What is Gastroesophageal Reflux (GERD) Disease?

Posted on February 1, 2012 by KaranGoldsmith

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease is also known as GERD. It is a health problem that starts when acid and sometimes bile from the stomach flows backwards or refluxes into the esophagus or throat. When you swallow, the esophagus allows the food to go into the stomach.

GERD is not a once and awhile case of heartburn; it’s a disease that has symptoms on a sometimes daily basis that can cause long term and serious health problems.

Understanding GERD

When the stomach acid flows into the esophagus it can damage and irritate the esophagageal lining and the surrounding areas. This reflux of acid can cause symptoms that include light discomfort often described as heartburn, to more severe pain and tenderness.

The signs and symptoms of GERD might include:

Regurgitation or back flow of food or sour liquid that can leave a bad taste in your mouth.
Chest pain that worsens as you lay down. This can be a burning sensation that may extend into the throat.
Swallowing can become difficult or painful.
Coughing, asthma attacks, or wheezing, which can result in breathing difficulties or problems with your lungs.
Often your throat will become sore and may cause hoarseness when speaking.
Heart pain or discomfort that can manifest as pressure, a heaviness or weight across the chest, or as a tightening in the chest area. It may even feel like you are being squeezed.
After finishing some type of physical activity, GERD may also show itself as a dull ache.

What Causes GERD?

If you don’t have GERD the lower esophageal sphincter, which is a small band of muscle that encircles the lower part of the esophagus, will relax and allow food and liquid to pass into the stomach when you swallow. Once the food and liquid has passed through, this valve will close. For a variety of reasons this band of muscles can quit working right, weakening or functioning abnormally, allowing stomach acid to flow back into the esophagus.

The more this occurs, the more damage can be caused. Over time this acid backup can do more than cause irritation and inflammation. This process can eventually erode the esophagus, make it difficult to swallow, and even cause bleeding and the area to narrow.

This condition can be caused by many factors. There are foods that can make the condition worse, as does obesity, pregnancy, diabetes, and having a Hiatal Hernia. Being overweight or pregnant can exert more pressure on the stomach and diaphragm, extreme overeating can do the same thing. This extra pressure may cause the valve to relax and allow the spill of acid into the esophagus. Pregnancy also causes the body to release hormones that can cause the muscles to relax, which may compound the problem.

Putting pressure on the stomach and diaphragm is why the symptoms of GERD are more pronounced when you are lying down or bent over. Medications like sedatives and calcium channel blockers might also trigger GERD. Smoking and alcohol consumption can also contribute to GERD.

Diagnosing GERD

Doctors will often diagnose heartburn simply from a list of symptoms. More severe symptoms and heartburn that doesn’t readily react to treatment may require additional testing. GERD diagnostic testing may include the use of barium X-rays. This type of x-ray provides the doctor visual proof of the physical state of the esophagus. It will also check the stomach and upper intestine. Often this type of test will indicate or rule out the possibility of a hiatal hernia.

Additional tests that can be used in the diagnosis of GERD include:

Ambulatory acid (pH) probe – which will gauge the acidity level of stomach acid
Upper gastrointestinal Xrays – which will explore the upper digestive system
Esophageal impedance test – which will gauge the levels and amounts of refluxed gas or liquid

For an online quiz to help you determine if you might have GERD, and to help you figure out what to tell your doctor about your symptoms, see here.

Natural Help for GERD

If you have or think you might have GERD there are things you can do that might help with the symptoms. Eat smaller meals, quit smoking, and watch your alcohol consumption, are all good places to start. Some foods seem to trigger heartburn or GERD, so limiting consumption of fatty or fried foods, spicy food, chocolate, peppermint, garlic, and onions may also help reduce this health concern. You can also try natural remedies that include Chamomile tea, Fennel, and Lemon Balm teas.

Summary

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease is typically a chronic condition, which means that once you have it, you can control the symptoms but never really get rid of it. It is also important to note that even if you heal the esophagus with treatment, once the treatment is finished it may return within a few months. Life style changes such as smoking cessation or weight loss and change in diet can help increase the healing and decrease the occurrences of GERD.

What Are The Symptoms of Acid Indigestion?

Posted on January 23, 2012 by ElenaJayson

Most people suffer from acid indigestion from time to time. It is commonly used to describe a feeling of fullness after eating. In more severe cases, pain in the stomach or even a burning sensation (otherwise known as heartburn), may also be present.

When felt occasionally, acid indigestion is not usually something to worry much about. But, when these symptoms crop up more often – or are accompanied by other signs – than something more serious like gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) or even an ulcer may be present.

What Does Indigestion Feel Like?

Acid indigestion is sometimes called dyspepsia. It is usually caused when the stomach begins to produce too much acid after a large meal, making you feel uncomfortable for a time – or until the digestive system can process it (and the food you have eaten).

So, how do you know that what you are feeling is just acid indigestion nd not something more serious? Some of the most common signs and symptoms of acid indigestion include:

Bloating – your stomach and abdomen may look physically bloated after eating, or you may just have a full feeling that won’t go away.
Burping (or gas) – this is temporarily caused by the influx of stomach acid in the digestive tract that is working its way through the body. While it may be embarrassing, allowing yourself to burp (or worse) can offer real relief.
Nausea or Vomiting – in severe cases of acid indigestion, the acid production in the stomach may be so heavy that it actually causes purging by the body to get rid of it.
A sour taste in the back of the throat – when acid production is high, you may actually be able to taste it in the back of your throat; especially when acid reflux or GERD is also present.
Stomach growling – this is a sign from your stomach that there’s more going on in there than normal digestion.
Pain or Burning in the stomach – Some people experience a burning sensation in the stomach with indigestion; while others get an actual stomachache. Note; heartburn, or a burning sensation in the chest is another problem altogether, although it does begin with acid indigestion. When heartburn occurs, those stomach acids are actually beginning to back up into the esophagus.

Danger Signs of Acid Indigestion

In most cases, acid indigestion comes and goes without causing any real medical trouble. However, in some rare cases, ulcers, infections and even thyroid disease could be an underlying cause of your tummy troubles and need to be treated by a doctor.

If you are experiencing any of the following danger signs with acid indigestion, call your doctor right away:

Vomiting that resembles coffee grounds
Bloody vomit
Weight loss
Black, tarry stools
Severe pain (especially in the upper or lower right side of the abdomen)
Stomach discomfort that is not related to eating

How to Avoid Acid Indigestion?

If you find that acid indigestion is becoming more common, you may need to make a few alterations to your eating habits and lifestyle in order to relieve your symptoms. Here are some common things you can do right away to help stop acid indigestion from forming.

Eat Smaller Meals

The less food you give your stomach at one sitting, the less it has to work and this is a good way to keep it from going into overdrive when it comes to producing digestive juices. Most doctors recommend eating smaller amounts of food more often throughout the day when experiencing bouts of acid indigestion.

Eat Slowly

When you eat too quickly (or on the run), you tend to swallow more air, and this can lead to higher acid production in the stomach.

Take a Break After Meals

Take time out to relax after meals. Not only can it relieve stress, but it can help aid digestion and keep you from feeling full and uncomfortable.

Don’t Drink During Meals

Take fluids after meals; not while eating. This too will help aid proper digestion.

Avoid Alcohol and Spicy Foods

Both can bolster acid production in the stomach, which causes indigestion and reflux.

Acid indigestion is so common, that most of us will experience its painful side effects some time in the next few months. But, knowing its regular symptoms and comparing them to how we are feeling can help each of us make a determination in regards to whether or not to seek medical help for our discomfort.

When handled correctly, acid indigestion can be nothing more than an occasional nuisance that needs rest and antacids. But, left untreated for long periods of time, it can become a real medical problem that needs to be dealt with before it causes serious risks to your well being.

Acupuncture and GERD (Acid Reflux)

Posted on January 20, 2012 by JadeShea

For many sufferers, GERD is a persistent problem, despite changes in diet and lifestyle. Even medication may not be fully effective at treating GERD. Surgical procedures are both expensive and invasive, leaving many people to suffer from chronic GERD without relief. They may increase their GERD medication to try and achieve some form of relief but this comes with dangerous consequences.

Dangers of PPIs

Proton pump inhibitors, otherwise known as PPIs have been found to damage your body’s ability to absorb calcium. This can lead to other health conditions, like osteoporosis – deterioration of the bones. While you can counteract this effect, somewhat, by increasing your carotenoid intake, the fact remains that PPIs are not safe to continue for long periods of time. As recommended by Mayo Clinic, if you are taking PPIs for more than a year, you should be tested for calcium absorption.

The problem is that PPIs are the most commonly used method of treatment for GERD, despite the fact that not all GERD issues are related to stomach acid. PPIs inhibit the production of stomach acid but since approximately half of all GERD occurrences are not related to stomach acid production, it makes sense why so many GERD sufferers fail to find relief from PPIs.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture has been used for centuries to heal various ailments. It is done by stimulating focal points on the body through the use of needles. The focal point is determined by the specific ailment of the sufferer. It has been used to treat everything from intestinal problems to fertility issues.

Acupressure is similar to acupuncture in the fact that it uses specific points on the body. It is different, however, because it does not implement the use of needles for treatment. Instead, pressure is placed on the specified focal points to achieve healing and treatment.

Acupuncture for GERD

Because acupuncture aims to heal the entire digestive system, not just GERD, the results are not dependent on the reason that GERD occurs. This means that, whether your GERD is a result of a weakened esophageal sphincter or it is because of excessive stomach acid production, acupuncture may be able to help.

Does it Really Work?

Of course, the real question is, does it work? For individuals that have never participated in holistic, natural or homeopathic healing, making the jump to believe that a few needles in the body could treat a health condition might be pretty challenging. There is, however, some evidence that acupuncture may be beneficial for GERD sufferers.

One study, conducted by the Neuroenteric Clinical Research Group, tested to see if the use of acupuncture was more effective at treating GERD than doubling the dose of PPI inhibitors. Thirty patients who were not receiving relief from a once-a-day PPI dosing participated in the study. Participants were divided into two groups – one group received a second dosing of PPIs and the other group received their once daily dosing along with acupuncture. According to the results of the study, the group that received acupuncture and once daily dosing received more GERD relief than the group that was given a double dose of PPIs.

A recent Australian study also took a look at GERD treatment via the use of acupuncture. In this study, however, there was no comparison made to PPI use. Instead, researchers used a focal point on the wrist to actually induce relaxations of the Lower Esophageal Sphincter, which is the set of muscles that often weakens in GERD. After they induced the relaxations, they used a current to reduce the number of sphincter relaxations. In the study, relaxations of the sphincter were reduced by 40%. This study still needs more evidence to prove its promising results but it does add evidence to the efficacy of acupuncture to treat GERD.

Acupuncture vs. Acupressure

It is not clear whether acupuncture or acupressure is more effective. Personal preference may be a determining factor in which treatment option is best. Those that are nervous about the use of needles may prefer acupressure, but they may or may not find relief.

Should You Use Acupuncture to Treat Your GERD?

Since the evidence is not clear as to whether or not acupuncture is truly effective at treating GERD, it would be more of an experimental option. Be aware, however, that many people have found GERD relief through acupuncture. Just be certain that, if you do choose acupuncture, you see only a licensed professional. If performed incorrectly, acupuncture can be dangerous or harmful.

Overall, as long as you are seeing a licensed professional, the effects of acupuncture are harmless. Even if it does not work, then you lose out on nothing more than some of your time and money. Unlike PPIs, there are no health conditions that can occur, as long as acupuncture is conducted professionally and safely. For those that are not finding relief through the use of PPIs or have been taking PPIs for a long period of time, it may be an alternative to try.