Acid Reflux Syndrome
Everone suffers from heartburn and acid reflux syndrome at one point of time or another. Those suffering from heartburn feel a bitter, sour, acidic taste in the mouth. In this case the partially digested food or liquid moves from the stomach back to the mouth. The consequence is chest pain that increases when lying down. Each of these is an indication of heartburn.
However, heartburn is a warning of a possibly larger digestive disorder called acid reflux syndrome or gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD). Acid reflux is not a life threatening disease. However, it is true only in people who seldom experience heartburn.
Causes of Heartburn and Acid Reflux:
The reason behind acid reflux is improper digestion. Usually, the food goes from the mouth to the stomach by esophagus for digestion. At the end of the esophagus, there are relaxed circular groups of muscles that allow the food and fluids to pass into the stomach. They then get stiff and prevent the food from flowing back into the mouth. However, if undigested food or digestive juices move back from the stomach to the esophagus, it irritates the esophageal lining.
Sometimes the heartburn may be due to a mechanical disorder. If the sphincter muscle at the end of the esophagus becomes weak or does not close correctly, it causes acid reflux syndrome when lying down or standing.
Alcohol, medications, smoking and foods such as chocolate, mints, onions and spicy foods lessen the gripping power of this muscle that leads to heartburn and acid reflux conditions.
Besides heartburn, people with acid flux syndrome have trouble in swallowing, coughing or a persistent sore throat or lump in the throat.
In most severe cases, the color of the stool of the patient is black. This shows a presence of blood in the stool.
Useful Home Remedies:
1. Avoid lying down right after a meal. Let the body digest the food. There is a greater risk of acid reflux syndrome and heartburn while lying down immediately after a heavy meal. This is because the digestive juices easily move in the wrong direction.
2. Carminatives such as fennel, ginger and peppermint soothe the muscles of the stomach. They increase the secretion of digestive juices as well as promote bile flow.
3. Eat frequent small meals rather than three heavy meals. Large meals increase pressure on the stomach. This pressure causes the contents of the stomach to push out of the stomach back in to the esophagus.
4. To avoid acid reflux syndrome, elevate the head four to six inches during night.
5. Mix one teaspoon of baking soda in one cup of water and drink the mixture.
6. Consume ginger tea or ginger root, because it gives instant relief.
7. Apple cider vinegar is the best home remedy to get relief from heartburn. Drink a mixture of one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in half glass of water.
8. H. pylori are bacteria that lead to heartburn. Have one or two cloves of garlic every day to get rid of these bacteria.