The formation of gases and acidic substances in the stomach and its backing up into the esophagus causes severe pain or burning sensation in the stomach and chest area that is clinically known as Acid Reflux or Gastroespohageal Reflux Disease. Because of the feeling of burning sensation in the center of the chest this disease is also popularly known as Heartburn disease.
·The Causes of Acid Reflux or Heartburn Disease
The main causes of Acid Reflux or the Heartburn disease is the formation and backing up of gases and acids from the stomach to the esophagus. The patient experiences severe pain or burning feeling in his stomach and chest area as the acidic stomach gases come in contact with the damages or lesions on the inside of his esophagus. When someone drinks orange or tomato juice or any kind of similar fruit juice, the acid in the juice comes in direct contact with the lesions or sores in the esophagus causing severe pain and burning feeling in the stomach. Sometimes when people usually burp they experience pain or heartburn because of the esophageal damage. Our stomach contains enzymes and hydrochloric acid which help in the digestive process. The acidic contents of our stomach exert some force against our Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) valve. If the valve is damaged or swollen then the valve is overpowered by this pressure. When the pressure manages to overcome the LES valve, the acidic gases or fumes from our stomach readily starts to reflux into the esophagus. In our esophagus the acidic fumes make contact with the lesions or sores and the result is severe pain or feeling of a burning sensation in the chest area.
·The Symptoms of Acid Reflux Disease
The Acid Reflux disease has some very common symptoms. The most common symptom of acid reflux disease is heartburn. The other symptoms of this disease are as follows:
1) Feeling of burning sensation or pressure sensation in the chest area that may even radiate upward toward the back and neck.
2) Regular chest pain that occurs at the time of bending over or lying down especially soon after taking food.
3) Feeling of hot, acidic, or sour tasting fluid at the back of the throat or in the mouth.
4) A feeling of coming back of food into the mouth from the stomach or sticking of food in the chest or throat.
·The Effects of Acid Reflux Disease
Generally acid reflux causes severe pain and burning sensation in stomach and chest area. In some cases the acid reflux sufferers experience a pressure sensation along with burning sensation in their chest area. This pressure sensation can even radiate into the arm, back or neck area. This pressure is sometime relieved when we burp. The acid reflux may even cause extra mucus for which one might experience a constant cough or sore throat. The vocal cords can also be affected by the acid reflux disease. To prevent the Acid Reflux disease we have to avoid certain foods such as Fried foods, Fatty foods, Spicy foods, etc.
Let me make this clear for you. This condition happens when the gastric juices in your stomach travel back to the esophagus. This juices contain acid. Like any other condition, this too has symptoms, some of which are: - a feeling of burning that travels from the stomach to the upper part of the chest, also known as a heartburn; - pain in your chest; - asthma or difficulty in your swallowing;
So if we' re clear on the first subject, let us get down to more important questions one may have, like: why do we get acid reflux, how can this be treated or more important, how can this condition can be treated. Well, let us take it one step at a time.
First, let' s find out how this happens. well, in our stomach there is a process that allows acids and enzyme to partially digest the food we eat. Then, with the help of stomach muscles, this acidic content is delivered to the small intestine for total digestion. But if one suffers from acid reflex, the partially digested food does not travel to the smaller intestine, but backwards. Factors that influence this problem are foods with a lot of fat, alcohol, cigarettes, caffeine, chocolate.
Pregnant women and people who suffer from obesity are more likely to suffer from acid reflux. Also people whose stomach content is emptied slowly into the intestines, because if the stomach is full of food, it has the tendency to reflux.
Second of all, you must probably wonder how serious is this condition. I can tell you that it is quite troublesome. It can affect your disposition, therefor your work, activities, and can also cause an ulcer. That makes eating and drinking painful and difficult. This condition can last up to half a year, even longer, if not treated.
And least, but not last, treatment. Yes, this condition can be treated and it usually is treated with drugs. The most common prescribed medication against acid reflux is acid suppressants, that is histamine. What this does is reduce acid production.
There are also drugs that make sure that the stomach does not overfill. This medication is called prokinetic agents. But most of all, doctors prescribe mild anti acids.
Both Tyler J Stevenson & Groshan Fabiola 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.