Aging and Disease

Acid reflux affects people everyday. It is caused by acid in the stomach backing up into the esophagus. It makes people feel a burning, uncomfortable sensation. There are many names for acid reflux. Gastro esophageal Reflux disorder is used to describe a chronic form of acid reflux and heartburn is another name often used to describe acid reflux. It is all the same basic thing, no matter what it is called.

Acid reflux can occur due to a variety of reasons. Most often a doctor can not diagnosis the exact cause without further monitoring of the condition. Sometimes it is caused by a medical reason. Some babies experience it because they are so small and their bodies can not function properly to keep acid from backing up. In adults acid reflux occurs mostly due to diet. A person should monitor their eating habits and record each time they have acid reflux. They should look for an association between their diet or activities they may do and their acid reflux. There are many things a person can do, though, to ease the symptoms before a cause is determined or even after the causes is found.

Once a person figures out what causes their acid reflux, keeping it under control should not be difficult. However, for those who are not sure of why they are experiencing acid reflux here are some suggestions on trying to tame flare ups.

- Avoid spicy foods. These types of foods tend to be most often associated with acid reflux.

- Lie down after meals. It is best if the person is lying flat. This uses gravity to try to keep the acid down in the stomach.

- Wear loose clothing. Tight fitting clothes can sometimes trigger acid reflux.

- Eat smaller meals. Putting less food in the stomach causes it to create less acid, which in turn keeps acids levels where they do not back up into the esophagus.

- Look at medication. If a person is taking certain medications their acid reflux may be caused by them. Most over the counter medications will list acid reflux as a possible side effect if they are known to cause it. For prescription medications a person can ask their doctor or pharmacist.

- Stop or cut down on smoking. Smoking has been linked to stimulate acid production. More acid means more chance of acid reflux.

- Elevate the head when sleeping. Elevating the head also uses gravity to keep the stomach acid down.

If doing any of these activities reduces or eliminates acid reflux then a person has found their trigger.

Acid reflux is a part of daily life for many people. The key to eliminating it is to find the reasons behind it and stop doing them. A trip to the doctor never hurts to rule out medical problems as well.

Tags: Health, Disease

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