Archive for February 14th, 2009
What Options Are Available For Acid Reflux Treatment?
Saturday, February 14th, 2009Cindy Heller asked:
Acid reflux, also known as gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD), occurs when the sphincter that is positioned at the bottom of the esophagus stops functioning properly. This will allow food in the stomach to come back up through the sphincter into the esophagus and sometimes even into the mouth, resulting in a painful heartburn (a burning sensation in the chest and throat) or even permanent damage to the esophagus if no proper acid reflux treatment is sought.
Acid reflux treatment varies among individual upon diagnosis. To some, lifestyle changes will be necessary to reduce the pain and discomfort of the disease. One such change is to avoid foods that trigger the symptoms. Foods that give rise to Acid Reflux are aplenty and obtaining a list of them is a good place to start. Yet, a food that cause problem for one may be perfectly fine for another. Therefore, patients are regularly advised to keep their own diet diary, so that offensive foods can be identified and avoided.
Those diagnosed with Acid Reflux should also avoid overeating, alcohol, coffee and smoking. A person who is obese may be advised to loss some weight as part of an acid reflux treatment plan. Since symptoms can get worse after a night of lying flat, one might find relief in the morning by elevating the upper body by about eight inches during sleep.
Acid Reflux Drugs Are Very Effective
If lifestyle changes are not able to provide the desired relief, one can then consider taking Acid Reflux drugs. Sometimes readily available antacids will do. In other cases, a prescription drug might be required. A point to note is that this form of treatment will have to be taken regularly and continued indefinitely
The good news is that the treatment is not difficult to administer for acid reflux in adults and children. It is rather excellent and extremely fast in relieving most, if not all of the symptoms of the person suffering for quite some time.
Are The Acid Reflux Drugs Good Or Bad To Treat The Acid Reflux
The acid reflux drugs are highly capable of getting rid of all the symptoms within a day or two from the start of the treatment. They will be free of chest pain, heartburn, and etc. These treatments are simple and direct which include one of two main acid reflux drugs.
If you do not like too many drugs, you can consider using herbs and other alternatives which can be just as effectively.
Understanding Acid Reflux Surgery
For those who do not wish to continue with medication forever or the medication is ineffective, they can consider surgery.
It is important to understand the surgical process and the complications involved if you are considering it as an option for your suffering. This is a grave matter that deserves serious consideration in terms of your options. Unless all your natural options are unsuccessful and you cannot find effective relief in either a dietary or a lifestyle change, then you can consider surgery as a solution for your recovery. You will thus have to consider the plus and minus of the surgery before deciding.
The Surgical Procedure
One procedural option for acid reflux surgery is called laparoscopy. This is a technique that is similar to tying the Fallopian tubes in females. The same principle applies and the surgeon would fold the upper stomach. It is wrapped and sutured to the esophagus from this point, wrapped around both sides of the food tube. This technique aims to restore the typical amount of pressure on the sphincter and, thus, creates a normal operation procedure that allows the correct quantity of acid to flow to the right places.
An alternative to the surgical procedure is to reduce the amount of stomach acid through medication. This is preferred to acid reflux surgery only if the surgery is deemed too dangerous for the patient or if it is not thought to work with the patient’s biochemical reactions.
The choice of treatment lies with the individual whether surgical or non-surgical procedure is used to eliminate the pervasive problem of acid reflux.
The Cure And The Suffering
The cure for acid reflux actually lies in your hands. It is not about the medicine, drugs and surgery available to cure Acid Reflux. It is about having the right diet to combat the symptoms. For someone suffering from acute acidity and acid reflux, their diet should be specially designed and they should make sure that they are never caught hungry.
People who skip breakfast or spend two hours eating lunch/dinner would never get their health back. When the stomach stays hungry for prolong period, a lot of acid is created, and it is possible for the stomach to ‘fight back’ and force it up towards the mouth. This is when you get a sour taste in the mouth.
Visit a doctor if you suspect that you are suffering from acidity. If treatment is delayed, the danger of getting esophageal ulcers will be greater. This might lead to cancer at a later stage. Always remember, “Prevention is always better than cure.”
Acid reflux, also known as gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD), occurs when the sphincter that is positioned at the bottom of the esophagus stops functioning properly. This will allow food in the stomach to come back up through the sphincter into the esophagus and sometimes even into the mouth, resulting in a painful heartburn (a burning sensation in the chest and throat) or even permanent damage to the esophagus if no proper acid reflux treatment is sought.
Acid reflux treatment varies among individual upon diagnosis. To some, lifestyle changes will be necessary to reduce the pain and discomfort of the disease. One such change is to avoid foods that trigger the symptoms. Foods that give rise to Acid Reflux are aplenty and obtaining a list of them is a good place to start. Yet, a food that cause problem for one may be perfectly fine for another. Therefore, patients are regularly advised to keep their own diet diary, so that offensive foods can be identified and avoided.
Those diagnosed with Acid Reflux should also avoid overeating, alcohol, coffee and smoking. A person who is obese may be advised to loss some weight as part of an acid reflux treatment plan. Since symptoms can get worse after a night of lying flat, one might find relief in the morning by elevating the upper body by about eight inches during sleep.
Acid Reflux Drugs Are Very Effective
If lifestyle changes are not able to provide the desired relief, one can then consider taking Acid Reflux drugs. Sometimes readily available antacids will do. In other cases, a prescription drug might be required. A point to note is that this form of treatment will have to be taken regularly and continued indefinitely
The good news is that the treatment is not difficult to administer for acid reflux in adults and children. It is rather excellent and extremely fast in relieving most, if not all of the symptoms of the person suffering for quite some time.
Are The Acid Reflux Drugs Good Or Bad To Treat The Acid Reflux
The acid reflux drugs are highly capable of getting rid of all the symptoms within a day or two from the start of the treatment. They will be free of chest pain, heartburn, and etc. These treatments are simple and direct which include one of two main acid reflux drugs.
If you do not like too many drugs, you can consider using herbs and other alternatives which can be just as effectively.
Understanding Acid Reflux Surgery
For those who do not wish to continue with medication forever or the medication is ineffective, they can consider surgery.
It is important to understand the surgical process and the complications involved if you are considering it as an option for your suffering. This is a grave matter that deserves serious consideration in terms of your options. Unless all your natural options are unsuccessful and you cannot find effective relief in either a dietary or a lifestyle change, then you can consider surgery as a solution for your recovery. You will thus have to consider the plus and minus of the surgery before deciding.
The Surgical Procedure
One procedural option for acid reflux surgery is called laparoscopy. This is a technique that is similar to tying the Fallopian tubes in females. The same principle applies and the surgeon would fold the upper stomach. It is wrapped and sutured to the esophagus from this point, wrapped around both sides of the food tube. This technique aims to restore the typical amount of pressure on the sphincter and, thus, creates a normal operation procedure that allows the correct quantity of acid to flow to the right places.
An alternative to the surgical procedure is to reduce the amount of stomach acid through medication. This is preferred to acid reflux surgery only if the surgery is deemed too dangerous for the patient or if it is not thought to work with the patient’s biochemical reactions.
The choice of treatment lies with the individual whether surgical or non-surgical procedure is used to eliminate the pervasive problem of acid reflux.
The Cure And The Suffering
The cure for acid reflux actually lies in your hands. It is not about the medicine, drugs and surgery available to cure Acid Reflux. It is about having the right diet to combat the symptoms. For someone suffering from acute acidity and acid reflux, their diet should be specially designed and they should make sure that they are never caught hungry.
People who skip breakfast or spend two hours eating lunch/dinner would never get their health back. When the stomach stays hungry for prolong period, a lot of acid is created, and it is possible for the stomach to ‘fight back’ and force it up towards the mouth. This is when you get a sour taste in the mouth.
Visit a doctor if you suspect that you are suffering from acidity. If treatment is delayed, the danger of getting esophageal ulcers will be greater. This might lead to cancer at a later stage. Always remember, “Prevention is always better than cure.”
How long should you be taking Nexium for acid reflux?
Saturday, February 14th, 2009Free Yourself of Acid Reflux Drug Addiction!
Saturday, February 14th, 2009Charles Stewart Richey asked:
Recent statistics from the US Department of Health and Human Services suggest that over seven million people suffer from severe acid reflux in the U.S. alone. It is estimated that over fifteen million Americans suffer from chronic heartburn, as well.
The incidence of acid reflux is greater in people over the age of forty, but it can affect anyone, even infants. Acid reflux affects people of every age, socioeconomic class and race.
Simply put, acid reflux occurs when stomach acid splashes up through the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) into the esophagus and throat. This reflux of acid can be the result of many things including diet, alcohol consumption, smoking, hiatal hernia, stress and even pregnancy. When this refluxed acid hits the tender lining of the esophagus, it causes a painful burning sensation in the chest and, or throat. Other symptoms include difficulty in swallowing (dysphagia), hoarseness, asthma and dental erosion.
If left untreated, this condition can evolve into more severe and life threatening diseases like Barrett’s Esophagus, which is a precursor cancer. In an attempt to avoid the more serious consequences of acid reflux, people are resorting more and more to pharmaceutical drugs.
There are three classifications of drugs which treat and acid reflux. The first of these are antacids, which neutralize the acid in your stomach and are at best only a temporary fix. They are loaded with harmful ingredients such as sodium and aluminum. The next group of drugs is called H2 Blockers. They reduce the amount of acid that the stomach produces and provide longer lasting relief than antacids. Finally there are the PPI drugs (proton pump inhibitors), which shut off the proton pumps in the stomach that manufacture hydrochloric acid.
PPI drugs should only be used for eight weeks, at most. It says so right on the package. Doctors certainly know this but allow if not encourage most patients to continue taking these drugs on a permanent basis.
PPI drugs actually shut down the pumps that produce the stomach acid necessary to digest and assimilate food. This is an essential function of our physical anatomy. Another point of concern is that stomach acid keeps very dangerous bacteria, which live in the stomach and intestines, in check.
There are, unfortunately, no studies that can determine the long term effects of these drugs. We do, however, know what the potential harmful side effects are and there are hundreds of them. They include: allergic reaction, back and chest pain, fatigue, fever, flu-like disorder, hypertension, constipation, GI hemorrhage, vomiting, tinnitus, anemia, vitamin B12 deficiency, weight gain, arthritis, fibromyalgia syndrome, anorexia, depression, dizziness, impotence, insomnia, migraine, visual field defect, menstrual disorder, asthma aggravated, pharyngitis, acne, taste loss, fungal infection and Barrett’s esophagus just to mention a few!
The medical community would have us believe that drugs are the only answer to the problem of acid reflux. Doctors are not taught nutrition or natural healing techniques in med school. As a result they depend on prescription drugs to treat the symptoms of acid reflux disease. They unfortunately know nothing about how to cure the condition itself.
PPI drugs are very big business. Annual global sales for PPI drugs alone reached well over six billion dollars in 2002. One can only guess what those statistics are today. One can only imagine the extent of the damage these drugs are causing people all over the world.
I am happy to say that we are not limited to pharmaceuticals in order to rid ourselves of the acid reflux condition. There are many alternative techniques and procedures which can be employed to accomplish that end. As a veteran of the acid reflux drug battle, I am living proof that one can heal themselves of acid reflux by using what I call natural medicine.
When I found out that my doctor had exhausted all possibilities of helping me, outside of the PPI drug regime, I knew that I was on my on. I had to heal myself. To my surprise, through research and study, I found that curing acid reflux disease is really quite simple.
With a few modest changes in lifestyle and with the help of several natural remedies, one can absolutely win the battle against acid reflux without the use of drugs.
There are many natural ingredients found in any health store, which can help during the acid reflux recovery period. Herbs, such as marshmallow, slippery elm and bladderwrack have wonderful healing properties. Aloe vera, licorice and natural honey can sooth the esophagus and assist in the healing process. Chewing gum between meals actually neutralizes stomach acid.
There are many simple things which contribute to the acid reflux condition which most people overlook; insufficient water consumption is one of them. Eating too rapidly and chewing food improperly is another.
Eating smaller, more frequent meals is helpful. Substituting Kukicha Twig tea for coffee makes the body more alkaline. Have fruit, like bananas and melons instead of cereal for breakfast. Snacks of walnuts, almonds and more fruit will keep you going throughout the day. At dinner eat lightly and at least two hours before retiring. You certainly don’t have to starve yourself, but try to stay away from those acid reflux “trigger” foods.
It does take a new approach to life, in general, to heal a stubborn acid reflux condition. Think of it as an exciting challenge. You will feel so much better and your health will improve. It will have been worth the effort.
In a society where convenience sometimes takes precedence over common sense, pills have taken the place of ancient healing techniques and natural therapies. Drugs taken on a regular basis can be more dangerous than the illness itself.
Take command of your health and use natural resources to free yourself of those acid reflux drugs.
© 2006 Wind Publishing
For free recipes, articles and information, visit: http://www.refluxgoneforever.com
Recent statistics from the US Department of Health and Human Services suggest that over seven million people suffer from severe acid reflux in the U.S. alone. It is estimated that over fifteen million Americans suffer from chronic heartburn, as well.
The incidence of acid reflux is greater in people over the age of forty, but it can affect anyone, even infants. Acid reflux affects people of every age, socioeconomic class and race.
Simply put, acid reflux occurs when stomach acid splashes up through the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) into the esophagus and throat. This reflux of acid can be the result of many things including diet, alcohol consumption, smoking, hiatal hernia, stress and even pregnancy. When this refluxed acid hits the tender lining of the esophagus, it causes a painful burning sensation in the chest and, or throat. Other symptoms include difficulty in swallowing (dysphagia), hoarseness, asthma and dental erosion.
If left untreated, this condition can evolve into more severe and life threatening diseases like Barrett’s Esophagus, which is a precursor cancer. In an attempt to avoid the more serious consequences of acid reflux, people are resorting more and more to pharmaceutical drugs.
There are three classifications of drugs which treat and acid reflux. The first of these are antacids, which neutralize the acid in your stomach and are at best only a temporary fix. They are loaded with harmful ingredients such as sodium and aluminum. The next group of drugs is called H2 Blockers. They reduce the amount of acid that the stomach produces and provide longer lasting relief than antacids. Finally there are the PPI drugs (proton pump inhibitors), which shut off the proton pumps in the stomach that manufacture hydrochloric acid.
PPI drugs should only be used for eight weeks, at most. It says so right on the package. Doctors certainly know this but allow if not encourage most patients to continue taking these drugs on a permanent basis.
PPI drugs actually shut down the pumps that produce the stomach acid necessary to digest and assimilate food. This is an essential function of our physical anatomy. Another point of concern is that stomach acid keeps very dangerous bacteria, which live in the stomach and intestines, in check.
There are, unfortunately, no studies that can determine the long term effects of these drugs. We do, however, know what the potential harmful side effects are and there are hundreds of them. They include: allergic reaction, back and chest pain, fatigue, fever, flu-like disorder, hypertension, constipation, GI hemorrhage, vomiting, tinnitus, anemia, vitamin B12 deficiency, weight gain, arthritis, fibromyalgia syndrome, anorexia, depression, dizziness, impotence, insomnia, migraine, visual field defect, menstrual disorder, asthma aggravated, pharyngitis, acne, taste loss, fungal infection and Barrett’s esophagus just to mention a few!
The medical community would have us believe that drugs are the only answer to the problem of acid reflux. Doctors are not taught nutrition or natural healing techniques in med school. As a result they depend on prescription drugs to treat the symptoms of acid reflux disease. They unfortunately know nothing about how to cure the condition itself.
PPI drugs are very big business. Annual global sales for PPI drugs alone reached well over six billion dollars in 2002. One can only guess what those statistics are today. One can only imagine the extent of the damage these drugs are causing people all over the world.
I am happy to say that we are not limited to pharmaceuticals in order to rid ourselves of the acid reflux condition. There are many alternative techniques and procedures which can be employed to accomplish that end. As a veteran of the acid reflux drug battle, I am living proof that one can heal themselves of acid reflux by using what I call natural medicine.
When I found out that my doctor had exhausted all possibilities of helping me, outside of the PPI drug regime, I knew that I was on my on. I had to heal myself. To my surprise, through research and study, I found that curing acid reflux disease is really quite simple.
With a few modest changes in lifestyle and with the help of several natural remedies, one can absolutely win the battle against acid reflux without the use of drugs.
There are many natural ingredients found in any health store, which can help during the acid reflux recovery period. Herbs, such as marshmallow, slippery elm and bladderwrack have wonderful healing properties. Aloe vera, licorice and natural honey can sooth the esophagus and assist in the healing process. Chewing gum between meals actually neutralizes stomach acid.
There are many simple things which contribute to the acid reflux condition which most people overlook; insufficient water consumption is one of them. Eating too rapidly and chewing food improperly is another.
Eating smaller, more frequent meals is helpful. Substituting Kukicha Twig tea for coffee makes the body more alkaline. Have fruit, like bananas and melons instead of cereal for breakfast. Snacks of walnuts, almonds and more fruit will keep you going throughout the day. At dinner eat lightly and at least two hours before retiring. You certainly don’t have to starve yourself, but try to stay away from those acid reflux “trigger” foods.
It does take a new approach to life, in general, to heal a stubborn acid reflux condition. Think of it as an exciting challenge. You will feel so much better and your health will improve. It will have been worth the effort.
In a society where convenience sometimes takes precedence over common sense, pills have taken the place of ancient healing techniques and natural therapies. Drugs taken on a regular basis can be more dangerous than the illness itself.
Take command of your health and use natural resources to free yourself of those acid reflux drugs.
© 2006 Wind Publishing
For free recipes, articles and information, visit: http://www.refluxgoneforever.com














