Acid Reflux Used to Be
Known as Indigestion
Acid Reflux.....In My Day
it Was Indigestion!
by Antony Wilton
When I was young, we had
indigestion, now we discuss heartburn, acid reflux and that
great mouthful known as gastro esophageal Reflux Disease
(thankfully described as GERD)
Whatever you call it,
if you are suffering from belching, gas or a bloated stomach
lets consider the cause.
Its been a hard and stressful day at work. You race home,
gulp down a quick meal and collapse into bed for a well earned
rest....But wait.
Suddenly you experience a burning sensation in the top of your
stomach.
You may belch and probably feel bloated. This is the beginning
of acid reflux, and can cause acid and stomach
content to wash back into the oesophagus creating a burning
sensation.
This is often an indicator that something is wrong in your
digestive
system.
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Facts about
Acid reflux You May Not Know
The more you know
about a disease, the more preventable you can
make its effects on your health. Acid reflux is
present in at least thirty five percent of all
overweight people and is also a problem for a
vast demographic. The more you know about acid
reflux, the better chance you have at not
triggering its effects. In this article, we’ll
go over some tidbits of information that we
found pertinent enough to discuss regarding
acid reflux.
- More than sixty
million Americans experience heartburn due to
acid reflux at least once per month. That
represents roughly one fifth of the entire
American population! Also, approximately twenty
five million Americans, or one twelfth of the
total American population experience the
harmful effects of heartburn/acid reflux on an
every day basis.
- Acid reflux can
be more harmful to your mental health then you
may know. Roughly eighty percent of all acid
reflux sufferers experience symptoms of the
disease at night, with about seventy five
percent of all acid reflux cases waking the
afflicted person up due to the heartburn. This
can cause many problems during the day,
including increased irritability, lack of
proper concentration, and an increased risk of
being in an accident involving an
automobile.
- While heartburn
is technically un-curable, there are things
that you can do to help offset the chance of
you getting this disease. If you worry that you
are at risk for an acid reflux condition, it is
important to review the types of foods that you
are eating and change your habits to lessen the
number of acid-creating foods you ingest.
Continued on next
page
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When we eat or drink, the digestive process begins in the mouth
with
enzymes in saliva beginning the task by starting to break down
the food to promote easy digestion.
The food continues down the esophagus, passing through a valve
prior to
entering the stomach where it comes in contact with stomach
(hydrochloric) acid to further break down the food.
If the valve relaxes , or if an excess of acid is produced,
acid may be forced back into the oesophagus causing the reflux
or heartburn.
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