Acid reflux disease ( heartburn )
Acid reflux disease is also called heartburn and is very unpleasant. It can be caused by many things: bad diet, stress, or just a wonky stomach which produces too much acid. Basically, it is when stomach acid is too strong and bubbles up into the throat, causing pain and burning. It can potentially damage the esophous and its walls, which is really dangerous over the long run.
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The way it is usually treated is with medicine that reduces stomach acidity, causing the pain to dissipate. According to the website of Nexium, a pill used to treat acid reflux disease, “Acid reflux occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter – the valve separating the esophagus and stomach — does not close properly, allowing acid to back up into the esophagus.”
The actual pain caused in heartburn is due to acids backwashing out of the stomach and up into the esophagus. The muscle that is supposed to contain these acids in the stomach, called the esophageal sphincter, is not always perfect at what it does. When you over eat, you put an abnormally large amount of pressure on this sphincter muscle, and it is more likely to fail in its job and let some of the acids into your esophagus, causing heartburn. Laying down just after eating will also put more pressure on your sphincter. Also, greases are better able to slip by this muscle, which is why greasy foods are especially prone to causing heartburn. |
I've always found that pills are unnecessary to treat this damaging condition acid reflux disease, which I used to suffer from myself. Basically, I would overeat fatty, or starchy foods, and there would be the acid, slowly burning a hole in my esophagus. When it got too bad and I couldn't put up with it any more, I decided to do something about it: I switched to a diet of nothing but vegetables, grains, and an occasional bit of starch, and began to eat smaller and more frequent meals instead of huge fatty meals which I used to eat.
Most cases of heartburn are occasional, and result just from a particularly greasy or large meal. If you suffer from heartburn less than once a week, you probably will be okay treating it with just an antacid. Antacids neutralize the acid in the stomach, and provide a very fast acting albeit temporary relief from heartburn. Though antacids containing calcium carbonate, which is essentially chalk, have been popular for years, lately there are some newer ones that use aluminum hydroxide. Personally, I think aluminum hydroxide is a much more effective heartburn treatment, and doesn’t leave you feeling like you just licked a black board.
I still get acid reflux disease sometimes when I'm under lots of stress. This is common, according to many doctors, who say that stress is a chronic contributing factor to many diseases of the stomach. Instead of worrying until my stomach twists itself into knots and propels acid reflux disease upwards into my throat, I stop and take several deep breaths to calm myself. I then think of something peaceful.
| One of my favorite is a lovely blue sky shining over a placid, beautiful beach with the ocean in the background. Even telling it to you right now, I can see it and hear the gentle lapping of the waves on the beach as the ocean falls and rises, falls and rises.
When I picture this placid scene, combined with the calls of seaguls and the feel of the breeze on my cheek, and the warmth of the sun, I just can't stay stressed out, and my whole body and mind calm down immediately. This loosens my stomachs violent churning, and makes the acid settle down right to where it is supposed to be, instead of getting all up in my throat. A longer lasting heartburn treatment can be found by using an acid reducer, such as Zantac or Pepcid AC. If you know you are prone to occasional heartburn and you know you are going to be eating a lot of greasy foods, popping one of these pills before hand will keep you heartburn free for several hours. If you have heartburn more often, as in once a week or more, you should probably see a doctor about it. |
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The acids from your stomach can eventually do some serious damage to your esophagus, which will increase your chances of getting esophageal cancer. Fortunately, treating even the most severe and chronic cases of heartburn is not difficult. There are a number prescriptions available today that are very effective in treating chronic heartburn. In the most extreme cases, a low-risk medical procedure may need to be performed to help close your esophageal sphincter.
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