Acid Reflux Disease - The Causes, Symptoms And Treatments
Acid reflux, or gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD)
, is a condition that produces abnormal reflux which causes damage to the mucous membranes. This disease affects adults, children and infants but pregnant women, smokers and people who go to sleep immediately after eating without prior rest are more highly susceptible.
The symptoms of acid reflux include heartburn, which is characterized by chest pain, inflammation in the mucosa, difficulty in swallowing, and cough and hoarseness. A person suffering from acid reflux disease will experience these symptoms after eating a fatty meal, drinking alcohol, when constantly smoking, and when bending.
Malfunctioning of the esophageal sphincter is the main cause of acid reflux. In some cases, it is also triggered by the abnormal production of gastric acids. When there is not an adequate supply of stomach acid , the valve in the stomach, which is responsible for churning up foods to the intestine, does not function properly and fails to open up. This causes irritation to the esophagus which leads to inflammation.
Hiatus hernia, zollinger-elison syndrone, hypercalcemia, scleroderma, and systemic sclerosis are some of the factors that can trigger acid reflux.
There is a widespread belief that drinking alcohol, tea, or coffee can lead to gastro esophageal reflux. However, recent studies indicate that while consuming alcohol, tea, or coffee may aggravate the disease in persons already infected, their consumption do not cause the disease. When compared to smoking, which was found to increase the risks of getting the disease, alcohol, tea and coffee were found to have the least impact on the disease. This is in no way to be interpreted that persons infected with GERD should feel free to consume the abovementioned beverages. In order to avoid aggravating the disease, doctors still advise not to drink alcohol.
It has been determined that smoking is the major cause of acid reflux disease. Regular smokers for twenty years are 70% more likely to become infected with acid reflux disease compared to non-smokers. The symptoms of those already infected with the disease get worse day by day because of smoking.
One research conducted highlighted the fact that excessive salt intake was found to be equivalent to regular smoking in terms of the risk of developing GERD. It is not widely known that table salts can cause acid reflux disease. Researchers discovered that people who constantly consumed excess salt are 70% likely to develop gastro esophageal reflux disease. The accuracy of this finding was first confirmed by gastroenterologists of New York University Medical Center.
A person infected with gastro esophageal reflux disease can diagnose his own infection by looking at the symptoms. When these symptoms are observed, a doctor should be consulted to conduct tests in order to verify that you have the disease and to prescribe possible treatments. There are a number of ways to treat this disease. It can be treated with drugs such as antacids, by making adjustments to your diet, elevating the head when lying down, or surgery, in the case of a severe infection. For those persons who are vulnerable to the disease, it will be best to stop or avoid smoking and drinking alcohol.
Gastro esophageal reflux disease causes so much discomfort that it can ruin your very lifestyle. In order to avoid its bad effects, you should take measures to ensure that you do not develop the disease in the first place. Prevention is better than cure is a very appropriate cliche and should always be applied.
Acid Reflux Disease - The Causes, Symptoms And Treatments
By: Glenmer Sales
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