Archive for October, 2008
Aid for the Effects of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Heartburn, named for the burning sensation experienced in the area of the heart, actually doesn’t have anything to do with the heart. Its cause is stomach acid that has come up into the esophagus. This occurs when the valve situated between the stomach and the esophagus relaxes at the wrong time, thus creating the burning feeling in the chest or throat associated with heart burn.
Much attention has been focused on helping heartburn patients and many theories as to the root of heartburn have been put forth. The most likely perpetrator to trigger heartburn is typically considered to be certain foods or beverages, although which food causes the problem can be different for every individual sufferer. Generally speaking, approximately 10 percent of the general population and up to 25 percent of the pregnant population, experiences heartburn on any given day.
Frequent, recurring heartburn is known as acid reflux or Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Stomach acid was intended to stay in the stomach to help with digestion. The lining of the esophagus is not able to resist stomach acid, causing as many as ten to fifteen percent of identified GERD sufferersfar reaching however, and may even include such things as asthma, hoarseness, chronic cough, laryngitis or even non-cardiac chest pain.
Still the symptoms of heartburn may not be quite as badas they seem at first glance. Only about seven percent of those diagnosed with GERD suffer spells of heartburn daily and need treatment daily. About 30 to 40 percent of the remaining acid reflux patients medications for acid reflux but should rather use them on an as-needed basis, thus saving themselves the expense of daily treatment regimen of taking medications every day.
The usual medicineold stand-bys such as over the counter antacids and newer medications including H2 blockers and proton pump inhibitors (PPI). Other self-help treatments are still used by many including taking an antacid or other medicine before consuming a meal suspected to be a heartburn trigger, thus heading off heartburn before it has a chance to even begin. Lifting the head of the bed to keep stomach acid from moving up the esophagus appears to help some heartburn patients, as well as simply eating smaller meals and reducing weight to relieve pressure on the stomach and esophagus.
A traditionally reliable treatment, however, may still be the best at relieving heartburn and when taken on a regular basis may even be helpful in healing the damage that stomach acid may have had on the esophagus. That treatment, particularly beneficial for pregnant heartburn sufferers, is simply drinking milk every day. Easy to come by and fairly cheap, easy to use, a great source of calcium for your bones and pleasant to drink, imbibing milk could be the best advice for many of the heartburn sufferers out there.
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