Symptoms and Treatment Of Acid Reflux Disease

Acid reflux (also known as GERD or heartburn) is a common condition - More than 60 million Americans experience at least once a month.

For some, acid reflux is a temporary phenomenon experienced only when eating too much, or eating particular types of food spicy food for example. But for many others, acid reflux can be a painful and persistent.

What is acid reflux?

Acid reflux occurs when the esophageal sphincter below (that normally closes after swallowing to prevent stomach contents from escaping) malfunctions and allows stomach acid to travel up the esophagus. When this occurs, a painful sensation is felt.

What are the symptoms of acid reflux?

The symptoms of acid reflux is a sensation of "burning" pain in the upper chest and / or acid regurgitation into the mouth. Some patients even develop nausea although this is less common.. Although "heartburn" is often called, the pain should not be confused with that associated with an actual heart attack or be accompanied with a stop leak and grinding in the chest, weak and feeling low .

What are the treatments for acid reflux?

Fortunately there are many treatments available for acid reflux.

Antacids are usually the first port of call for many sufferers of acid reflux. For attacks in the short term and infrequent acid reflux. These provide temporary relief if necessary. However, as a long term solution they are not appropriate and alternatives should be sought.

Any victim of regular acid reflux should keep a diary of everything they eat and drink.. Over time, patterns can be established and many people report elimination or reduction of acid reflux symptoms after changing their diet accordingly to eliminate problematic food or drink.

If dietary changes have little or no effect, there are various families of drugs that are available over the counter and on prescription.

PPIs, or proton pump inhibitors are commonly prescribed drugs and successful. These work by inhibiting the production of stomach acid that causes acid reflux. They have relatively limited side effects.The H2 blockers are a different family of drugs that have the same effect but work in a different way. For the vast majority of victims long-term acid reflux, PPIs and H2 blockers are a successful drug therapy. Some, however, did not respond to treatment with PPIs and H2 blockers and their only option are more radical drugs. Unfortunately, they can have very serious side effects and are therefore rarely prescribed.

Finally, for those who do not respond to drug treatment, or simply want an alternative to the daily inconvenience of taking drugs, surgery is an option. New techniques are constantly being developed, some of which include procedures such as Enteryx method, the Stretta procedure, the Nissen Fundoplication and Endocinch. Your doctor may give you more advice on these surgery options.

Posted in: Acid Reflux