Acid Reflux Disease
If you’re looking for acid reflux help you have come to the right place. I have suffered with acid reflux also so I kind of know what you’re going through. If you are like me you have all kinds of questions and you will find the answers to most of those questions within these pages. But before we get ahead of ourselves do you know what acid reflux really is?
Acid Reflux Is Also Called Heartburn or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)
Some people would complain that they have heartburn but might not know that this is also called acid reflux. Many people might hear advertisements and information about acid reflux, and they would not realize that this information would help them with their heartburn. The term acid reflux is used more frequently by medical professionals when discussing this common problem. Many people suffer from acid reflux from time to time, but others suffer constantly from this condition. Those people who suffer from acid reflux more often should definitely bring this to the attention of their physician.
Sometimes people panic when they suffer from acid reflux because they fear that they are having a heart attack. Acid reflux is a burning sensation or a painful feeling in the center of the chest in the vicinity of the heart. The pain can be very intense for some people until they find some relief. This condition is caused by acid coming from the stomach into the esophagus. The acid from the stomach enters the lower end of the esophagus. The stomach is designed to cope with the acid, but the esophagus is not designed to cope with the acid.
Acid Reflux Can Be Cured
Many people suffer the effects of acid reflux periodically, and these people can easily find some medications at the local drugstore to minimize the pain from the condition. Those people who suffer often from this condition could have a serious problem that should be treated by expert medical professionals. These people will probably be advised to undergo some medical tests to determine the extent of the problem. There are specialized tests that can clearly define the problem for most people. Once the doctor has complete information on the state of the esophagus and stomach, the doctor can prescribe treatment to avoid the distressing effects of this condition.
Some people will eliminate this problem by changing their diet. Sometimes acid reflux is caused by very spicy foods or rich creamy foods. Eliminating these from the diet might cure the condition completely. Other people will continue to take medications to reverse the effects of the acid when it enters the esophagus. There are other lifestyle changes that can provide relief from acid reflux. People can change their beds to help relieve the condition. The head of the bed should be elevated so the acid cannot easily flow into the esophagus from the stomach. Other people will have a more serious condition which might require some type of surgery for the cure.
What About Sleep Apnea and Acid Reflux?
Some researchers believe sleep apnea and acid reflux go hand in hand. These researchers believe that obstructive sleep apnea results in airway pressure changes that can cause reflux to occur, yet other researchers believe that the reflux of acids may result in spasms of the vocal cords that can then lead to sleep apnea.
Do You Have Burping With Acid Reflux?
One of the major causes of stomach pressure and acid reflux is when the body is in an acidic state. If your stomach is too acidic or having your pH levels on the acidic side will also cause bloating, burping, and you may even experience flatulence more than normal. Meaning that your pH levels have fallen below the desired range of 7.3 to 7.4. Symptoms of being too acidic are burping, belching, stomach bloating and flatulence more than normal. Anyone who has ever had too much to drink is very familiar with all of these symptoms. Alcohol is acidic, and so is the mix that you use. They both contain sugar, which is very acidic.
Acid Reflux Apnea Hypopnea
Surgeons at the Mayo Clinic report long-term success with a surgery called uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), in which excess tissue around the tonsils, uvula and soft palate is removed and in some cases soft rods are placed in the upper palate. UPPP has resulted in an average reduction of the apnea-hypopnea index, a measurement of airflow and active breathing during sleep, from 62.6 before surgery to 28.3 after surgery, Khan reported. Twenty-one patients had an apnea-hypopnea index of 10 or less. see full story here
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