What Exactly is Heartburn or Acid Reflux?

The term heartburn (or indigestion) is often used to indicate different types of disturbances, which have between them in a common location in the upper abdomen, and are sometimes called indigestion or dyspepsia. This is therefore not a disease but a collection of symptoms such as swelling, belching and nausea. It is a common disorder, but symptoms can be different depending on the patient and appear infrequently or on a daily basis.Fortunately, the symptoms can be prevented and treated.

The causes of heartburn are varied, some are related to lifestyle and what you eat and drink. The stomach, however, may also be caused by other diseases of the digestive system. Many people feel the incidence of heartburn is on the rise and attribute the increase to the modern high fat, high sugar diet and relatively sedentary lifestyle. heartburn is basically severe, recurring heartburn, generally believed to result from increased abdominal pressure. This pressure prohibits the esophageal sphincter muscle from closing off the stomach, and stomach contents including strong stomach acids wash up into the esophagus, causing intense pain.

Among the most common causes include:

Meals consumed too quickly, fatty or greasy foods, spicy foods, abuse of caffeine, abuse of alcohol, abuse of chocolate, excessive intake of carbonated drinks, smoking, nervousness, emotional trauma, taking drugs such as antibiotics, aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, inflammation of the stomach (gastritis), inflammation of the pancreas, peptic ulcer, and stomach cancer.

If, after careful consideration you can not find the cause of stomach pain, the patient may be suffering from functional dyspepsia, a form of stomach upset that may impair ability to accept and stomach to digest food and then move them into the small intestine.

People suffering from heartburn may have a feeling of full stomach during the meal. Even if you've eaten a lot, you feel full and can not finish what you have on your plate. you could also have a feeling of stomach discomfort and feeling full after eating. Sometimes the feeling of full stomach lasts longer than it should. Feeling pain, mild or very intense in the area of the upper abdomen.

Among the less common symptoms that accompany an heartburn are: nausea when you have the feeling of impending vomiting and swelling when you have a feeling of a swollen, tense and sore stomach.Often those suffering from acid reflux also suffer from heartburn, but they are two different and unrelated disorders.

These are some of the principal symptoms of heartburn. If you get any of these symptoms or both you had better visit your doctor. These have to be managed at a tolerable degree and this can only be done if it precisely diagnosed.

F.T. is a man who loves who has the passion for writing and likes to express his emotions through the net. You can find out more about this topic by clicking the following links:

The Major Symptoms of Heartburn

Acid Reflux Facts

View the original article here

Exactly What Is GERD?

So just what is GERD? The letters GERD are the acronym for Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease. It is also know as Acid Reflux. In layman's terms this is what happens when contents of the stomach rise back up the esophagus (the tube between the mouth and the stomach), often causing a burning sensation around the chest area - heartburn.

Adults are most likely to suffer from this condition, but it can also affect children and babies. The burning sensation of GERD or heartburn is normally brought on by eating certain foods, or laying down to sleep just after eating a large meal. Many people endure acid reflux at one time or another. It is quite common in pregnancy to find that foods easily digested before being pregnant can cause acid reflux throughout pregnancy, then are no longer a problem once the pregnancy is over.

Heartburn or acid indigestion are both names that also refer to acid reflux or GERD. Heartburn, the major symptom of Acid Reflux in the esophagus, is often described as causing a burning uneasiness at the back of the sternum.

These are not the only symptoms of GERD. The less common symptoms can include coughing, hiccups, a sore throat, difficulty in swallowing, a change in the voice, hoarseness, a lingering ear ache, or sinusitis.

There are further potential medical risks when heartburn occurs more often than once a week, so it is a good idea to look at preventing or reducing the occurrences of your symptoms as much as possible.

The risk of suffering from GERD is increased by wearing clothes that are too tight, certain medications, obesity and during the time of pregnancy.

The good news is that there are simple lifestyle changes that you can make to reduce or even eliminate heartburn from your life that most people have great success with. Things you can do to ease your symptoms include:-

• Changes to your diet:- reduce or eliminate caffeine, soft drinks, spicy or fatty foods, tomatoes, chocolate, citrus (fruit and juices), alcohol and full fat dairy products

• Lifestyle changes:- eat at least 2-3 hours before going to bed, STOP SMOKING, eat smaller meals, reduce stress, lose weight if you need to, avoid exercising (even bending over) straight after meals, sleep with your head elevated about 6 inches (not just with pillows-place a wedge under your mattress or tilt the head of your bed.

Now you don't have to do all of these things at once. Try eliminating (or reducing) one or two things at a time. Then you'll have a better idea of what things work for (or against) your body. Our bodies are very good at letting us know what is or isn't good for us, so it may just be that when you eliminate a particular food, drink or habit that your body will quickly recover and you will have learned more about yourself.

Of course if nothing seems to work for you, then you might want to consider antacids for relief, but bear in mind that they are only a very temporary solution as they don't last very long. They also can cause other problems such as diarrhoea or constipation, which may be worse than the acid reflux.

The other option is to talk with your doctor, particularly if you are taking any medication. If you have exhausted all other possibilities surgery may be an option to consider.

Julie is not a doctor or medical practitioner of any kind. However she is a keen observer of the human body and combines this with her passion to write. She found herself suffering from heartburn on a regular basis and decided to do some research and find out what things she could do to help her body heal itself.

She's a great believer in the power of the body to communicate what's going on and to be able to heal itself when it is looked after and loved. Just a few simple lifestyle and dietary changes completely transformed the way her body felt. Such a simple thing really, trading coffee for herbal teas, or going from normal table salt to a herbal salt (only 30% actual salt content).

Just a few simple lifestyle changes can make all the difference and relieve the symptoms of heartburn for most people. You deserve to feel really well and happy in your own body - find out how to stop suffering from acid reflux now.

View the original article here