Learn How To Combat Acid Reflux Disease

You have acid reflux and it is not fun. Trust me, I know exactly how uncomfortable acid reflux disease can be and how it can slow you down. It is much more than simple heartburn which we all experience from time to time. Acid reflux occurs when the formation of gas and acidic things in the stomach causes severe pain or a burning sensation in the stomach and chest. This is known as Acid Reflux Disease, also known as Gastroespohaheal Reflux Disease.

What happens is that you have eaten something you should not have. It does not need to be something you KNOW you should not eat, because acid reflux affects each of us differently. Unfortunately, it is only from experience that we learn what we can eat and what causes acid reflux to flare up. And things change over time, so every now and then we may want to try different things out, because we get older, our tolerances for certain foods may either increase or decrease.

From a medical standpoint, acid reflex is a physiological condition that typically occurs when there is inappropriate activity in the lower esophageal sphincter, or in other words, the muscular valve that connects the esophagus to the stomach. This activity allows the contents of the stomach to empty into, or REFLUX, into the esophagus and throat. This happens when this valve does not close properly or when this muscle relaxes, thereby allowing the contents of the stomach to back up.

But you dont care what happens physiologically. All you know is that it happens and you need to know what to do about it. If you have been diagnosed with acid reflux, you need to see your doctor on a regular basis to make sure that it is kept under control. The biggest thing you can do to avoid acid reflux is to avoid foods that are known to increase the level of stomach acid.

What if you already are having episodes of acid reflux and want to control them? You may wish to consider a natural cure. There are many natural cures and natural health remedies that are readily available on the market today that will help control the effects of acid reflux.

You need to make sure that what you are experiencing is really acid reflux and not a sign of something more serious like heart disease. But once that determination is made, one popular way to combat is to use to antacids. Depending on the severity of the affliction, this can be as simple as Rolaids or Tums, or maybe requiring a bit more strength such as Pepto-Bismol or Mylanta. You should be keeping a close eye on exactly what kinds of treatments seem to work best for you, since we are all different, and different remedies will have varying results. The remedy that works for you may not work nearly as well for the guy next door.

Do not allow acid reflux to ruin your day or your night out. You can control acid reflux by exercising a bit of good judgment. Instead of ordering your seafood blackened, order it grilled. Instead of french fries, get a baked potato instead. Your choice of foods is going to play your greatest role in avoiding more acid reflux.

Reduce Acid Reflux or Heartburn by Strengthening the LES Valve

Heartburn and acid reflux are typically treated with over the counter products or drugs that reduce stomach acid or block the excretion of stomach acid. It would appear that if our stomach acid needed to be diluted by antacids, our body would be smart enough not produce such a corrosive liquid in our stomach.

That fact is that we need a highly acidic condition in our stomach to properly digest protein. Using drugs to suppress this stomach acid is not the correct way to deal with acid reflux or heartburn. If you do go this route, you will be facing many disease as you get older.

There are many reasons you might have acid reflux. One reason is a weakness in the Lower Esophageal Sphincter valve, LES. LES is a valve between your stomach and your esophagus. When your LES valve is weak, it can allow acidified, partially digested food to flow back up into your esophagus. The acid in the food will burn the lining of your esophagus causing the so called "heartburn..."

Here are some natural steps that you can use to strengthen your Lower Esophageal Sphincter valve:

These foods can weaken the LES valve - coffee, peppermint, spearmint, sugar, chocolate, onions, and alcohol. Once you have strengthened your LES, you can return to eating these foods in moderate amounts.

Eliminate those foods that are known to create allergic reactions such as cow's milk, wheat, white flour, diary products, and other foods.

Avoid overeating and having a large amount of food in your stomach. Excess food in your stomach can increase your stomach gas pressure and force your LES valve to open.

Avoid using certain drugs, although this might be impossible. If you take drugs perhaps you can start looking for and start using some natural remedies so that you can lessen the use of drugs. Here are some of the drugs at cause LES problems - NSAID's, bronchodilators, channel blockers, beta-blockers, antianxiety drugs, and nitroglycerine. These drugs relax the muscles around the LES valve causing them to open during normal stomach gas pressures.

Watch how you do certain physical activities, such as waist bending, staining during bowel movements, coughing, and lifting heavy objects. This increases the pressure in the stomach, causing the LES valve to open.

After a meal do not lie down. This causes food to flow back towards the LES valve putting pressure on it. So it is a good reason to eat your last meal around three hours before bedtime.

There you have it, some natural remedies and activities that strengthen or weaken your LES valve. Just applying some or all these will result in reducing the frequency of your acid reflux and heartburn.