Friday, September 14, 2007

Stomach Acid Reflux

Stomach Acid Reflux Can Cause Lost Sleep

One of the worst feelings in the world is when you are settling down in bed and get that horrible feeling of stomach acid reflux. In most cases, you are not going to get to sleep until you can settle your stomach and quell the burning sensation in your stomach and chest. It may hurt so bad that you think you are having a heart attack.

Stomach acid reflux can be caused by a variety of things, such as overeating, eating too many spicy foods or those containing having a high acid content or it could be an overactive acid producing gland. Whatever the cause, there is help available in many forms to help quell the sour taste in your mouth and the burning in your chest or lower abdomen. Many over-the-counter products are available for temporary relief, but to have a complete cure, the root cause need to be diagnosed.

Typically, stomach acid reflux is when acid in the stomach travel back into the esophagus burning its sensitive lining. This happens because of a weakened upper stomach sphincter muscle that allows the contents of the stomach to travel upwards. For an animated description of stomach acid reflux, watch the following video: Acid Reflux Animated Video.

Getting Help With Indigestion Symptoms

Calcium carbonate is often used for temporary relief of stomach acid reflux as it absorbs the excess acid in the stomach. Some over-the-counter medications may offer extended relief by taking them daily or prior to eating. By absorbing the acid, it greatly reduces the chance of acid refluxing back into the esophagus.

Depending on the individual, some medications are designed to slow or stop the production of stomach acid, and while this will reduce the incidents of stomach acid reflux, it can lead to other problems if used for long-term. Acid in the stomach is part of the digestive system so eliminating it may lead to poor digestion and the absorption of nutrients in the food.

Those suffer from chronic stomach acid reflux should contact a health professional for advice. Using antacid remedies for an extended period can lead to other problems hence finding the root cause and having a healthy lifestyle are the only sure way to eliminating the disease.

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