The concurrence of several medical and lifestyle factors provokes acid reflux disease and makes causes complex and the product of many factors. GERD - gastro-esophageal reflux disease, or acid reflux is brought on by physiological conditions such as the sensitivity to the reflux stomach content of the mucus of the esophagus, the backwards flow of the food and acid contents into the esophagus and LES (lower esophageal sphincter) hypotonia (where the LES grows progressively weaker).

A mechanism exists at the junction of the esophagus and the stomach that acts like a valve. This is the LES (lower esophageal sphincter). When you swallow food it travels down your throat where movements of the esophagus muscles then move it towards the stomach. Closing the LES stops stomach acid from returning or refluxing into the esophagus.

In a healthy person, the LES is only opened by food moving from the esophagus into the stomach. With the food inside the stomach, the valve shuts again to stop stomach acid and content escaping back. A problem with the LES is the first factor initiating the disease of acid reflux. The painful burning sensation called heartburn is caused when the LES is weakened and fails to close as it should, and acid can be pushed back up your throat.

There are several conditions or factors preventing the LES from properly shutting. They include genetic weakness, being overweight and eating too much fatty foods. As well as those factors, the aging process undergone by humans tends to make all muscles sag, not just the LES.

As already seen, an LES that is already weakened has a direct physiological link to the onset of acid reflux disease. The next factor or set of factors resulting in acid reflux disease are due to behavior and lifestyle. Different nutrition, drugs and interactions of the nervous system can make the LES muscle lose its force and in turn create acid reflux. Orange juice, lemons and lemonade, grapefruit juice, tomatoes and their juice, fried potatoes, sour cream, tea and coffee are nutritional elements that may increase the risk of heartburn.

Several options exist for dealing with symptomatic acid reflux. However the esophagus is not properly protected or treated by the classic approaches and the use of these over the counter and prescription drugs, including antacid, over a long period of time can cause multiple side effects with varying degrees of risk. In other words, the conventional frequently used approaches, based on prescription and over the counter medication, only handle the symptoms of chronic heartburn. They may not be good enough to stop heartburn other than in the short term.

There are many alternatives to short-term superficial treatments such as prescription medication. These include homeopathy, herbal remedies and all encompassing all natural holistic therapies. While dealing with the internal causes of acid reflux, these natural remedies help your heartburn problem by treating the causes rather than only attacking related symptoms that are external.