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SIGNS OF ACID REFLUX

At the entrance to your stomach is a valve, which is a ring of muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Normally, the LES closes as soon as food passes through it. If the LES doesn’t close all the way or if it opens too often, acid produced by your stomach can move up into your esophagus. This can cause symptoms such as a burning chest pain called heartburn. If acid reflux symptoms happen more than twice a week, you have acid reflux disease, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

What Causes Acid Reflux Disease?

One common cause of acid reflux disease is a stomach abnormality called a hiatal hernia. This occurs when the upper part of the stomach and LES move above the diaphragm, a muscle that separates your stomach from your chest. Normally, the diaphragm helps keep acid in our stomach. But if you have a hiatal hernia, acid can move up into your esophagus and cause symptoms of acid reflux disease.
These are other common risk factors for acid reflux disease:

1. Eating large meals or lying down right after a meal.
2. Being overweight or obese.
3. Eating a heavy meal and lying on your back or bending over at the waist.
4. Snacking close to bedtime.
5. Eating certain foods, such as citrus, tomato, chocolate, mint, garlic, onions, or spicy or fatty foods.
6. Drinking certain beverages, such as booze, carbonated drinks, coffee, or tea.
7. Smoking.
8. Being pregnant.

What Are the Symptoms of Acid Reflux Disease?

Common symptoms of acid reflux are:
Heartburn: a burning pain or discomfort that may move from your stomach to your abdomen or chest, or even up into your throat
Regurgitation: a sour or bitter-tasting acid backing up into your throat or mouth
Other symptoms of acid reflux disease include:
Bloating

1. Bloody or black stools or bloody vomiting.
2. Burping.
3. Dysphagia a narrowing of your esophagus, which creates the sensation of food being stuck in your throat.
4. Hiccups that don’t let up.
5. Nausea.
6. Weight reduction for no known reason.
7. Wheezing, dry cough, hoarseness, or chronic sore throat.

How Is Acid Reflux Disease Diagnosed?

It’s time to see your physician if you have acid reflux symptoms two or more times a week or if don’t bring lasting relief. Symptoms such as heartburn are the key to the diagnosis of acid reflux disease, especially if lifestyle changes, antacids, or acid-blocking treatments help reduce these symptoms.
If these steps don’t help or if you have frequent or severe symptoms, your physician may order tests to confirm a diagnosis and check for other problems. You may need one or more tests such as these:
Barium swallow (esophagram) can check for ulcers or a narrowing of the esophagus. You first swallow a solution to help structures show up on an X-ray.
Esophageal manometry can check the function of the esophagus and lower esophageal sphincter.
pH monitoring can check for acid in your esophagus. The physician inserts a device into your esophagus and leaves it in place for 1 to 2 days to measure the amount of acid in your esophagus.
Endoscopy can check for problems in your esophagus or stomach. This test involves inserting a long, flexible, lighted tube with a camera down your throat. First, the physician will spray the back of your throat with anesthetic and give you a sedative to make you more comfortable.
A biopsymay be taken during endoscopy to check samples of tissue under a microscope for infection or abnormalities.

Can Acid Reflux Disease Be Treated With Diet and Lifestyle Changes?

One of the most effective ways to treat acid reflux disease is to avoid the foods and beverages that trigger symptoms. Here are other steps you can take:

1. Eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day.
2. Put blocks under the head of your bed to raise it at least 4 inches to 6 inches.
3. Don’t eat at least 2 to 3 hours before lying down.
4. Try sleeping in a chair for daytime naps.
5. Don’t wear tight clothes or tight belts

If you’re overweight or obese, take steps to lose weight with exercise and diet changes.
Also, ask your physician whether any treatments could be triggering your heartburn or other symptoms of acid reflux disease.

8 Home Remedies for Acid Reflux/GERD

Aim for a healthy weight:

While heartburn can happen to anyone, GERD seems to be most prevalent in adults who are overweight or obese. Excess weight especially in the abdominal area puts more pressure on the stomach. As a result, you’re at an increased risk of stomach acids working back into the esophagus and causing heartburn.
If you’re overweight, the Mayo Clinic suggests a steady weight reduction plan of 1 or 2 pounds per week. On the flip side, if you are already considered to be at a healthy weight, then make sure you maintain it with a healthy diet and regular exercise.

Know which foods to avoid:

No matter what your weight, there are certain known trigger foods that can increase your risk for acid reflux. With GERD, you should be especially wary of items that can lead to symptoms. Try avoiding the following foods:

1. Tomato sauce and other tomato based products.
2. High fat foods, such as fast food products and Greasy foods.
3. Fried foods.
4. Citrus fruit juices.
5. Soda.
6. Caffeine.
7. Chocolate.
8. Garlic.
9. Onions.
10. Mint.

By limiting or avoiding these triggers altogether, you may experience fewer symptoms. You may also want to keep a food diary to help identify problem foods.

Eat a little, sit up a little longer:

Eating smaller meals puts less pressure on the stomach, which can prevent the backflow of stomach acids. By eating smaller amounts of food more frequently, you can reduce heartburn and eat fewer calories overall.
It’s also important to avoid lying down after eating. Doing so can trigger heartburn. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases recommends waiting 2 to 3 hours after eating. (Once you do go to bed, try elevating your head with some extra pillows to avoid nighttime heartburn.)

Eat foods that help:

There is no one magic food that can treat acid reflux. Still, aside from avoiding trigger foods, a few other dietary changes can help. First, the American Academy of Family Physicians recommends low fat, highprotein meals. Reducing dietary fat intake can subsequently decrease your symptoms, while getting enough protein and fiber will keep you full and prevent overeating. Try incorporating some of these foods into your diet to help your acid reflux.
After each meal, you may even consider chewing non mint gum. This can help increase saliva in your mouth and keep acid out of the esophagus.

Quit smoking:

In case you needed another reason to quit smoking, heartburn is one of them. And this is a big one for people with GERD. Smoking damages the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which is responsible for preventing stomach acids from backing up. When the muscles of the LES are weakened from smoking, you may experience more frequent heartburn episodes. It’s time to quit smoking. You will feel better.
Secondhand smoke can also be problematic if you’re fighting acid reflux or GERD. Here are some tips to help you quit smoking.

Explore potential herbal remedies:

The following herbs have been used for GERD:

1. chamomile
2. licorice
3. marshmallow
4. slippery elm

These are available in supplement and tincture form, as well as teas. The downside to these herbs is that there aren’t enough studies to prove that they can actually treat GERD, despite what testimonials might report. Furthermore, they might interfere with treatments you may take check with a physician before use. The FDA does not monitor herbs and supplements in the United States. Herbs can be a natural and effective way to reduce the symptoms of GERD. Be sure to purchase herbs from a reputable source.

Avoid tight clothing:

There’s nothing wrong with wearing tight clothing that is, unless you’re experiencing GERD symptoms. Wearing clothes that are too tight can increase acid reflux episodes. This is especially the case with tight bottoms and belts: Both place unnecessary pressure on the abdomen, thereby contributing to your heartburn risk. For the sake of acid reflux, loosen up.

Try relaxation techniques:

GERD itself can be very stressful. Since esophageal muscles play a large role in keeping stomach acids down where they belong, it may help to learn techniques that can relax both your body and mind. Yoga has enormous benefits by promoting mind-body awareness. If you’re not a yogi, you can even try quiet meditation and deep breathing for a few minutes several times a day to tame your stress levels.
Home remedies can help alleviate the occasional heartburn episode, as well as some cases of GERD. When prolonged, uncontrolled acid reflux occurs, you put yourself at a higher risk of esophageal damage. This can include ulcers, a narrowed esophagus, and even esophageal carcinoma.
Still, it’s important to know that home remedies alone may not work for acid reflux and GERD. Talk to a gastroenterologist about how some of these remedies can complement a treatment plan.