What Is Acid Reflux?

Acid reflex (also known as GERD) occurs when acid from the stomach leaks up into the gullet (esophagus). This is a particular problem at night when lying down and can cause many uncomfortable symptoms from heartburn to extreme chest pains.

Your stomach utilizes hydrochloric acid (a highly corrosive liquid), pepsin (an enzyme that is responsible for the digestion of protein), bile (the liquid secreted by your liver that is in charge of lipids), and other substances in order to breakdown the food that you eat and properly absorb them into your body. Then, the remaining undigested food goes down to your intestine where the process of the assimilation of nutrients is continued. However, there are certain instances when the contents from your stomach ascend and pass through the esophagus again, and sometimes even reaching your throat and mouth. And when this happens, the lining of your esophagus is damaged, to the extent that inflammation can be diagnosed. This abnormality is called the Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) or the Acid Reflux Disease.

Symptoms of this disease include heartburn, which is ascribed as the burning sensation you feel deep down your throat and in your chest, regurgitation, the forcing out of the liquid contents from your stomach into your mouth, and chest pain, which is the primary effect of GERD. However, coughing and prickly sensations in the throat can also be signs that gastric juices have been traveling back up to where they first went through. At present, there are several measures available for curing the Acid Reflux disease. One is the intake of certain drugs such as proton pump inhibitors, which lessen the secretion of gastric fluids, and antacids, which raise the PH level of the contents of your stomach. Different diets are also popular as treatment, advising people to avoid particular foods. Caffeine-rich and fat-filled foods are said to contribute largely to GERD because they relax the lower esophageal sphincter that is responsible for controlling whatever passes through your esophagus. Moreover, spicy and citric foods add up to the acidity of what is inside your stomach, so they are also linked to the disease.


Then there is the more practical and uncomplicated treatment that can also prevent the Acid Reflux disease: proper posture. Naturally, the flow of what you swallow is downward, so your body should be upright for this process to work perfectly. But many people have the habit of sleeping and lying down right after eating, and this entails a high possibility of the occurrence of GERD. It is advised that we wait for 2 to 3 hours before you put our body to a horizontal position because it is in that time period when the digestive process is at its most active. There are many known factors that affect the chance of someone getting the Acid Reflux disease, and this translates to the fact that almost anyone can be affected by it. The tendency to eat heavy meals, existing respiratory diseases, pregnancy, obesity, smoking, and alcohol consumption all escalate the risks in their own ways. That is why serious medical attention should always be given to people who experience the symptoms of GERD. Modern medicine always finds a way to provide all the needs of the human body as generations come and pass, and more often than not, everything that you need to know about something, like the Acid Reflux disease, is available for people to acquire and use for the common good. But this does not mean that you can take for granted such ailments that you already know of. In fact, this should make you more vigilant in curing and preventing illnesses, so that future generations will learn and benefit from your innovations.

Information courtesy of - Jacob Robinson