Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), also known as acid reflux, is where liquid or food comes up from the stomach into the esophagus, causing pain and/or heartburn.
Other symptoms in addition to heartburn (pain in the chest) include: nausea, vomiting, sore throat, burping, cough, wheezing, difficulty swallowing, sore throat, hoarse voice and in severe cases, vomiting blood, difficulty breathing and choking.
The lower esophageal sphincter (LED) muscles are responsible for closing and opening the esophagus and when working properly, maintain a pressure barrier against the stomach.
Sometimes these muscles either aren’t working properly due to congenital defects or certain traumas such as hiatal hernia. Although body posture, health and certain foods can trigger reflux on their own, having a preexisting LED muscle condition can be exacerbated by what one eats or drinks.
Historically, foods to avoid included caffeine, chocolate, onions, tomatoes and citrus, although recent research indicates that these may not necessarily be the triggers commonly thought to be.
The real culprits include high fat foods and greasy foods such as found in most fast foods. If you do eat these foods, they should be limited to only one meal a day if any.
Other ways to help avoid acid reflux include: avoid lying in an incline position after eating, elevating the head while sleeping, avoiding alcohol and tobacco and always drinking a full glass of water when taking medications.
A diet high in complex carbohydrates is recommended as foods such as bread, rice and pasta are easier on the stomach and tend to absorb stomach acid more easily.
Eating smaller meals is also very important because when we overeat, the stomach thinks that much more stomach acid is needed to digest the food. When this food or drink comes back up the esophagus, it is coated in stomach acid.
Treatment for GERD can include over the counter heartburn medications and prescription medications but one should be careful as many of these drugs have serious side effects and do not interact well with one another.
In extreme cases, surgery may be required, however, this is still no guarantee that symptoms will not return.
Maintaining a healthy weight is one key way to help avoid acid reflux. People suffering from obesity have an increased abdominal pressure which can trigger reflux.
Recent studies, however, indicate that even gaining small amounts of weight can bring about acid reflux. In fact, those who “yo-yo” with their weight are at an even greater risk than those who are consistently a few pounds overweight.
If maintaining a healthy weight is important to you due to acid reflux or just maintaining health, I highly encourage you to try my Weight Loss Breeze program. The natural exercises are easy to do and results are guaranteed!
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