Acid Reflux Disease Info

Acid Reflux Treatments

2009-03-23T10:30:00.001-07:00

When it comes to the treatment of acid reflux disease or Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), there's several options for the heartburn sufferer to consider. These range from taking over-the-counter medications, making lifestyle and diet changes to treatment through surgery in the most severe cases. Let's take a look at the various ways to cure or eliminate your acid reflux condition.

The most commonly advised method of treating acid reflux is for the GERD sufferer to make lifestyle and health changes which will help reduce or eliminate the acid reflux problems. These include changes to your diet such as limiting your intake of acidic foods, and maintaining a reasonable body weight. Also, it may be recommended that the person suffering from GERD or acid reflux eat smaller more frequent meals throughout the day since overeating is often a cause of GERD. Also avoiding laying down for about 2 hours after eating because it will prevent gravity from taking over after you eat, and stop the stomach juices from flowing into the esophagus. When sleeping at night, consider elevating your head by raising up the front end of your bed, or use this specially-developed Wedge Pillow for Acid Reflux as this will also prevent stomach juices from making a reverse flow to the esophagus. Cut down or completely eliminate smoking and drinking as these also can contribute to the health problems. Also, consider trying relaxation techniques, wearing looser fitting clothes, and keeping a record of when you get acid reflux to assist in finding the best treatment.

Putting yourself on an acid reflux diet may be the best way to prevent or treat acid reflux or heartburn from flaring up. Because certain foods are more acidic in nature they will cause acid reflux to intensify leading to the problematic heartburn conditions. You'll want to avoid these acid reflux foods in your diet for that very reason. So what exactly is ok for you to eat? Consider incorporating these acid reflux diet foods and remedies into your eating habits as they will be less likely to cause acid reflux and even provide natural remedies to eliminate or soothe your symptoms.

Your physician may recommend you take certain types of medications for treatment of the acid reflux problem. Medications are usually in the form of over-the-counter antacids, Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI's) or in certain cases Promotility Agents. Some of the common proton pump medications you've heard about either by commercials or word of mouth include Prilosec, Pepcid, Tagamet, Zantac and most recently Aciphex. Generally, these medications work by blocking the production of acid in the stomach, therefore eliminating the heartburn issue, as well as allowing the stomach and espophagus lining to heal. There are potential risks with these PPI treatments since stomach acid is a natural product of our bodies used in the normal digestion process. Promotility agents are used in patients who may not be responding to the other types of acid reflux medications. They work to speed up digestion in patients who have slower gastric emptying. This prevents acid from remaining in the stomach for too long. Promotility agents include Reglan (Metoclopramide), which is given by injection. Make sure to consult with your doctor before purchasing over-the-counter meds for your acid reflux issues, or if you are prescribed any of these PPI or Promotility agent medications and experience side effects.

If your acid reflux disease fails to respond to the various treatments above, it may be a severe, chronic case of the problem. In these cases which can seriously impact your overall health, your doctor may recommend a specific surgery to treat your GERD. Laparoscopic Anti-Reflux Surgery (or Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication) is one of the newest surgeries used to treat acid reflux or GERD. In this surgery, a procedure is used to reinforce the "valve" between the esophagus and the stomach by wrapping the upper portion of the stomach around the lowest portion of the stomach. This surgery while still new offers a shorter hospital stay, less pain after the operation and a quicker return back to work. Consulting with your doctor or specialist will help determine if you are a candidate for this procedure, and will help you evaluate the potential risks or issues with having the surgery done.

You now know that there are ways to get relief from your acid reflux disease. Sufferers of this condition don't need to let GERD keep them from enjoying life. If you have acid reflux disease, consider first changing your lifestyle to address the condition as well as your diet and health/fitness regimen. Next, consult with your doctor, family physician or a specialist in the case your acid reflux is not responding to the lifestyle/diet changes. Keep careful records of what works and what causes your acid reflux to worsen and keep an open dialogue with your doctor about what may be the best treatment if your acid reflux symptoms are severe.

Acid Reflux or GERD Pillow Wedges

2009-03-21T10:32:00.000-07:00

One common lifestyle change that is recommended as a treatment for acid reflux disease or GERD is to elevate the head several inches when sleeping. This will help to prevent the reverse flow of stomach acid into the esophagus that occurs when lying flat, thus reducing the symptoms of acid reflux disease. Some recommend raising the front of your bed using bricks, pieces of wood or other solid objects for elevation. Another way to keep your head raised is by purchasing a Wedge Pillow for Acid Reflux, which is specially designed for the purpose of keeping the head and neck comfortably elevated when sleeping. In this article we will examine what an Acid Reflux or GERD Pillow Wedge is, and how they help to reduce the symptoms of acid reflux disease.

A GERD or acid reflux wedge pillow is a specially designed foam pillow cut wide at one end which tapers down to a thinner end, forming a wedge. By keeping the thicker end towards the top of your head, you will elevate your head to help prevent stomach acid from refluxing into your esophagus. This type of treatment is less costly than medications, presents no side effects and can greatly help to relieve GERD symptoms giving you a more restful sleep. You can view different varieties of Acid Reflux Wedge Pillows here.

So how do these specially made pillows help in the treatment and reduction of gastroesophageal reflux symptoms? Generally the best made wedge pillow will help to elevate your head 6 to 8 inches while you're sleeping, which prevents the reverse flow of stomach juices into your esophagus. The pillow will also offer a gradual incline which allows your neck to be comfortable while sleeping on your side or back. With many of the specially made pillows you can use your regular pillows in addition to them. One specific pillow is made of 100% hypoallergenic polyurethane foam, is foldable for bringing on trips, and also is designed with a special encasement to prevent dust, dust mites and other allergens from getting into the wedge pillow.

When using the specially designed wedge pillow, it may take a person a night or two of using it to become most comfortable with it. Try using the wedge pillow with or without your regular pillow to see which is most comfortable and preferable. Regular use of the acid reflux or gerd wedge pillow can help many acid reflux sufferers get a better, restful night of sleep with less coughing and other irritation from acid reflux disease.

View one of the better versions of this product here:
Wedge Pillow for Acid Reflux

View other Acid Reflux Wedge Pillows

Acid Reflex Foods to Eat & Remedies

2009-03-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

When someone suffers the painful and harmful effects of acid reflux disease they may not realize there are plenty of foods to eat that are natural acid reflux remedies. Acid reflux has commonly been treated by expensive over-the-counter drugs, such as Prilosec and Nexium, which can be seen in frequent television advertisements. Some studies have suggested that the popular over-the-counter medications for acid reflux can do more harm than good. These OTC medications such as Prilosec, Zantac and Pepcid have a tendency to lower the amount of hydrochloric acid that is in your stomach. This in turn reduces your stomachs ability to digest properly and even worse lowers your stomachs immune defense systems against threats such as harmful food particles and food poisoning. Therefore taking natural steps to change your GERD diet and considering the use of natural acid reflux remedies or cures may be the best way for you to combat acid reflex or GERD.

It is suggested that using a detoxification diet can prove useful in fighting acid reflux. Drinking a gallon of filtered, clean water can help to dilute the urine to a light yellow shade. Water helps to dilute the acid and normalize pH levels in your stomach. A natural food source that can be quite useful in fighting and preventing acid reflux is garlic. Eating garlic daily in its purest form can help kill Helicobacter pylori, a pathogenic organism that the hydrochloric acid in our stomachs can't kill. Crush the garlic up before swallowing it or chew up the peeled cloves to get the most effect from this natural acid reflux remedy.

One of the most recommended natural remedies for curing acid reflux is apple cider vinegar which has a great calming effect on the stomach. It's a cheap remedy as it usually costs under $4 for a large-sized bottle of organic, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar. Mix about 2 teaspoons of the apple cider vinegar in water, 3 times a day. Add more vinegar to the water if you need to treat a stronger occurrence of acid reflux. Many acid reflux sufferers say that eating red delicious apples after meals is an excellent cure for an acid reflux condition. Other natural cures for the acid reflux disease include baking soda, grape juice, pickle juice, fresh pineapple, carrots, cabbage, dried figs, cinnamon, nutmeg and slippery elm.

Ingesting probiotic supplements can help to fight acid reflux disease. Probiotics are organisms that contribute to the healthy well-being of our intestinal tracts. Foods such as bananas and onions are helpful in improving digestion, stimulating our body's immune system and preventing the growth of bacterias that cause digestive stress. Unfortunately, it's scientifically difficult to know how much of these foods we need to eat to get the right amount of probiotics. Therefore taking supplements that contain millions of the helpful bacteria is recommended. Some say that B5 vitamins can also be helpful when taken in the proper dosage.

Give the above natural acid reflux remedies a try before rushing out to purchase a quick fix medication. As always, make sure to consult a doctor if your acid reflux condition intensifies or does not begin to level off with the use of the suggested remedies.

Acid Reflux Diet Foods to Avoid

2009-03-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

A question many GERD (or acid reflux) sufferers wonder about is what foods should I avoid if I have acid reflux symptoms? If you suffer from heartburn and the nasty effects of acid reflux disease, you'll want to carefully consider your diet and meal choices so that you don't cause the condition to intensify. The first step is to make sure you don't overeat, as this is a leading factor in causing heartburn or acid reflux to flare up. Also, you'll want to make sure you avoid eating certain foods because they can contribute to or worsen the acid reflux symptoms. Specific kinds of foods will cause your heartburn and acid reflex symptoms to intensify. You should definitely think twice about the meals, drinks, snacks, side dishes and toppings you choose for your daily GERD diet. Use this information as a general reference in making appropriate choices for your meals.

While a few fruits and vegetables are considered good to eat to reduce or eliminate acid reflux, there are several types you'll need to avoid if you have the condition. Surprisingly certain types of fruits or vegetables, despite their health benefits can often cause acid reflux problems to worsen. You should definitely avoid eating lemons or tomatoes, both of which are very acidic in nature and can lead to increased heartburn troubles. Also stay away from drinking lemonade, orange juice, grapefruit and cranberry juices. For veggies, avoid having those ever so popular side dishes of mashed potatoes or french fries if you're feeling the effects of GERD. Raw onions are another sort of vegetable which won't make you feel any better and can inflame your heartburn condition.

If you're looking to make the best mealtime choices for main entree, definitely avoid spaghetti or pastas with sauce as well as macaroni and cheese. Buffalo wings, chicken nuggets and ground beef are also poor diet choices if you want to reduce the effects of acid reflux. Also be careful with how you choose to top off your salad at mealtime. Adding creamy salad dressings or oil and vinegar salad dressings can definitely worsen your acid reflux. Other condiments or toppings to avoid in general are sour cream and regular cottage cheese.

When choosing beverages, don't consume any types of tea or coffee. Caffeinated or non-caffeinated won't make a difference there. Also avoid drinking liquors and wines if GERD or acid reflux has flared up in you. Desserts, as tempting as they may be, must also be chosen carefully. Brownies, high fat butter cookies, chocolate in different varieties, doughnuts, milkshakes and ice cream are sweet treat foods to avoid with acid reflux.

Generally, avoiding high fat foods and not overeating will be your greatest allies in terms of preventing the effects of GERD or acid reflux disease. Try to avoid eating too close to your bedtime as well as this can often lead to heartburn and worsen your acid reflux conditions.

See our information about foods to eat and natural remedies for acid reflux to get ideas of the best ways to cure or prevent your acid reflux.

Acid Reflux Disease Symptoms

2009-03-17T11:45:00.001-07:00

Acid Reflux disease (medically known as "Gastroesophageal reflux disease" or "GERD") is a problem which plagues many people worldwide and makes it uncomfortable to eat certain types of foods. The issue comes as a result of "mucosal damage caused by abnormal reflux in the esophagus". It is normally due to a hiatus hernia, transiet lower esophageal sphincter relaxation or impaired expulsion of gastric reflux from the esophagus. The acid reflux can reach the throat resulting in what is called "laryngopharyngeal reflux disease". the condition can affect both children and adults. It's known to cause serious complications if this troublesome condition is not addressed early and appropriately. Read on here to find the identifying symptoms for GERD for yourself or your young ones as well as what problems that acid reflux can cause.

Acid reflux can be identified by different symptoms based on the age of a person. Adults with GERD generally have heartburn, regurgitation and difficulty swallowing. Other symptoms can include pain when swallowing, excessive salivation, and nausea. Adults may also experience a constant nagging cough, recurrent ear infections, asthma, hoarseness, laryngitis and erosion of the dental enamel. Some of the problems and conditions that GERD can cause in adults include: Reflux esophagitis—necrosis, Esophageal strictures, and a rare form of cancer known as "Esophageal adenocarcinoma". It is recommended any adult who believes they suffer from persistent and troublesome acid reflux consult their physician to take appropriate steps in preventing serious damage to the esophagus.

Children or infants tend to be harder to detect the GERD disease or complication in as compared to adults. Familydoctor.org has suggested that as many as 4 million babies each year, or 35% of those born, suffer from GERD in their early months of life, but outgrow the condition by their first birthday. A family history of the disease increases the risks for a child or infant to have it as well. Symptoms to look for in infants and young children include: failure to gain appropriate weight, constant crying that can't be consoled, repeated vomitting, spitting up with no effort, coughing, bad breath and refusing food. As mentioned before many of these symptoms may look like normal infant behavior or be caused by something besides GERD. There's no single symptom that is universal in all children who have GERD and some children may have just one symptom or several together. There's also "silent reflux" which some infants have that involves no vomitting at all. It's believed this causes twice as much pain and damage as normal acid reflux does.

Identifying the symptoms of acid reflux in yourself or child is imperative to appropriately addressing and reducing or eliminating the effects of acid reflux disease. As always, make sure to consult your family physician for yourself or child in order to determine the best approach in handling the effects of GERD.

Also see Pet Dog Nation for a discussion of Acid Reflux Disease in Dogs

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2009-03-01T12:35:00.000-08:00

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About Acid Reflux Foods & Info

2009-02-28T18:18:00.000-08:00

The main purpose of this web resource is to bring to light the causes, symptoms and treatments for the very common yet harmful condition known as acid reflux disease. Many people including infants suffer from this problem in their lifetime and even our pets can develop acid reflux conditions. For some these conditions diminish without the use of any other treatment, but for those who have persistent conditions, the acid reflux can become quite unbearable. It's important to understand where the problem starts in order to find ways to reduce and prevent its harmful effects.

This site serves merely as a collection of various information, resources and links. The suggestions and advice here may be helpful to some but may not be suitable for others. The information on this site should not be considered superior to the opinions and recommendations of trained medical professionals including your family physician. Always consult with a professional when dealing with a condition that continues to be bothersome. We hope that you will find the information presented here helpful and resourceful in resolving your acid reflux or GERD.