Acid reflux is a disease that afflicts many people each and every day. They live with the discomfort and constant round of medications. That burning, heavy sensation in the throat and chest can make anyone feel less than their best. Many people are unclear as to why acid reflux is afflicting them or even if they have acid reflux. Many patients suffer for years with acid reflux, thinking they only have indigestion or heart burn. In this article we will discuss some of the more common questions dealing with acid reflux.
What is the difference between heartburn and acid reflux?
Heartburn and acid reflux is essentially the same thing. The difference is in how often the attack occurs. Both are the result of liquid from the stomach forcing its way up into the esophagus. Heartburn is usually treated with over the counter medications due to its infrequency. People generally know what foods seem to set their attack off. Acid reflux requires a doctor's care because it can cause lasting damage to the esophagus and can be a symptom of a bigger problem.
Can anyone, regardless of age, have acid reflux?
Acid reflux is not picky about the age, ethnicity or religious viewpoint. It can strike anyone at any age. There are factors that can increase your likelihood of developing acid reflux. It is important that if you are suffering from repeat attacks of heartburn or indigestion to seek out the advice of your physician.
How is it treated in adults?
The first step in treatment is sleeping position. Gravity can be your friend or your foe. By sleeping at an incline, the acid can flow back down the esophageal tube. The next step is to change the size of your meal. The larger your stomach distends to make room for food, the less room there is for the digestive fluids. Eat smaller portions and this will help alleviate the symptoms. Also look at your diet. Some foods are known to promote reflux. You should avoid ingesting peppermint, chocolate, alcohol and caffeine.
If you have followed these recommendations and are still having acid reflux then the doctor may have you take medicine specifically designed for treating acid reflux. One thing you should remember is this: there is no cure for acid reflux and you will always have to battle flare-ups. In the case of reflux in which nothing seems to be working, the doctor may have to operate.
Does smoking and being overweight affect acid reflux?
Smoking is detrimental to your health. It damages every single system in the body. The irritation from smoke breaks down the delicate tissues of your throat. When the acid pushes its way up it will come in contact with these places thus irritating and eroding the lining further.
Being overweight is similar to smoking in that it affects every system of your body. With acid reflux it is a pressure game. The more pressure put onto the stomach, either internal or external, the less room there is for the acid and bile. Fatty deposits, such as those found in the bulk surrounding the waist, put pressure onto the stomach. Losing weight is a great way to help ease the flare ups of acid reflux.
What are the long term effects of acid reflux if it is not controlled?
Uncontrolled acid reflux can be deadly. It may be hard to fathom heartburn or indigestion actually killing you but it certainly can. Untreated or uncontrolled acid reflux can cause the throat to become narrower, ulcers and even cancer. Acid reflux can also keep the throat irritated and contribute to asthma and coughing. Your respiratory system can suffer as well with the liquid reflux going down into the lungs causing choking, inflammation and infection. Acid reflux is not something that can go ignored for long. If you suffer from acid reflux it is important to stay abreast of treatment methods.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Is GERD Causing Sleep Problems?
Is GERD Causing Sleep Problems?
Suggestions to tame your heartburn
(HealthDay News) - Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can cause symptoms during the night that can prevent a good night's sleep.
The National Sleep Foundation offers these suggestions to keep GERD symptoms calm at night:
* Be careful of the foods you eat from late afternoon until bedtime. Try to avoid spicy foods, onions and chocolate.
* Eat a larger meal at lunch, and have a small, light dinner.
* Don't eat anything after two or three hours before you plan to go to bed.
* Don't drink alcohol or smoke before bed.
* Sleep on a pillow or two, with your head and shoulders elevated.
* Try sleeping on your left side.
-- Diana Kohnle
This is a story from HealthDay, a service of ScoutNews, LLC.
Copyright © 2008 ScoutNews LLC. All rights reserved.
Suggestions to tame your heartburn
(HealthDay News) - Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can cause symptoms during the night that can prevent a good night's sleep.
The National Sleep Foundation offers these suggestions to keep GERD symptoms calm at night:
* Be careful of the foods you eat from late afternoon until bedtime. Try to avoid spicy foods, onions and chocolate.
* Eat a larger meal at lunch, and have a small, light dinner.
* Don't eat anything after two or three hours before you plan to go to bed.
* Don't drink alcohol or smoke before bed.
* Sleep on a pillow or two, with your head and shoulders elevated.
* Try sleeping on your left side.
-- Diana Kohnle
This is a story from HealthDay, a service of ScoutNews, LLC.
Copyright © 2008 ScoutNews LLC. All rights reserved.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Diagnosing and Treating Infant Reflux Disease
As a parent, there's nothing more heart-wrenching than the sound of your baby crying. Trying to pinpoint the cause can be extremely frustrating and many parents long for the days when their children can just say, "I'm hungry" or "I'm uncomfortably wet." The fear is always that there may be something wrong with the baby that's difficult for parents to diagnose. Frequently spitting up milk, shying away from the breast and crying can be signs that something isn't quite right. More than half of all babies experience infant reflux during their first few months, but how do you know when it's a problem?
Babies spit up… a lot. This happens because the lower esophageal sphincter (the valve that closes the throat) isn't fully developed yet and the soft tissue allows for liquid to come back up just as easy as it went down. Generally, as the child ages this will be less of a problem, although it's possible that he or she may have infant reflux.
Aside from being kind of gross, infant reflux can be a sign of GERD (a severe version of reflux resulting in awful pain, vomiting and poor weight gain) or Pyloric Stenosis (a rare condition where a narrowed valve prevents stomach contents from emptying properly into the intestines). You should seek medical advice if your baby resists feeding but seems hungry, isn't gaining weight, has fewer wet diapers than normal and seems lethargic, spits up forcefully, spits up green or brown fluid, or spits up more than a few tablespoons at a time. If your baby sounds hoarse all the time, has diarrhea or difficulty breathing, then definitely ask your doctor about infant reflux.
While breastfeeding, try to keep your baby in a slightly upright position by holding, using pillows or a feeding product, such as the Pollywog Nursing Positioner. It's also possible you're simply feeding your baby too much at once. Try smaller feedings, which could reduce the incidence of regurgitation.
If you're bottle feeding, you may want to try a different bottle, such as Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Bottles, which are specially designed to reduce air bubbles that trigger burping, ear fluid and infant reflux. There are also other formulas that your baby might digest better. For babies with merely infant reflux and no milk allergies, Enfamil AR is designed for them. However, if the milk-based formula seems to upset your baby, soy-based, lactose-free or hypoallergenic formulas are available. In fact, approximately 25% of babies in the US are on soy-based formulas. Isomil and Prosobee are two popular soy-based formulas on the market. Hypoallergenic formulas include: Alimentum, Nutramigen, Pregestimil, Neocate and Elecare.
You may also want to reconsider breastfeeding as an option because it reduces the incidence of infant reflux. Dr. Laura Barmby wrote in New Beginnings magazine, "Breast fed babies seem to cope better with GERD than artificially fed babies. During breastfeeding, the motion of the baby's tongue triggers peristaltic waves along the gastrointestinal tract. Human milk digests more completely -- and almost twice as fast as formula. The less time the milk spends in the stomach, the less opportunity there is for it to back up into the esophagus."
In extreme cases, medication may be needed to treat your baby's severe infant reflux or GERD symptoms. Your doctor may recommend medication commonly prescribed to adults, but in much lower dosages. H2 blockers like Tagamet and Zantac or Proton Pump Inhibitors like Nexium and Prilosec are common recommendations. However, medications should be used as a last resort, since they could be linked to an increased incidence of intestinal and respiratory infections. Worst case scenario, some babies have undergone fundoplication surgery to tighten the muscle that allows food to flow back into the esophagus. Generally, surgery is only needed when GERD symptoms interfere with growth or breathing.
Babies spit up… a lot. This happens because the lower esophageal sphincter (the valve that closes the throat) isn't fully developed yet and the soft tissue allows for liquid to come back up just as easy as it went down. Generally, as the child ages this will be less of a problem, although it's possible that he or she may have infant reflux.
Aside from being kind of gross, infant reflux can be a sign of GERD (a severe version of reflux resulting in awful pain, vomiting and poor weight gain) or Pyloric Stenosis (a rare condition where a narrowed valve prevents stomach contents from emptying properly into the intestines). You should seek medical advice if your baby resists feeding but seems hungry, isn't gaining weight, has fewer wet diapers than normal and seems lethargic, spits up forcefully, spits up green or brown fluid, or spits up more than a few tablespoons at a time. If your baby sounds hoarse all the time, has diarrhea or difficulty breathing, then definitely ask your doctor about infant reflux.
While breastfeeding, try to keep your baby in a slightly upright position by holding, using pillows or a feeding product, such as the Pollywog Nursing Positioner. It's also possible you're simply feeding your baby too much at once. Try smaller feedings, which could reduce the incidence of regurgitation.
If you're bottle feeding, you may want to try a different bottle, such as Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Bottles, which are specially designed to reduce air bubbles that trigger burping, ear fluid and infant reflux. There are also other formulas that your baby might digest better. For babies with merely infant reflux and no milk allergies, Enfamil AR is designed for them. However, if the milk-based formula seems to upset your baby, soy-based, lactose-free or hypoallergenic formulas are available. In fact, approximately 25% of babies in the US are on soy-based formulas. Isomil and Prosobee are two popular soy-based formulas on the market. Hypoallergenic formulas include: Alimentum, Nutramigen, Pregestimil, Neocate and Elecare.
You may also want to reconsider breastfeeding as an option because it reduces the incidence of infant reflux. Dr. Laura Barmby wrote in New Beginnings magazine, "Breast fed babies seem to cope better with GERD than artificially fed babies. During breastfeeding, the motion of the baby's tongue triggers peristaltic waves along the gastrointestinal tract. Human milk digests more completely -- and almost twice as fast as formula. The less time the milk spends in the stomach, the less opportunity there is for it to back up into the esophagus."
In extreme cases, medication may be needed to treat your baby's severe infant reflux or GERD symptoms. Your doctor may recommend medication commonly prescribed to adults, but in much lower dosages. H2 blockers like Tagamet and Zantac or Proton Pump Inhibitors like Nexium and Prilosec are common recommendations. However, medications should be used as a last resort, since they could be linked to an increased incidence of intestinal and respiratory infections. Worst case scenario, some babies have undergone fundoplication surgery to tighten the muscle that allows food to flow back into the esophagus. Generally, surgery is only needed when GERD symptoms interfere with growth or breathing.
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