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Monday, October 17, 2011

All about Heartburn

All about Heartburn - Gastric reflux or also known as heartburn, is an abnormal reflux of fluid contained within the stomach moving up the esophagus causing damage to the mucosa of the upper gastrointestinal tract.

This problem mainly affects adults, but sometimes can occur in children and even babies. It usually occurs by eating certain foods during pregnancy or when you lie down to sleep after eating a heavy meal. Read All about tooth decay


The easiest way to identify this discomfort is to feel a burning sensation in the chest and a nuisance to the height of the esophagus. Symptoms that may occur include coughing, voice changes, hoarseness, constant ear ache, or sinusitis. Complications of acid reflux is that it can cause esophageal ulcers or worse this can lead to esophageal cancer.

However, the constant feeling of heartburn does not necessarily mean you have heartburn.
The problem occurs when heartburn occurs more than once a week, this time could lead to the development of chronic heartburn.

The most common cause of chronic gastric reflux is the increase in acidity or gastric acid production in the body, obesity, pregnancy, or tight clothing, all of these can aggravate the problem. Yeast infections are also thought may be a cause.

Meanwhile, there are already several treatments today this problem, one of which is to improve eating habits.

Now if proper diet fails, you can switch to drug therapy or surgery as suggested by doctors. Below are lists of various treatments of acid reflux:

• Proper Diet: the natural way to cure acid reflux is to change your eating habits. A number of people affected by the solution acidity found in following this method.

Avoid the food ingredients that can enhance the production of stomach acid, such as caffeine, soft drinks and smoking. Avoid eating two hours before bed, likewise, avoid lying down after eating. These are the periodic changes suggested in the lifestyle.

• Another easy way to treat heartburn is to elevate the head of the bed. Drug therapy, the combination of prevention of food two hours before bedtime and increased the head of the bed, make a patient to obtain relief in 95 percent of the time. The increase in the headboard is suggested in only 20 cm of inclination. Using this method will make the reflux of gastric juices hindered to move up the esophagus.

• Drug Treatment: Remedies reduce gastric acid secretion, such as famotidine and omeprazole lessen the secretion of gastric acid and the Antacids counteract the acid itself.

• Surgical treatment: This includes the introduction of a spherical cone that opens and closes with the muscles of the esophagus to pass food, but hinder the acid reflux.

You should always consult a doctor as this are just not professional advice about this disease.