Those who are usually affected by gastroesophageal reflux are those that are obese or have a hiatal hernia or scleroderma and in pregnancy.

The exact cause is the disfunction of the the lower esophageal sphincter, the lower esophageal sphincter opens and let the stomach acid contents to reflux. If you are eating very large meals, lying down within two to three hours of eating, and taking certain drugs including diazepam, meperidine, theophylline, morphine, prostaglandins, calcium channel blockers, nitrate heart medications, and anticholinergic and adrenergic drugs you are susceptible of developing gastroesophageal reflux. Alcohol, nicotine and caffeine aggravate the acid reflux.

Symptoms

One of the symptoms in acid reflux is heartburn, others are: painful swallowing, cramping, excessive salivation, coughing, shortness of breath, sore throat. Those symptoms are relieved when you adopt a n orthostatic position. You may also have a bitter taste in your mouth and can lead to reflux esophagitis, esophageal ulcer and Barrett's syndrome which can further develop esophageal cancer.

Diagnostic

A gastroenterologist will perform some tests x-rays and barium examination, esophagoscopy, biopsy examination, manometry of the esophagus, the Bernstein test which deals with the level of acidity in the esophagus. Esophagus has an important role in moving the food down in the stomach with the aid of muscle contractions, at the lower end there is a specialized muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter that is tight until the food is above it, then it relaxes to let pass the food and fluids.

This way acids, enzymes and other substances from the stomach do not come up in the esophagus to damage the tissue. It is important to drink milk until the esophagus has healed and you have no more acid reflux. There are some easy to make recipes that may be used during the period of recovery. Proton inhibitors drugs only mask the symptoms, so what I truly recommend are natural and healthy recipes. Acid reflux can be healed with herbs, meditation, exercise and diet, health store items.

Not chewing food properly and eating wrong foods determine the condition known as: gastro esophageal reflux disease. In this condition the esophagus is damaged and the lower esophageal sphincter is weakened, the first thing to do in the healing of the gastro esophageal reflux disease is to cure the esophagus.

The best solution is to continue treatment even if the symptoms are relieved, so as the condition will not return.