Showing posts with label acid reflux symptoms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label acid reflux symptoms. Show all posts

Monday, October 11, 2010

Acid Reflux Diet - Your Comprehensive Guide

Acid reflux is a typical dilemma as you age, happen to be obese or taking unhealthy foods. In some occasions, acid reflux can be triggered by a stomach infection or with the stomachs lining being injured. This results to feeling of bloating and unnecessary increase in acid levels traveling back into the throat. Acid reflux diet is needed to alleviate manifestations of heartburn, indigestion and acid reflux. It is essential to recall if pain continues that you consult a certified health professional as some cases could direct to cancer. The natural therapies for acid reflux are alternatives to medications and surgery because they are affordable and have no side effects.

It is used traditionally for over a long period of time, particularly in remote and rural areas. They have been found efficient and capable of preventing the rise of stomach acids to the esophagus, causal to acid reflux or heartburn. In fact, acid reflux diet is subjected of extensive medical studies because their efficiency continues to baffle doctors and scientists. You must know more about these common traditional herbs and how they provide relief and remedy without needing for acid reflux drugs or surgery. There are numerous natural remedies proven to be successful in treating the condition.

Apple cider vinegar is one particular theory pertaining to the acid sensitivity of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). As a person grows older, the ability to produce stomach acid can be impaired. This will result to alterations of body functions including the weakening of the muscular valves of the LES. Hence, LES becomes inefficient in preventing leakages of stomach contents to the esophagus. Apple cider vinegar can increase the supplement of acid in the stomach to hasten the digestion processes before regurgitated food can leak out of the digestive system. Adding this ingredient into your acid reflux diet is essential.

Licorice in medical studies is confirmed to have flavonoids in the roots. In some cases, reflux may result from an over secretion of stomach acids and the sufferer will need medication to inhibit the over production of acids. Hence, as opposed to the effects of acid cider vinegar, the flavonoids in licorice can prevent the over secretion of acids. Bladder wrack based on clinical studies is another herbal plant that contains magnesium carbonate and alginic acid. Magnesium carbonate is medically used as an antacid but the effectiveness of alginic acid in preventing stomach acid is yet to be explored. When you are planning for an acid reflux diet, you can mix these herbs into your food.

Barley grass is one more natural treatment as it is made up of amino acids and chlorophyll, successfully used as anti-inflammatory substances. Preferably, young barley grass are steamed and taken as tea to give gastric relief. Additionally, mastic gum is an evergreen shrub, which has hydrochloric acid highly efficient in eradicating helicobacter pylori, a bacterial strain that results to reflux disorder. Cabbage juice has glutamine content, famous as an all time favorite to be an element of an acid reflux diet for rural individuals to give natural treatment for acid reflux. Slippery elm is also desirable to be part of the regimen since it has calming characteristics which can efficiently relieve the mucous membranes of the esophagus.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Symptoms of Acid Reflux Reviewed

Though often not so serious, the symptoms of acid reflux can be painful and uncomfortable. Acid reflux or GERD occurs when the tube used to take in the food from the throat to the stomach could not handle the acid. The stomach digests the food we eat with the help of the acid it produces and stores. The walls around the stomach are supposed to be strong enough to produce and store the acid without causing any damage.

One of the very first and most common symptoms of acid reflux is heartburn, which occurs when the acid produced by the stomach to digest the food we eat flows back to the esophagus. This is normal though as it can be experienced by everyone once in a while; however, if the symptoms of acid reflux occur more frequently and can't be relieved by medications, you may be positive of acid reflux. The symptoms of acid reflux may be relieved and prevented by making some changes in your diet but if this still doesn’t work, you should seek immediate medical attention.

The symptoms of acid reflux are experienced when the lower oeasophageal sphinter fails to block or stop the acid from flowing back from the stomach to the esophagus. When this occurs, the chest experiences burning sensation and pain. This condition is called heartburn.

Other symptoms of acid reflux include:

1. Burning Sensation or Pain in the Chest - this burning sensation or pain is first felt at the sternum or from behind the breastbone and may radiate up to the throat. This condition is usually experienced shortly after eating. It can last for as short as a few minutes or as long as several hours.

2. Sour or bitter taste in the mouth – a person will have a sour or bitter taste in the mouth when the stomach contents are pushed back to the esophagus and to the back of the throat.

3. Trouble with Swallowing - also known as dysphagia, trouble with swallowing is a condition that occurs when there is no normal passage of food from the mouth through the esophagus tube to the stomach. This condition is accompanied by a feeling of choking, burning after eating, chest pressure, or a feeling that the food could not move from the throat. It is one of the most common symptoms of acid reflux but it could also be a symptom of other medical conditions such as esophagitis and esophageal cancer; thus, constant trouble with swallowing requires immediate medical attention.

4. Coughing – research shows that GERD accounted for almost 40% of cases of chronic cough in patients who do not smoke. Coughing occurs when the stomach acid refluxes into the esophagus and is inhaled.

5. Wheezing and other asthma-related symptoms – these are also some of the most common symptoms of acid reflux as study sows that around 60% of asthmatic people have also been diagnosed to have acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD can cause asthma-related symptoms when the stomach acid backs up into the esophagus and is inhaled into the lungs and airways, thereby, making breathing more difficult and causing the patient to cough and wheeze.