Although many people call the condition where the stomach contents want to flow back up the esophagus, heartburn, it is more commonly called acid reflux. It has many names but the symptoms are generally the same and it is a disorder of the astrointestinal tract. To help digest and assimilate food, the stomach uses an acid.When stomach contents try to go back up the esophagus, it causes the feeling of heartburn.
When we eat and swallow our food it is allowed into the stomach area to be digested by the esophageal sphincter valve which should then close back up in order to stop the hydrochloric acid from escaping. It is when the esophageal sphincter does not close after food has passed through that the stomach fluids try to escape upwards and that is why it is called acid reflux.You may also hear the name gastroesophageal reflux disorder, which is its full title or sometimes abbreviated to GERD. At the moment it is considered that a poor diet is the underlying reason for the acid reflux problem but not the main cause of the condition,although overeating may also contribute because when you overeat, the stomach cannot keep up with the demand to process all the acids.
Many people that overeat find they have this condition because their eating habits affect the stomach walls and place pressure on the muscles surrounding them,this affects the functioning of the esophageal valve causing reflux and the pain of heartburn. The aim is to lessen the stress on your stomach and stop any damage the stomach acid will cause to your esophagus.this can be achieved by consuming smaller meals; the incidences of heartburn should reduce. Your mouth, esophagus, and stomach are the first areas of food processing so if something goes wrong in this area, if will affect the health of the entire body.the reason for this is the stomach digests the food we eat into the nutrients required for continued good health.
The use of drugs to reduce the effects and calm the stomach can only be considered a temporary measure,however, these can interrupt natural body processes and cause other health problems. The long term treatment for acid reflux is to adapt your lifestyle habits in particular eating and drinking,the idea is not to overload your stomach, which will give it time to recover. If you can reduce the heartburn occurrences, in time you may well be able to slowly start eating those dishes that have needed to be cut out.
Lifestyle changes extend beyond those of just eating habits as other contributing factors to acid reflux can be:
SmokingAllergic reactions to certain types of foodPrescription medicationAlcoholTaking a nap after eating
All this comes down to a lifestyle change which ultimately only you can control,it does not take that much to make a difference. All that is required provestra is a little dedication on your part to be careful about what you eat and drink to possibly clear up your acid reflux problem,no-one can force you to change but improvements to your life are within your control.
