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Acid Reflux
Causes and Avoiding Acid Reflux
Pain
If you often suffer from the pain of acid
reflux or heartburn you could
have a more serious problem. After an
especially spicy or heavy meal, even very
healthy people can experience a bit of
regurgitation of stomach contents. If this is
rare, it's simple heartburn and nothing to
worry about. But if it's a familiar sensation
for you, you could be suffering from acid
reflux or more officially called
gastroesophageal reflux disease. You can use
the acronym GERD for short.
You know how strong stomach acid is. Imagine
what it does to the esophagus over time if
stomach contents back up? Not a pretty picture.
The stomach also contains pepsin for breaking
down proteins and bile that may have backed up
from the duodenum (the first part of the small
intestine). These are not as damaging as the
acid, but they are harmful, and the three
substances together make for an unhappy
combination in the esophagus. It can become
inflamed and develop ulcers. When this happens,
the condition is called esophagitis. So, it's
one disease causing another, sort of a domino
effect. This can even erode the enamel on your
teeth. Think of the dental
bills!
While becoming informed about your symptoms and
what they might mean is always a good idea,
it's not a good idea to diagnose and treat
yourself when it comes of acid reflux. It could
delay your getting on a proper course of
treatment that will lead to recovery. The good
news is that this condition is highly
treatable. But first, a doctor needs to examine
you to determine exactly what is going on in
your digestive system and
why.
Some of the possible acid reflux causes
are:
a malfunctioning esophagus either because its
sphincter valve where it connects to the
stomach isn't working right or because it does
not contract property and move food along the
way it's supposed to;
a bulging of the stomach into the chest area,
called a hiatal hernia;
Improper emptying of the stomach, so it sits in
the stomach instead of being pushed to the
small intestine, sort of like a clogged drain.
This is sometimes called "weak stomach" because
the stomach muscles are not contracting
properly. In a normal stomach tiny electrical
impulses contract the stomach about three times
a minute. This grinds the food and helps push
it along.
Sometimes a person can have GERD without
heartburn symptoms. Another telltale sign is
halitosis (This doesn't mean everybody with
halitosis has acid reflux
though).
If you suspect you have acid reflux or are
experiecning acid reflux , make an appointment
with your doctor. He or she has the expertise
and diagnostic tools to get to the root of the
problem and advise a workable course of
treatment.
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