Tuesday 28 January 2014

Acid Reflux Disease- A Sneak Perspective

An acid reflux is a physical condition under which the acid of the stomach goes up into the esophagus. This happens because of the condition that the valve leaves or separates the contents of the stomach from the esophagus is out of order.

The most common cause of the acid reflux disease is an abnormality of the stomach known as a hiatal hernia.

Risk Factors For Acid Reflux Disease:

  1. Gulping down a large meal or lying down immediately after a meal 
  2. Being obese or overweight 
  3. Having a heavy meal and then lying on the back or bending over at the waist. 
  4. Snacking almost close to bedtime 
  5. Eating certain food types such as citrus group foods, chocolate, tomato, mint, onions and fatty or spicy foods 
  6. Having beverages such as carbonated drinks, coffee, tea or alcohol
  7. Smoking
  8. Being pregnant 
  9. Taking Aspirin, ibuprofen, hypertension drugs or some muscle relaxing medications also 

Symptoms Of Acid Reflux Disease:

  • A sour or bitter taste in the mouth
  • Heartburn 
  • Bloody vomits, black or bloody stools 
  • Bloating 
  • Burping 
  • Dysphagia
  • Weight loss for no reasons 
  • Nausea
  • Dry cough, chronic sore throat, dry cough and wheezing 

Diagnosis Of Acid Reflux Disease:

A diagnosis of acid reflux disease can be done via some easy medical tests such as;
  • Esophagram (Barium swallow)
  • pH monitoring 
  • Endoscopy 
  • A biopsy 
  • Esophageal manometry 

Lifestyle Changes To Curb Acid Reflux Disease:  

Make these easy to follow lifestyle changes to easily curb the menace of acid reflux disease;
  • Go for smaller meals throughout the day 
  • Raise your bed at least 4-6 inches 
  • Don’t eat anything at least before 2-3 hours of lying down 
  • Quit smoking 
  • Don’t wear tight clothes or belts 
  • Try to lose weight if you are obese with correct exercise and diet changes 
  • Ask your qualified doctor about the correct medications to cure acid reflux disease
In most of the cases, lifestyle changes coupled with correct acid reflux medication type such as Nexium could pave the way for a correct cure of a painful and irritable condition called acid reflux disease. You must consult your registered medical practitioner to know about what lifestyle changes would be the best for you and if Nexium would work for you along with other medications.

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