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[A191]Acid Reflux Infant Symptoms

by Kathryn Whittaker, Kat

You are likely familiar with the expression "spitting up" food? This usually applies to mild acid reflux. In most cases, children grow out of it. This is less a medical problem and more of the body reacting to food. As children age, the need to vomit lessens and, eventually, disappears.

There are times, though, that infant acid reflux remains. That is why you must know how to recognize it and what to do about it.

Infant Acid Reflux: Why Does It Occur
Many seem to believe that acid reflux only effects adults. This is not true; the symptoms of it can occur in children as young as two months. Acid reflux is not limited to age. It does, however, usually disappear with time.

Most children can grow out of acid reflux. This is because it is not so much a problem as a natural impulse. Children do not have full control over their bodies and spitting up food can become a by-product of that. Until your child is eighteen months, he or she can easily display symptoms of acid reflux.

Infant Acid Reflux: Symptoms
Keep in mind that the symptoms found here are typical for most children. If your son or daughter is exhibiting these, then you should not be alarmed. It is only when they persist after eighteen months (or occur too often to be deemed "spitting up") that you should talk with your doctor. Things to look for include:

•Irritability during feeding
•Refusing to eat
•Vomiting after feeding
•Hiccuping after/during feeding
•Coughing after/during feeding
•Bad breath

These are things that can occur in any child; it is when they continue to happen that you should contact your doctor.

Infant Acid Reflux: What You Can Do About It
There is no cure for acid reflux in infants. If your child is diagnosed with it, medication and basic lifestyle changes will be needed to keep the symptoms from flaring. While your doctor may prescribe certain medicines, in most cases, he/she will offer these suggestions:

•Hold your baby upright for half an hour after feeding
•Feed your baby in smaller meals to avoid acid build-up
•Do not use tight fitting diapers or clothes
•Burp your baby periodically during feeding
•Try to let your baby sleep on his or her back

These are simple steps, but they will do much in keeping the symptoms from returning. As was mentioned before, your doctor may prescribe medications. Many of these can be taken by children aged two and up.

Recognizing the difference between a mild reaction to food and vomiting after every meal is essential.

You need to understand what acid reflux in infant actually means (not panicking, for example, when your child throws up after being fed too much). Knowing if your child is just going through a natural period of development or experiencing a larger problem is necessary. Learn the difference and spot the symptoms.

Acid reflux, also known as GERD (gastro esophageal reflux disease) is the phenomenon where stomach juices including acid travel back (reflux) to the esophagus from the stomach. Research done recently shows that some one in five people in the developed world must put up once a week with symptoms related to acid reflux, while a further one in five suffer from the distress and sometimes pain of these symptoms at least every month. However, most patients do not really know what GERD is.

What are the local causes of acid reflux?

Gastro esophageal reflux disease happens when the lower esophageal sphincter (the name for the circle of muscle that is the valve between the stomach and the esophagus) does not shut correctly and lets stomach juices be thrown back up, or reflux, into the esophagus. When the esophagus lining is impacted by these juices, this produces the burning sensation in the chest and/or the throat, which is called heartburn.

Over time, any extra effort of the stomach can result in gastro esophageal reflux disease occurring. The level of stomach acid has to be concentrated high enough for effective digestion, so that the stomach is not obliged to work much harder for the food to be digested. So although it seems strange, acid reflux may also be a symptom of too little gastric acid.

Rather than just the immediate factors leading to acid reflux, there are also uncontrollable genetic factors and several other internal factors and cofactors, that make for a context that encourages gastroesophageal reflux disease. A long-term solution can only come from fixing the internal factors fundamentally responsible for bringing on GERD.

What do symptoms of acid reflux look like?

Note that sometimes GERD can happen in the absence of any symptoms. Diagnosis of acid reflux is typically done according to a recurring (every three days or more) manifestation of heartburn. Healthy people get occasional heartburn as well, and this alone does not mean that you have an acid reflux condition. Yet others experience a sensation of food lodged in their throat or choking or stricture. Symptoms may differ for some GERD patients, such as chest pains, breakfast hoarseness or problems in swallowing. Recurrent dry coughs are also symptoms for this last group of patients.

What are the dangers associated with acid reflux?

Gastric acid can lead to inflammation of the esophagus over time, and ulcers or bleeding. Tissue damage scars can result in narrowing of the esophagus and problems in swallowing. Some victims develop a condition where cells in the esophageal lining adopt abnormal shapes and colors, a condition known as Barrett's esophagus. Protracted Barrett's esophagus may result in cancer, in particular for adults over 60. Neglecting GERD can have not only disagreeable, perhaps painful symptoms, but can also generate other grave complications.

Solutions for Acid Reflux

Treating gastro esophageal reflux disease can be done in one of three ways: a surgical operation; prescription or over-the-counter medicaments; and holistic therapy, using dietary and lifestyle changes, detox, and specific herbal supplements. In very many cases, gastro esophageal reflux disease can be resolved and stopped by natural solutions, avoiding the dangers of surgical treatment or prescribed medicaments. This holistic approach to GERD is also confirmed by a review of recent research that indicates that acid reflux is a medical condition provoked mostly by factors of diet, lifestyle and behavior.

Considered in the context of conventional medicine that compares it to other similar recurring conditions, GERD is to be treated by constantly swallowing drugs, antacids and over the counter medicament that only bring temporary relief. But this is not the real answer to gastro esophageal reflux disease.

Seen from the holistic viewpoint, gastro esophageal reflux disease is the danger signal for a major internal imbalance that must be corrected. Alternative treatments for GERD therefore (homeopathic cures, herbal treatment, diet and lifestyle alterations and detoxification), by solving the internal cause of acid reflux, are inherently better compared to conventional cures that only bring superficial relief.

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Both Kathryn Whittaker & Jeff Martin are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Kathryn Whittaker has sinced written about articles on various topics from Acid Reflux, Pregnancy Problems and Acid Reflux. By Kathryn Whittaker. Sign up for a free newsletter that has proven methods for tackling Acid Reflux, Heartburn and GERD head-on and discover more about. Kathryn Whittaker's top article generates over 18100 views. to your Favourites.

Jeff Martin has sinced written about articles on various topics from Acid Reflux, Anger Control and Acid Reflux. Jeff Martin is a certified nutritionist and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, . Jeff Martin's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.