March 2008

Heartburn Specials

March 26, 2008

Severe Heartburn and Nausea

by Steven McCarthy

Heartburn nausea is a very unpleasant feeling that comes from your stomach and up the throat. Heartburn can feel downright life threatening. And can be hard to distinguish between heartburn,and more serious conditions. A combination like heartburn and nausea can mean something far more sinister. Symptoms can include bloating of the stomach, a burning sensation in the chest and throat and sometimes, pain in both the abdomen and throat.

Heartburn relief generally follows one of three paths. The first is an antacid to neutralize the acid in your stomach such as tum’s or rolaids. The second is a type of antacid that forms a coating between the acid and your stomach like pepto bismal.

Another good option in over the counter heartburn medicine is the H-2-receptor blockers, which are better known under the commercial names like Zantac, Pepcid and Tagamet. These heartburn medicines work by reducing the amount of acid that the stomach produces. With less acid, there is a lower chance that it will back up into the esophagus and cause heartburn symptoms. These medications work best if they are taken prior to eating a meal, because they take about 30 minutes to take effect.

However, you can also take them after a meal, in tandem with an antacid. The antacid will bring quick relief, while the H-2-receptor blocker will keep that relief going over the long term. Other types of H2 blockers of which certain drugs such as Cimetidine, Ranitidine, and Nizatidine as also Famstidine help in giving relief from heartburn. This form of heartburn medication only takes an hour or two to provide relief and this relief may last for at most twelve hours.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)

One of natures natural remedies is ginger, a cure for heartburn and nausea. Baked goods containing ginger can provide fast relief when nausea occurs. And is gentle enough to eat when indigestion occurs, ginger is a wonderful remedy to cure both conditions without triggering the other. Certain food intolerance’s could also trigger both heartburn and nausea so it is always advisable to check out any kind of medical explanation to frequent occurrences of both symptoms.

Blocking Acid Production

Heartburn and acid reflux are substantially the same thing. The difference is in how often the attack occurs. Both are the effect of acid in the stomach forcing its way into the esophagus. Heartburn can be treated with over the counter medicine due to its infrequency. Most of us already know what foods seem to set their attack off. Acid reflux requires a doctor’s care because it can cause lasting damage to the esophagus and can be a symptom of a bigger problem.

HCL related medications

Acid reflux is not choosey about age, ethnicity or religious viewpoint. It can strike you at any age. There are many factors that can increase your probability of developing acid reflux. It is important that if you are suffering from repeat attacks of heartburn or indigestion to seek out the advice of your physician.

What Is The Frequency Of Your Heartburn

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March 20, 2008

Acid Reflux, Heartburn – Symptoms and Treatments

by Nick Barlow

People who suffer from recurring heartburn may not realize that it is frequently referred to as “Acid Reflux.” They might hear an ad or see a commercial for information about it and not understand how this might help them cure heartburn.

The more medical term “acid reflux” is used by professionals and doctors when talking about this all-too-frequent condition. Many people suffer from heartburn from time to time, but others may experience symptoms on a much more frequent or even daily basis. If you have any indications that you are a frequent or chronic sufferer from heartburn you should let your doctor know about this right away.

Sometimes people will become alerted or panic when they feel acute symptoms that can fool you into believing you are having a heart attack. Acid reflux is a burning sensation or a pressure (that can be painful) in chest, often very close to 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 Treated

Many individuals suffer the effects of acid reflux periodically, and these individuals can easily find some medications at the local pharmacy to reduce the symptoms from the condition. Those people who suffer often from this condition could have a critical problem that should be treated by qualified doctors.

These people will probably be advised to take some medical testing to determine the extent of the problem. There are specialized tests that can clearly indicate the problem for most sufferers.

Once a medical professional knows the state of the sensitive tissues of the esophagus and stomach, they can outline a treatment to reduce or eliminate the uncomfortable conditions caused by acid reflux.

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.

For some, this is all they have to do to take care of their acid reflux. However, other sufferers will need drugs or medications to keep acids from the stomach from damaging their esophagus further. Additional changes to your sleeping habits may also help relieve damage caused by acids escaping the stomach. The head of the bed should be raised a bit so that acids have a harder time escaping the stomach into the esophagus.

If none of these home remedies eliminates the symptoms of acid reflux, a person should consult their physician and discuss the possibility of surgery.

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March 18, 2008

Acid Reflux Cause: WHY You Have Acid Reflux?

by Jeff Martin

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.

The problem with the LES is the first causal step to the disease of acid reflux. In a healthy person, the LES is only relaxed upon food moving from the esophagus into the stomach. When the food is inside the stomach, the valve shuts again to maintain stomach acid and content inside. When the LES is weakened however and fails to shut correctly, acid can be pushed back up your throat causing a painful burning feeling which is heartburn.

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.

There are several possibilities for dealing with symptomatic acid reflux. Nevertheless, the classic often used approaches, based on prescription and over the counter medication, only deal with the symptoms of chronic acid reflux. They may not be sufficiently effective to give long-term prevention of acid reflux. These classic approaches do not heal or protect the esophagus correctly and using these over the counter and prescription drugs, including antacid, over a long duration can cause multiple side effects ranging running the gamut from uncomfortable to dangerous.

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.

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March 15, 2008

Acid Reflux Disease: Find Out WHY You Have Heartburn

by Jeff Martin

Heartburn, or GERD – gastro-esophageal reflux disease as it is known, is caused by the coincidence of two medical conditions. The first condition contributing to acid reflux disease is the backward flow of food and acid from the stomach to the esophagus. Nonetheless, the reflux does not always result in symptoms of acid reflux disease or changes in the organic tissues, and can happen in healthy individuals as well, when it is referred to as “physiologic gastroesophageal reflux”.

The next factor provoking acid reflux is a malfunction of the LES, the lower esophageal sphincter. This circle of muscle acts as a unidirectional valve between the esophagus and the stomach. It measures 3-4 cm, meaning that it is two to three times thicker than the proximal esophagus. When acid reflux disease occurs, the stomach content finds its way back into the esophagus because the LES does not shut correctly. This is then called acid reflux disease, with accompanying symptoms of the disease which follow.

The typical sensation of acid reflux disease is persistent (twice weekly or more) heartburn. Heartburn is the burning feeling in the chest or the throat, when the stomach contents is pushed back to the lining of the esophagus. As people in good health may also have light reflux, occasional heartburn is common as well and does not immediately mean acid reflux disease.

Some sufferers express a sensation of food that blocks, choking or constriction of the throat. It is the steady flow back of stomach contents against the esophagus that has this effect, causing a swelling of the esophagus due to scar tissue from histological degradation. Other patients of acid reflux disease may also experience pains in their chest or nausea, coughing, burning pains in the chest, hoarseness in the morning, continual earache, sinusitis, changes in their voice, or problems in swallowing (notably lumpy foods).

Some patients can develop a condition known as Barrett’s esophagus, where cells occur in the esophageal lining take on abnormal shapes and colors. Notably in adults over 60 years old, this is a first stage leading to esophageal cancer. Other effects include narrowing of the esophagus, ulcers, bleeding, and spasms. When the stomach acid gets to the trachea and not only the upper esophagus, several severe conditions such as sinusitis, asthma, and pneumonia can occur. Acid reflux disease that is not treated can have serious consequences on health.

There are three options for treating acid reflux disease: surgery, medical therapy and holistic therapy that includes changes in diet and lifestyle and taking specific herbal supplements. Using surgery merits very careful consideration, given that certain underlying conditions can be complicated, such as constriction and muscular contraction disorders. PPIs and H2 blockers are among the options for medical intervention in cases of acid reflux disease. While it is possible to apply prescribed medications or acid blockers like these, remember that the results are sometimes only temporary and that conventional medicine can lead to serious side effects.

GERD, taking a holistic view, is a warning signal of a lack of internal equilibrium of consequence that must be properly dealt with. For this reason, alternative medicine such as herbal medicine, modifications in lifestyle, homeopathic remedies as components of a complete holistic program are the preferred choice for sufferers of acid reflux.

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March 13, 2008

Secrets Of Acid Reflux–GERD

by Alan Dicalux

Look. The secrets of acid reflux–GERD are not well known. This condition is prevalent among pregnant women and is painful and debilitating to say the least. It happens all over the world and is no respector of culture or race. Men, women and kids can get it. Acid reflux-GERD is a worldwide problem. In its more serious form it can turn into a condition more serious and if the symptoms persist, see your local doctor and get help.

Did yuou ever get a sour and bitter taste in you mouth from regurgitating your food? That is when the food that is supposed to stay in your stomach, refluxes, or backs up and goes the wrong way. It can interrupt your sleep and be very unfortable and if not treated properly can cause damage to your food pipe or espohagus. Unlike your stomach, the food pipe has no protection from stomach acid and the acid is what causes the pain that many people call heartburn.

GERD Causes

A potpourri of things can induce acid reflux Gerd. Acid reflux Gerd may be the consequence of diets high in fatty foods, spicy foods, caffeine, alcohol and even onions and garlic have all been foods that are linked with acid reflux.

If you take medication and food is forced back up your food pipe, that is not what is supposed to happen so you should be careful in the selection of medications.

There are some causes to acid reflux Gerd that feature changes inside the body. This comes about during pregnancy and even diabetics seem to have greater incidents of acid reflux gerd. Patients that have put on large quantities of weight are also run a risk for acid reflux gerd. This can naturally have something to do with diet that might also be a danger element for acid reflux gerd.

In some cases surgery is indicated to stop the acid reflux or GERD. Surgery is a possible solution when a hernia exists that tends tod rive the stomach acid back up the food piple or esophagus. This cases some very painful episodes, much worse than what many people call hearburn and can lay one low for days.

ACid Reflux Relief

If you find that you are suffering from acid reflux during the night and it is preventing you from sleeping here is something that may bring some relief. Try using a new pillows to raise you head up above your stomach. This may keep the stomach acid from refluxing up your food pipe or esophagus.

If you find that over-the-counter medications do not prevent the pains and sicomfort of acid reflux, then it is time to ask your doctor for help. Your doctor will diagnose your condition and offer presciptions medications that may mediate the pain and reduce the symptoms of acid reflux.

In some cases, symptoms control can be accomplished with a diet shift that may also help alleviate pain management. Finding the right diet can mediate the situation. This is an empirical operation and may take a lengthy period of time to ascertain which nutrients to include or exclude from the diet.

A doctor must be available to supervise the situation because acid reflux–GERD is a painful and traumatic condition. Remember. The secrets of acid reflux-GERD can be demolished by a visit to your doctor and shifting your diet. Some medications may help also.

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