often times being overlooked. The symptoms come in continual sickness, coughing, and other respiratory trouble. Children are vulnerable to GERD because of their immature digestive system. Truth is majority of the infants grow out of GERD once they reach the age of one year old.

The medical specialists further stated that symptoms for children may come in difficulty in swallowing foods, or failure to grow. The doctors recommended that in situation like this it is best to lessen the amount of acid in the children’s stomach before it could lead to acid reflux, since this disease is not very curable in children. However, the doctor suggested some approaches to avoid acid reflux on children; an example of these is burping the infant quite a few times during feeding, or letting the infant stay in an erect position for 30 minutes after nourishing.

Although, for a child ages three and up, doctors suggested to keep them off from sodas that includes caffeine like soft drinks, carbonated drinks, spicy foods like peppermint, acidic foods like citrus fruits, too much chocolate, and fried and fatty foods. Ideally, establishing a healthy eating habit diet can really decrease the acid reflux in children.

It is also suggested that children will eat smaller meals before sleeping, if possible, do not allow them to eat two to three hours before sleeping, also, elevate the head of their bed for at least 30 degrees. Further treatments include the use of H2 blockers; this is available in any drugs store. Prevacid, proton plump inhibitors, can also be used in treating acid flux for children. However, if these treatments fail to stop the symptoms, other treatment method needs to be done. It is very atypical, but doctors’ recommends surgery, this is so far the best treatment for relentless symptoms which do not anymore counter to other treatments.

The Esophageal reflux surgery for children is designated for children who have had unsuccessful medical treatments, and continuous surgery is essential as the child grows. Now, if you get confused whether when is the time to consult a pediatrician regarding acid reflux. The answer is you observe, observe the amounts of vomiting of the child, if it already comes out in green or yellow or appears to be like blood or coffee grounds, there difficulty in breathing after vomiting, and there is pain in swallowing, immediately consult a pediatrician before the symptom gets aggravated.

So to prevent the occurrence of this disease, stay away from the habit of leaning forward after eating, or worse, sleeping after taking a large amount of food.

 Take note, advanced acid reflux disease has a great possibility to end serious medical complications, and it may lead to hospitalization. Be keen of the possible symptoms so will not overlook it.

Take care of your kids.

How to Keep Pregnant Women Away From The Acid Reflux Dilemma!

Many women tend to experience heartburn symptoms when they are still carrying their babies, and this happens for several reasons. One of these is the increase of hormones in the women’s body while they are pregnant.

The occurrence of this will result in softening the ligaments which function is to keep the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) firmly closed.

When the LES rests at unsuitable periods, tendency is, this will let the gastric acid and food to reflux back to the esophagus and throat. One more reason of experiencing heartburn during pregnancy is because the changes in the body and the development of the baby creates more pressure in the women’s stomach. Therefore, the stomach contents are forced right into the LES, and then to the esophagus.

However, there are several methods that a pregnant woman can observe to lessen the discomfort brought by heartburn. The following are good advices, although this may not remove the heartburn totally: • Avoid the food that triggers heartburn. Examples of this are chocolates, spicy foods, citrus fruits and juices, mustard, tomatoes and tomato based products, fatty foods, fried foods, and highly seasoned dishes.

Try to refer to medical specialists to know the complete list of foods to avoid Acid Reflux. Also, for foods that you may take which contains little danger of causing heartburn.

• Get rid of drinks that have caffeine, like tea, coffee, and soda. Too much of these will cause the LES to relax and let the acid to return into the esophagus.

• Stay away from alcohol beverages. This, like caffeine tends to relax the LES thus, creating the same effect—triggering heartburn.

• Avoid eating large meals. It is suggested that taking numerous small meals throughout the day will be better.

• Avoid rush in eating your meals. Chewing food thoroughly will really help in avoidance of heartburn, so better take your time in eating.

• Rest for at least three hours after having your last meal before taking your sleep.

 • A pregnant woman is advised to take more glasses of water a day, at least 8 to 10 glasses, though this must be taken not just during meals. Through this, the stomach will expand, and then the LES will be given more pressure, obliging it to open inappropriately. Hence, it is really recommended to drink more water and other fluids in between meals.

• When sleeping elevate the head of the bed for at least six to eight inches. Try to sleep with an elevated head and shoulders through a wedge pillow. Through this, the gravity will work as much that it will keep the acids in your stomach in their place—in the stomach, not in the esophagus. Try to consult physicians to gain additional knowledge on how to relieve nighttime heartburn.

• Don’t wear tight fitting clothes. Tightness around the waist and stomach will trigger heartburn as it causes uneasiness.

 • When bending, do it at the knees, not at the waist. This will avoid in creating too much pressure in the stomach.

• Don’t slouch; rather sit erect in a relaxing chair.

• Maintain a sensible amount of weight, too much weight and fatness will give more stress in your stomach. As a result, this will force stomach contents throughout the LES and to the esophagus. Stay with your doctors guidelines.

• Avoid smoking. Doctors stated that smoking could cause several effects to a pregnant woman, much that it can add to the possibility of experiencing heartburn.

How Obesity Can Cause Acidity

Acidity and obesity may be caused by the same methods: eat food wrong. In addition, obesity can be a heartburn cause alone, even if a person does not eat acidity shooting food.

The reason for this double relationship lies in the form stomach acids and digestive system normally work together in a healthy way. Obesity affects parts of the digestive process in ways that set the scene for Chronicle or cut heartburn.

How does heartburn happen?
Heartburn is a symptom that most people experience at least once. A symptom is something that we believe due to another condition or disease.

The condition that most often causes acidity is acid reflux. Acid reflux is a term that describes the process in which you get the acids of the stomach into the esophagus, irritating the throat and cause the burning sensation we call acidity.

Normally, a muscle at the base of the esophagus where it meets the stomach closes to prevent that acid entering this area. This muscle, known as LES or esophageal sphincter lower, is a rounded muscle which constrains strongly, taking refuge in the throat of the contents of the stomach.

When we experience acidity, this muscle is not working to keep the sealed passageway. This is known as a "them relaxed". The relaxes LES several times a day on their own, reason why some people occasionally feel heartburn. Other triggers can help relax the LES, too, such as alcohol, chocolate and some medical conditions.

In some people, acid reflux is a chronic problem which happens several times a week or more. In their case, they have a condition known as gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Most people will experience acid reflux in her life. It can occur during times of extreme stress when our daily routine is interrupted, it may happen after eating certain foods and acidity can hit by only eating a big meal and getting "too full".

How stomach acidity and overweight that are directly related
Most of us know that food for anyone can lead to being overweight in time. Excess can also cause heartburn. So if a person habitually overeats and becomes overweight, acidity often occur in the process.

Other conditions can cause obesity too, making it much more difficult to lose weight and alleviate some of the symptoms of acid reflux, such as heartburn. Other conditions can also cause heartburn through the side effects of medications. Some people who are overweight due to glandular and joint problems may be prescribed diuretic causing dehydration: another cause of heartburn in some people.

More commonly, however, acidity and overweight are related due to the physiology of the body (how things move in relationship among themselves). When the body is higher than it should be, they also accumulate fatty deposits within the walls of the structures and bodies.

This pushes the separate bodies (or boards) and increases gastric pressure on the body. Increased gastric pressure causes acidity in many people. Displaced bodies can also stretch the them and avoid it closes correctly.

Another common condition is a hernia hiatal where he obtained a little pushed the stomach into the esophagus. This weakens the them and allow the flow of acid into the esophagus.

Medical experts are not positive about all the ways that acidity and overweight are directly linked. But statistics show that there is one much greater chance of heartburn in obese patients and that overweight people are more likely to develop GERD. Consider the possibility of losing weight in addition to our resources of acidity if you suffer from heartburn.