Acid Reflux: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Overview

Acid reflux is one of the common problems you face in your daily chores. Many feel that it can be simple to treat; however, at times it becomes too difficult to control. If your leave it unattended, then the heartburn can even bring in issues like Barrett's esophagus that be called as the precursor to cancer confirms the experts. Now, let us understand its causes, the symptoms and the various treatment options for the same in the following paragraphs:

What is Acid Reflux?

At your stomach’s entrance, you can find a valve that can be called a ring of muscles known as lower oesophageal sphincter or LES. Generally, the LES closes very soon the moment the food passes via it. If the LES fails to close up or too often opens up, the acid that our stomach produces will pass from it. If you find the LES failing to close all its way or opening up very often then the acid produced with your stomach can easily move up at the area called esophagus. This can bring in issues like burning chest pain known as heartburn. If you find such issues occurring every other in a week, then you are simply facing from the issue called acid reflux disease also called Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).

What Causes Acid Reflux Disease?

One common cause to this problem is the stomach abnormality known as hiatal hernia. This can only occur when your stomach’s upper part and LES is seen moving above the diaphragm, which is nothing but a muscle that helps in separating your stomach from your chest area. Generally, the diaphragm can keep the acid over your stomach. However, if you are facing with the issue called hiatal hernia, you can find it moving up over your esophagus, which bring in the symptoms of acid reflux.

What Are the Symptoms of Acid Reflux Disease?

Heartburn, dyspepsia and regurgitation are among the popular acid reflux symptoms. The issue of heartburn is also known as acid indigestion, which is called as burning pain or the discomfort, which can be seen moving above the stomach over the abdomen and chest areas. The pain can be seen moving over the throat, but as its name indicates – heartburn, it has least of impact on your heart. Commonly you face two major symptoms for the acid reflux including Regurgitation and Dyspepsia. The former produces bitter or sour taste or you end up experiencing wet burp and vomiting tendencies. The latter can bring in stomach discomfort, which include burping, nausea, bloating and pain in upper abdomen area.

What are the ways to Treat Acid Reflux?

As far as treating Acid reflux is concerned, there are several ways of treating the same. These include trying certain home remedies, treating with certain medication and if nothing works then one has to go with the surgical options. Let’s check each of these options at length:

Changing Lifestyle: If you are facing with this issue, then certain change in food eating habits can make the difference. To start with reduce the consumption of food, which produces stomach acid. Hence make sure you slash down the consumption of food products like chocolates, spicy food, garlic & onion, fried and onion, friend or greasy foods, acidic foods including citrus fruits and tomatoes, mint and peppermint.

Medication:You can treat the acid reflux with the use of certain medicines, which include Tums (Alka Selzer), which can help in reducing the symptoms. You can even try H2 blockers like ranitidine or Zantac, Cimetidine or Tagamet and Famotidine or Pepcid.

Surgery: If you are unable to reduce the symptoms of GERD, better consider the only option remaining, yes the surgery, well there are several procedure, but one of the popular ones include Fundoplication.

Is Acid Reflux Disease Ever Treated With Surgery?

If nothing works (making changes in lifestyle and medications) then you  have the option of trying surgery since it can increase problem. As said above, the surgery called Fundoplication is the usual surgical option chosen to treat the issue of acid reflux. In this procedure, the surgeon is wrapping the toper portion of your stomach in and around the lower part of the stuff called esophagus causing this problem of GERD and then he or she sews it in place to say good bye to this problem once for all.