For some women, the added woes of acid reflux (or heart burn as it is commonly known) has to be tackled as well. Many of them face this uncomfortable pain and acidic taste in their chest region, throat and in some rare cases even in side their mouth. In many cases, these women never had these problems prior to their pregnancy. Still they have to suffer through this condition during these nine months. Let us go through the reasons for this and a few tips to reduce the uncomfortable condition here:

One reason for the occurrence of heart burn is the hormonal changes occurring in the human body during pregnancy. These hormones softens the woman’s body, and this in turn results in the LES (Lower Esophageal Sphincter) relaxing more often than previously, and that too at inappropriate times. As LES is responsible for holding the stomach acids in place and thus averting acid reflux, this will result in worsening of this painful condition.

The weight gain occurring naturally during pregnancy and the increasing size of the baby will exert added pressure on the stomach acids and this would in turn force the stomach contents to rush in to esophagus and thus worsen acid reflux condition of the pregnant women.

Any use of heart burn medicines during pregnancy should be at the guidance of your physician alone. Never gulp on any over the counter medicines without consulting your physician.

Any commonly used methods to reduce heart burn can provide relief from this condition during pregnancy too. Acid reflux causing food items can cause heart burn during pregnancy too and should be reduced or avoided altogether, if possible.

If you need to bend your body, do so at your knee than your stomach. This would reduce the pressure exerted on your stomach area and hence the chances of acid reflux condition.

Sleep with your head in an elevated position. This can be achieved through the use of extra pillows or elevating the coat itself. This way gravity would help keep the stomach fluids in its place.

Use comfortably fitting clothes so that they don’t exert too much pressure on the stomach area. Any added pressure on your stomach area can elevate heart burn condition during pregnancy.

Make sure that you have your dinner at least four hours prior to bed time. This would help in reducing acid reflux condition.

Small portions of meals at frequent intervals would be best during pregnancy. It is highly recommended to avoid eating big meals. Make sure you eat your food slowly while chewing thoroughly.

Drink lots of water. Make sure you space your water intake all throughout the day. Never drink too much water along with your meals.

Smoking and alcohol consumption are not good during pregnancy. Besides this, these habits are known to worsen the heart burn conditions and hence should be avoided. Consumption of caffeinated drinks and coffee are also known to adversely affect your heart burn condition.

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Does that make any sense to you? How can it be called acid reflux when it does not have symptoms like heart burn? Even our basic understanding of acid reflux itself is related solely to heart burn.

Acid reflux is usually caused by the stomach acids rushing up in to the person’s esophagus or even in to his or her throat. When the powerful stomach acids burns the throat area or esophagus, the painful heart burn condition occurs. If the acid reflux is occurring in the lower portion of the esophagus, then the heart burn symptoms won’t be felt by the person. The reason for this is the strength of the lower region of the  esophagus to protect itself from the stomach acids. Unlike the upper esophagus area, this area is stronger than the upper region and do not get burned by refluxed acids. Hence the patient will not feel pain typically associated with heart burn. But this form of acid reflux, commonly termed ‘silent acid reflux’ can cause medical problems of varied nature in the longer term.

People who suffer from this condition may feel discomfort in their throat, may have to cough frequently to clear their throat, may develop problems for their voice box and vocal cords, may feel asthma like symptoms, may feel a sour taste in the mouth etc. If proper and timely medical treatment is not administered, this condition can become serious and may even force you to opt for a surgical cure for the resultant complications.

Some of the other proven problems due to silent acid reflux are snoring, sleep disorders etc. Children are also known to suffer from silent acid reflux. One of the major problems associated with this condition is the difficulty in diagnosing the condition early, due to its lack of clear cut symptoms. If you suspect the occurrence of this condition in your kid, you must get him checked with your doctor and understand the nature of the condition. When it comes to your child, never self medicate. Always take the advice of your doctor and follow his or her prescription and gain the desired cure from silent acid reflux.

If treated in a timely manner, silent acid reflux condition can be brought under your control. The treatment methods for acid reflux and silent acid reflux are one and the same. This is because of the similar nature of the cause of the acid reflux and silent acid reflux problems. You will have to make life style changes like eating smaller portions of food at frequent intervals, avoid eating three hours prior to bed time, keep your head in an elevated position while sleeping, reduce excess weight, reduce fatty and fried food items, reduce the consumption of caffeinated drinks and alcohol, stop smoking cigarettes or other similar tobacco products etc. Use of antacids can also play a part in your struggle to escape the serious wrath of the condition.

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The severity of this condition is especially true about the western developed world. In these parts, the sudden changes in life style and food habits have caused havoc in many people’s health and lives. Modern man and woman chose to skip the traditional food cooking and opted for the easier, tastier, oilier, unhealthy fast food. Obesity is a natural result of this junk food culture prevailing in the western countries. Does obesity have any relation with acid reflux? Let us go through its effect on this painful condition.

The sad truth of the matter is that any weight gain can adversely affect acid reflux. You need not be obese! Even slight weight gain is going to affect your acid reflux condition for the worse. According to your physician, you may not be even obese yet! Your BMI (Body-Mass Index) can be lower than those of people categorized as obese. Still, you may feel increasingly severe symptoms of acid reflux as you gain added weight.

As the BMI of people increases, even when they are below the obese or overweight category, the severity of acid reflux condition increases for the worse. This has been proven through modern scientific studies conducted by American researchers. In these studies, as the BMI of participants increased, they felt increasing level of discomfort due to acid reflux. The difference in severity of acid reflux condition was significantly worse in participants even while their BMI levels were much lower than those of obese people. In many cases, the study participants belonging to a group whose BMI is a couple of indices higher than others were facing a significantly higher level of discomfort.

The effect of obesity on acid reflux was known for a long time. As obese people have much more fat than others, they may feel much more pressure on their stomach area than others. This can cause more stomach acids to reflux up in to the esophagus and even up to their throat. This constant pressure exerted on their esophageal sphincter can damage the working of this valve like organ and may even affect its functioning in the longer term.

Every one of us knows the effect of obesity on our life expectancy and quality of life. But many of us are ignoring the warnings at the risk of facing diabetes, heart problems etc at a later stage. For such people, the chances of a disease that they don’t have is not going to tempt them to change their life style. But, acid reflux can force them to change their easy going ways. As this painful condition can affect them regularly, many of us might lose a few pounds and stay on the healthier side. Thus, this new found knowledge can be a boon for people, who may not bother about a healthier life style under normal circumstances. The nagging nature of acid reflux can force them to a better style of living and even to an increased life expectancy!

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This condition is known to worsen after a very heavy meal. The food items that trigger acid reflux in a person can differ from one person to another. One person’s problem food item need not be a problem food item for another person.  Generally, junk food items or fast food items are considered as bad choices for heart burn. As such, acid reflux sufferers and eating out should be at logger heads. Is that assumption correct?

Those who suffer from this painful condition need not be avoiding eating out completely. Once in a while, you can enjoy a fancy dinner or lunch at your favorite restaurant. The only precaution you have to take is to choose the food items that does not worsen your condition and avoid the ones which trigger heart burn for you. In addition to this, the method of food preparation, your choice of beverages, the amount of food you consume etc can help you to stay clear of heart burn.

Italian, Chinese and Mexican restaurants can be tough to negotiate due to the large number of acid reflux causing food items sold there. Even then, you can reduce the risk of acid reflux by staying away from acid reflux causing food items and methods of food preparations.

One of the first steps involved is understanding your trigger food items. In case you are not aware of them already, you can gain an understanding by tracking the food items you eat and writing them down. This way, in a short time, you will have a good idea of acid reflux causing problem food items in your specific case.

Food Items To Be Chosen And Those To Be Left Out

Fried food items, be it meat or fish, are known to cause more heart burn and should be avoided. If you have a choice, get your meat and fish grilled rather than fried. As high fat gravies, sauces etc are known to trigger heart burn, get low fat varieties of these instead. Avoid any of your trigger food items.

Tomato sauce, ketchup, food items containing a lot of fruit ingredients, cheese, butter etc are known to cause heart burn and should be avoided. Onions are also known to affect you adversely. Carbonated beverages, alcoholic beverages, chocolate drinks etc need to be reduced or avoided all together.

White meat is better than red meat. If you insist on red meat, then lean cuts of them would be better. Baked potatoes, steamed vegetables, soups containing broths etc are good. If you use dips or dressing, choose fat free or low fat varieties only.

While in Italian restaurants, avoid the temptation to get your pizza double cheesed. High fat pizza toppings like sausage and pepperoni should be avoided as well. Get your pizza without much tomato sauce in them. This will definitely reduce the taste of your pizza. But it will reduce the chances of you getting acid reflux symptoms later!

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This situation can become lethal if left untreated. In the initial stages of a heart attack, it is quite difficult for a layman to distinguish between a heart attack or heart burn. How do you distinguish between a common heartburn and a serious heart attack?

If you are at higher risk of having a heart attack, then you should be aware of your risk in the first place. If you are a smoker or if you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol or diabetes, then you are at high risk of a heart attack. If heart attack runs in your family or if you are obese or if you have heart problems, then also you should keep this possibility in your mind. If you are not sure, then it would be always better to check with your doctor than taking chances with your life.

Let us go through common symptoms of a heart attack. When you are having a heart attack you may feel general discomfort, pressure or burning sensation in your chest area, throat, neck area or on your arms. The discomfort or pain may start in the chest area and spread to your arms. You may find it hard to breath, may feel like vomiting, may feel dizzy or may start sweating. If you feel these symptoms, then think of the worst and seek medical help immediately.

Acid reflux symptoms can feel like heart attack too. Acid reflux pain does not spread to the arms or throat. Many times acid reflux happens after a heavy meal. Acid reflux pain may be relieved with the use of common antacids in a short time. Even if you think it is a acid reflux and are feeling sweaty or dizzy, then it is more likely to be a heart attack. Even those people who have a long history of heart burn may ind it difficult to distinguish between acid reflux and heart attack. The symptoms can be so similar and the pain and discomfort can seem like originating from the same area.

How is the common man going to distinguish between acid reflux and heart attack? Is it a smart move on his part to undertake self diagnosis? No. Common people should never try to decide whether it is heart attack or heart burn. That decision must be left to the doctors to decide. Only they are in a position to decide for sure whether it is a heart burn or a heart attack. An average Joe should not be the one who distinguishes between these two. If he tries to do that, he may be risking his own life. It is always good to err on the side of caution than risking your life otherwise. In the worst case scenario, if you finds out that all you have is heart burn, you may feel a bit embarrassed. But the chances of you are alive are much better this way.

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Many animals suffer from this painful condition. As a dog is considered to be the best friend of a man, we are familiar with the acid reflux condition of dogs in particular. In a similar way as humans suffer from acid reflux due to the malfunctioning of their LES (Lower Esophageal Sphincter), some dogs also suffer from this condition for the same reason. In these cases, this valve (LES) does not work properly and is unable to prevent stomach acids from going back up in to the esophagus.

As the stomach is capable of handling stomach acids, the acids won’t cause any damage or pain there. It is not the same case with the soft tissues in the esophagus. The stomach acids are going to burn these soft tissues and cause pain and discomfort.

Causes Of Canine Acid Reflux

This is a biological condition which cannot be prevented or brought under complete control. Some dogs are more susceptible to suffer from this painful condition and some others are not so. Being overweight is known to worsen the condition. Inclusion of too much fat in the dog’s diet is known to cause heart burn. Over eating can also cause acid reflux. In all these cases, added pressure will be exerted on the stomach. The excess fat build up around the stomach area or the excessive amounts of food consumed can cause the stomach acids to reflux up in to the esophagus and thus causing heart burn.

A healthy LES would have kept the stomach acids in its place. But the defective valve function of LES of dogs suffering from acid reflux is not going to prevent stomach acids from going up in to the esophagus completely.

Symptoms Of Canine Acid Reflux

Dogs suffering from acid reflux may refuse to eat normal amounts of food. As a result, they may start to lose weight and become weak. They may involve in lower level of physical activities than before. After every meal, they may lie down with a tired look for a long time. You have to watch your dog for a period of time and see if these symptoms are continuing. Observation is the most common method for basic diagnosis of canine acid reflux.

Treatment For Acid Reflux In Dogs

As this condition is a biological condition which cannot be completely reversed, complete cure of the condition may not be possible. But, you can take preventive measures like feeding a proper diet at appropriate time intervals, preventing your dog from becoming over weight, not providing excessive amounts of food at any given time etc. You must consult with a qualified vet before giving your dog any medicine. Antacids like pepcid are known to provide temporary relief for the condition. But this is not a permanent solution.

Keeping your dog’s food in an elevated position can help in reducing canine acid reflux. This way your pet is not required to eat from floor level and this is known to reduce acid reflux problems for many dogs.

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Obese people

Acid reflux or heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease is caused when the stomach acids needed for proper digestion of food goes up in to the esophagus. Esophagus is the connecting tube between the throat and the stomach. Such refluxed acid may go up in to your throat and cause a burning sensation. Multiple studies have proven the high rate for acid reflux condition among obese people.

Separate studies conducted by researchers at Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center at Houston’s Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Southern California are among those conducted for this purpose. A majority of these studies have proven the relationship between acid reflux and obesity. Even the studies which did not prove this relationship did not show a contrary relationship. These studies were conducted on the largest sample of acid reflux patients during the last half a century.

These medical studies have proven a relationship between the patient’s BMI (Body Mass Index) and acid reflux symptoms. As BMI, a measure of fat in the human body, increased, the acid reflux condition of the people worsened.

The results of these studies were not entirely surprising. The increase in obesity among American population is well documented over the recent years. The change in food habits of the average US citizen has an important role in this situation. The consumption of junk food and sugary sodas have been blamed as the culprits in this condition. Increase in acid reflux patients have been going at a steady pace over the years. It is estimated that roughly 20% of the current US population suffer from this painful condition and its associated effects.

In addition to higher risk of acid reflux, obese people are at a high risk for cancer affecting their esophagus. Another known condition affecting such people is erosive esophagitis.

Thus, it would be a smart move on every one’s part to stay trim and fit. The benefits of staying at a healthy weight has been proven effective in a variety of other ways. Staying away from acid reflux condition is another added advantage for every fitness conscious person.

What is the relationship between obesity and acid reflux?

This is not clearly proven yet. One assumption is the excess pressure applied on stomach contents from accumulated fat around it, which in turn would force the stomach acids to go up in to the esophagus. People who are obese are known to have weaker esophageal sphincter, which allow stomach acids to go past it in to the esophagus. But these assumptions are yet to be proven beyond doubt.

Even if you lose your excess weight, weakened esophageal sphincter muscles will not regain its original strength. Thus, losing excess weight may not provide relief for acid reflux condition. The only solution would be to stay fit and trim all through your life.

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During fundoplication, the stomach’s part, which is right next to the esophageal sphincter, is wrapped and sewn around the lower part of esophageal sphincter. Through this process the pressure on the esophagus is increased and this in turn reduces acid reflux.

Fundoplication can be done in two ways. One way is through regular open surgery which will force you to rest for longer time. This is done under general anesthesia and can be painful after the sedation is over. The person will need to rest for up to two months before he can resume normal activities.

The second and easier method will be done using a laparoscope, which will leave only a few small punctures in your stomach. This method is much easier on the patient as he/she can recover much faster with a lot less pain. Normally the patient can resume his/her normal activities within three weeks after laparoscopic fundoplication.

Fundoplication can be either done through the stomach or the chest. In case of  persons with a shorter esophagus or those who are over weight, the chest route is preferred.

After either one of these fundoplication surgery methods, you will have to change your eating habits. It will be better, if you eat only soft food items until the surgery heals completely. Along with this, you must chew your food properly and eat much more slowly than before, so as to provide the food time to go through the smaller esophagus.

Usually people who suffer acid reflux are given medicines as a first resource. When this fails, or if the person has side effects to the medicine, then fundoplication is chosen. Those who are suffering from hiatal hernia can be relieved of their pain through this procedure as well.

If fundoplication surgery is done successfully, it is known to remove the necessity for long-term consumption of medicine. If you are thinking of choosing either surgery or medicine, think about all the known pros and cons of the procedure like cost of the procedure, risks involved, complications that can arise during and after the surgery etc.

Fundoplication is not advised for every one who complains of acid reflux or heart burn. Your surgeon is going to conduct tests so as to determine the effectiveness of the procedure in your body. If the diagnosis is a positive one, then only you will be given the go ahead for the surgical procedure. If the patient has some physical conditions which can aggravate his/her condition, the doctor will advice against going ahead with the procedure.

[tags]fundoplication[/tags]

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Are you familiar with this term? Is bile reflux related to acid reflux?

Bile is a secretion of your liver. This is supposed to work in your small intestine to help in breaking down and absorption of fatty food items in to human body. In a similar way the stomach acids are kept inside your stomach by the valve esophageal sphincter, bile is kept inside your small intestine by pyloric valve which let food to pass from stomach in to your small intestine. When this valve malfunctions, bile flows in to your stomach and cause problems. Unlike the stomach acids, bile is alkaline in nature and can cause irritation and pain in your stomach.

If you are suffering from acid reflux and bile reflux, then your stomach acids and bile can get in to your esophagus and cause damage. This combination of bile reflux and acid reflux can even cause esophageal cancer which is known to be fatal always. Esophageal constriction (narrowing) is also a possible risk and can cause the patient to choke.

One of the biggest problems associated with bile reflux is the difficulty in diagnosing the condition properly. As the symptoms of acid reflux and bile reflux are similar, it is not easy to distinguish between the two. And remember, they both can occur in the same person at the same time. Commonly known symptoms of bile reflux are heart burn, sour taste in your mouth, nausea, throwing up bile, cough, loss of weight etc. Doctors may be able to diagnose the condition from the symptoms of the patient. In addition to this, the doctor may use endoscopy, acid tests etc to confirm the condition. As bile is alkaline in nature, acid tests are not going to detect its presence.

People who have undergone surgeries in their stomach for weight loss, those who have removed their stomach or gall bladder, those who are having stomach ulcers etc are known to be at a much higher risk of suffering from bile reflux.

Unlike acid reflux, life style changes by themselves cannot reduce bile reflux condition. Ursodeoxycholic acid is a commonly used prescription medicine for bile reflux. This is known to reduce the frequency of this condition from recurring. Proton pump inhibitors, which are used to treat acid reflux condition by reducing stomach acid production are known to be effective in reducing bile production as well. In severe cases, surgical procedures like Roux-en-Y or fundoplication are used to relieve the suffering of the patient.

Those who are suffering from acid reflux and bile reflux can reduce their problems through life style changes suited for acid reflux condition. These include avoiding smoking and alcohol consumption, eating smaller portions of food, eating four hours prior to bed time, reducing oily and fatty food consumption, reducing excess body weight, sleeping with your upper body in an elevated position, practicing of relaxation techniques etc.

[tags]bile reflux[/tags]

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Acid Reflux Is Not At All Serious

Some people tend to ignore acid reflux condition as a common nuisance, rather than considering it as a disease worth treatment. But,  gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) which is commonly known as acid reflux, can be a serious problem for a person in maintaining a happy life. In some cases, acid reflux condition is known to be the precursor of serious conditions like Barrett’s esophagus, erosive esophagitis, esophageal strictures, esophageal cancer etc. So it would be always a smart idea to err on the side of caution and take the necessary preventive measures so as to bring the condition under control.

A Bland Diet Can Provide Relief For Acid Reflux

In certain cases, the contrary is proven. If sufferers of acid reflux get a chance to enjoy their favorite food items, that is seen to help them in relieving their symptoms. This may be due to a psychological good feeling created in their mind. In serious cases of GERD, a bland diet alone is not of much help.

Reduce Consumption Of Protein

Only meat proteins has to be reduced. Proteins contained in peanut butter, tofu etc are not known to adversely affect acid reflux condition.

Milk Can Reduce Acid Reflux Condition

This is not true. Milk has the ability to counteract the stomach acids. But the human stomach is going to produce more acids and bring the stomach acid levels back to the normal level in a very short time. So milk won’t be much of a help in the long run.

Acidic Foods Will Increase Acid Reflux

This is not always true. Many acid reflux sufferers have been reporting that they are getting relief from the use of apple cider vinegar. As this is acidic in nature, it does not make sense. But many users vouch for its effectiveness. The reason for this is not proven through any studies yet.

Products With Caffeine, Spicy Food Items, Alcohol And Chocolate Need To Be Avoided.There are contrary reports on the usage of these. Caffeine contained in green tea is known to be good for acid reflux sufferers. Herbal Tea is also good for consumption. All of the above substances are known to cause problems for certain people. But some people are not at all adversely affected from the use of products with caffeine in them, spicy food items, alcohol and chocolate. Hence, only those people who are negatively affected need to avoid those particular products. Reducing body weight is the only known life style change that has helped in reducing acid reflux condition for certain.

If You Maintain Healthy Diet And Lifestyle, Acid Reflux Will Stay Away From You

Acid reflux condition affects people from all walks of life. Even those who eat healthy food items and sticking to routine exercising are also known to suffer from this painful condition.

Only Those Who Have Excess Acid In Their Stomach Are Prone To Suffer From Acid Reflux

Acid reflux is not caused by the excessive acid production in the patient’s stomach. It is caused due to the malfunctioning of esophageal sphincter. The amount of acids present in the stomach of acid reflux sufferers is on the same level as that of common people.

We have tried to put down as many popular misconceptions about acid reflux as possible, if you know of any which we have not listed do pen it down in the comments section below.

[tags]misconceptions about acid reflux[/tags]

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