The Facts About Acid Reflux
The Facts About Acid Reflux
The Facts About Acid Reflux
Acid reflux occurs when gastric juices containing acid from the stomach back into the esophagus (the tube through which we swallow). In some people, this happens regularly. The question then becomes gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD.
For some, acid reflux is a temporary phenomenon experienced only when eating too much, or eating particular types of food, spicy food for example...But for many others, acid reflux can be painful and persistent.
The food in the stomach is partially digested by stomach acid and enzymes. Normally, the stomach muscles push the partially digested acidic content in the small intestine for digestion continues. In cases of reflux, the stomach acid content travels backwards to end up in the esophagus, causing inflammation and lesions.
Acid reflux can have many consequences in everyday life: sleepless nights, disrupted work, social activities and even limited, irritability or frustration.
Risk Factors
Factors that contribute to acid reflux are fatty foods, cigarettes, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, obesity, pregnancy and slowing gastric emptying. In cases of obesity or pregnancy, pressure on the abdomen (tummy) increases, which drives the stomach contents into the esophagus.
Also, some people have a stomach that empties slowly into the intestine. A stomach full of food and acid reflux becomes prone, especially when the person is lying down.
Symptoms
The symptoms of acid reflux include heartburn (a burning feeling rising from the stomach or lower chest and ascends to the neck), regurgitation (food or liquid that goes in the mouth), pain in the chest, difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), hoarseness, dental disease and asthma. Some patients even develop nausea although this is less common. Although it is often called "heartburn", the pain should not be confused with the pain that is associated with an actual heart attack.
Treatment
Fortunately there are many treatments available for acid reflux. Various medications are commonly used to treat acid reflux. Inhibitors of proton pump and H 2 receptor antagonists are used to reduce the production of stomach acid. As for prokinetic agents, they increase the pressure of lower esophageal sphincter and improve gastric emptying.
In addition, antacids are often used to treat acid-related symptoms such as heartburn or digestive problems. They work by neutralizing stomach acid. However,they are not usually recommended for treating frequent heartburn suffered by people with GERD.
In case of failure of drug therapy, surgery to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease is possible, but it is mostly reserved for patients with severe complications, and it is rarely necessary. However, surgery is more common in cases of hiatal hernia.
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