Relief and Preventive Remedies for Acid Reflux Disease

Do you always feel a burning sensation on the area near your chest especially after a meal? If you do so, you might have acid reflux disease. This disease, also called heartburn, is the flowing back of the stomach acid upwards to the esophagus and sometimes to the mouth. Nearly every American adult experiences this acid reflux.

The general cause of reflux disease is the person’s lifestyle and diet. The obese population regularly experiences the acid reflux. The same happens with smokers and alcohol drinkers. That is due to the kind of food and lifestyle they have.

Fatty foods play a large part in the development of this disease. Fats are very difficult to digest and therefore they contribute to the delay of gastric emptying, making the person more at risk to experience an acid reflux.

Smoking and alcohol both have properties that trigger the stomach to produce higher amounts of gastric acid. Moreover, both cigarette and alcohol relax the lower esophageal sphincter which prevents the gastric acid backflow from the stomach to the esophagus. If you are a smoker and an alcohol drinker, acid reflux disease is without a doubt, an impending condition to occur.

Aside from smoking, alcohol and fatty foods, drugs and other types of foods also trigger increased acid production and relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter. But make no worries because there are drugs and natural remedies that can give you relief for the pain of acid reflux disease.

Lifestyle and Diet Modifications and Natural Remedies

Severe Acid Reflux

If not treated, severe acid reflux can result in some very serious problems. This is why managing acid reflux disease is so important. Here we look at some conditions that can be a result of severe acid reflux and also some suggestions for managing acid reflux disease.

Severe acid reflux can lead to esophagitis. The esophagus is the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. Muscles in the lower esophagus normally prevent stomach acid from coming back up into the esophagus, but when a person suffers from mild, moderate or severe acid reflux, the muscles do not stop the acid from entering the esophagus and this stomach acid can cause pain and inflammation of the esophagus, which is caused esophagitis. Managing acid reflux disease is all about preventing acid from leaking back up into the esophagus.

Sometimes, when severe acid reflux damages the lining of the esophagus, scarring and narrowing of the esophagus occurs. This scarring and narrowing is called strictures and can prevent food and liquids from reaching the stomach. Since strictures affect the ability to eat and drink, it must be treated by stretching and enlarging the esophagus to prevent other health problems that can arise from a lack of proper nutrition. Managing acid reflux disease, before it becomes severe can prevent damage to the esophagus, thus preventing strictures from forming.

In cases where severe acid reflux results in esophagitis, esophageal bleeding or ulcers may occur. A condition called Barrett’s esophagus can develop. The symptoms of Barrett’s esophagus are the same as those of severe acid reflux. By properly managing acid reflux disease, the chance of developing Barrett’s esophagus is reduced. People with Barrett’s esophagus have cellular changes in the esophagus that may lead to cancer. The major risk factors for esophageal cancer are considered to be smoking, Barrett’s esophagus, alcoholism and severe acid reflux.