Aging and Disease

The stomach is the organ that digest the food you eat. The digestion process uses acids to decompose the food into proteins and aminoacids. These acids are very strong, but the inner stomach walls are protected by a membrane that keeps the acids from destroying it.

Before the food reaches the stomach it passes through the esophagus which is linked to the stomach. The esophagus does not have a special protective membrane, so if the acid inside the stomach gets into the esophagus then it burns its walls. This is known as heartburn, and it happens to almost anyone from time to time – it’s when you fell a light burning sensation in your chest.

But some people experience the heartburn sensation a few times a week. This is because in some cases the small valve that separates the stomach from the esophagus, (and that should only allow things to get from the esophagus into the stomach and not backwards) doesn’t work properly. This condition is called the acid reflux disease. If it is not treated in time it can lead to serious complications because the esophagus gets more and more eroded. Fortunately this condition can be cured, but the treatment depends on how far the disease has advanced.

The first symptom you experience when you have acid reflux is of course heartburn. Then you will find that the food you just ate starts to come back into your mouth. This is called regurgitation. After some time, depending on the patient, the pain in the chest, or heartburn, will be more and more severe. Many patients also reported having difficulties in swallowing food. Finally, if the patient does nothing to treat him/herself, the stomachal acids will reach the mouth and lungs and cause asthma and they will corrode the teeth.
It is important to treat this disease as soon as you discover it, because leaving it untreated will only make you feel worse.

Once discovered, acid reflux can be treated with medication or with surgery in some rare cases. Your doctor will prescribe you medication that will lower the quantity of acid you have inside your stomach, medication that will prevent your stomach from filling up so things inside it don’t come out, and anti-acids, generally used in stomachal diseases.
A change in the diet is also recommended to those suffering from acid reflux.

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above consult your local doctor for an accurate diagnosis and more information about acid reflux and its treatment.

Tags: Medical, Health

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