Acid Reflux - Foods to Avoid

What acid reflux food should I avoid? This is a question most gastroesophageal reflux disease sufferers struggle upon. Promoting healthy nutrition that is based on avoiding certain foods while increasing the intake of others has the potential to confer significant long-term health benefits among acid reflux sufferers. Lifestyle and dietary alterations are considered to be an integral and inseparable part of any long-term holistic GERD treatment.

 The foods we consume play an important role when it comes to keeping our body's delicate natural inner balance. Since certain foods and dietary habits have been found to directly and indirectly promote the aggravation of acid reflux, avoiding those foods and adopting specific dietary habits for optimal digestion while suffering from acid reflux could have a tremendously positive effect on your existing medical condition. The following are examples of these types of foods:

 1. Coffee and other caffeine containing beverages lead to increased acidity, so avoid large amounts of coffee. Try to limit your daily coffee consumption to two cups or less. It possible, split your coffee cup into two half cups, and reduce coffee drinking before the bedtime.

Causes of Acid Reflux

Acid reflux disease, also known as gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), occurs due to the coexistence of several medical and lifestyle conditions. Physiological factors that trigger GERD include lower esophageal sphincter (LES) hypotonia (the gradual weakening of the LES), along with retrograde flow of stomach contents into the esophagus, and the level of sensitivity of the esophageal mucus to the reflux content.

 The food that you swallow travels down your throat and is pushed by contractions of the muscular esophagus. In the area where the esophagus joins the stomach a valve-like mechanism, known as lower esophageal sphincter (LES), is located. The closure of this muscle prevents stomach acid from backing up, or refluxing, into the esophagus.

What Are The Symptoms of Acid Reflux?

It is widely agreed among physicians and medical paraprofessionals, that initial diagnosis, mostly by using a typical acid reflux symptoms questionnaire, is necessary to ensure the most effective and quick treatment for this condition. Approx 70% of the acid reflux diagnostics that are based on the presence of typical symptoms are accurate. Since acid reflux, also called GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), can cause patients a great deal of discomfort and result in severe complications, it is highly important to know how to identify its symptoms in order to quickly diagnose and treat it.

 The most common symptom of GERD is persistent heartburn. Heartburn is experienced as an unpleasant and painful burning sensation in the esophageal area. Other typical symptoms are as follows:

 1. Gastric regurgitation, which means an unrestricted reversed flow of gastric or esophageal contents into the throat. This gastric fluid can cause respiratory complications under certain conditions.

What Is Acid Reflux?

Acid reflux disease, also known as gastro-esophageal reflux disease, or GERD, occurs due to the coexistence of two medical conditions. The first acid reflux disease contributing condition is a retrograde flow of stomach contents into the esophagus. However, the reflux itself does not necessarily lead to gastro-esophageal reflux disease symptoms or histologic changes, and can occur among healthy individuals as well. In this case, the process is referred to as "physiologic gastroesophageal reflux".

The second acid reflux disease predisposing condition is a lower esophageal sphincter (LES) malfunction. The LES is a 3-cm to 4-cm ring of muscle, which is two to three times thicker than the proximal esophagus and acts as a valve between the esophagus and the stomach. In the case of acid reflux disease, the LES does not close perfectly and stomach contents splashes up into the esophagus. When pathologic symptoms follow this process, the whole condition is called acid reflux disease.

Natural Heartburn Remedies - The Best Ways to Get Rid of Heartburn

Natural Heartburn Remedies - The Best Ways to Get Rid of Heartburn

By Harriet Y Chan

The best way to get rid of heartburn is through a natural method, so they say. And many heartburn sufferers will agree to this since natural heartburn remedies are truly effective in reducing the frequency of heartburn and are safer to use in the long run. These remedies are also inexpensive and don't require taking drugs that can cause side-effects that may even be more serious than the condition itself.

If you are looking for ways to get rid of heartburn using natural means, here are some really useful tips for you.

1. Avoid heartburn triggers - there are types of foods that can cause heartburn. Food triggers may vary from person to person but the most common triggers include fatty and fried foods, spicy foods, raw onions, black pepper, garlic and peppermint. Chocolates too are said to cause acid reflux as well as alcoholic and caffeinated beverages, citrus fruits and citrus juices.

Natural Home Heartburn Remedies

Natural Home Heartburn Remedies

By Jim Kesel

It seems that everyone is talking about the need to use natural acid reflux heartburn remedies but you seldom see actual recipes for these cures. Many of these time tested cures are rooted in folklore or oriental medicine. Conventional medical practice is to use either standard ant- acids or one of new prescription medications to control acid reflux and heartburn. Many natural medicine advocates and herbalists warn that taking a steady diet of ant-acids will lead to aluminum toxicity. However most credible research indicates there is no danger from taking ant-acids that contain aluminum unless you have other chronic illness. Never the less many people plain do not want to put anything unnatural into their bodies and natural remedies will give relief to these heartburn sufferers.

We researched a good many different home and natural remedies that are still in frequent use. We have listed these below for your use. We make no claim as to their effectiveness only that the people who provided the remedies claimed that they were very effective for relieving their acid reflux heartburn. All used ingredients that are found in the home or in the local health food store. It should be more or less obvious that if you are not eating or drinking properly, chewing tobacco or smoking, ingesting lots of caffeine or citrus, abusing alcohol or any other activity that will exacerbate your heartburn symptoms, it less likely that these remedies will be effective. In addition if you are suffering from GERD or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, LES (lower esophageal sphincter) muscles problems, ulcer, chronic heartburn or any advanced form of Gastro Reflux Disease you need to see a physician that specializes in treating acid reflux disease. Delaying treatment can lead to a more serious condition.

• Almonds: Eating almonds have reduced heartburns symptoms when taken prior to meals and an hour before bedtime.