Infant Acid Reflux - What You Should Know

During Acid Reflux or Gastroesophageal Reflux (GERD) the acids from the stomach flow back into the esophagus, causing pain, commonly known as heart burn. Acid reflux is common in infants below the age of three months. This condition in small babies is known as spitting up. However the symptoms generally go away as the infant grows older and completely disappears in between the age of 12 to 18 months. So if your baby is around that age and still having the symptoms of acid reflux, or if the symptoms are severe and bothering your baby it is a matter of concern.

If you doubt your baby is having a problem of acid reflux observes the following symptoms:

1. Excessive spitting up or vomiting

It is quite common for small babies to spit up during the first three months of their lives. If the spitting up is very frequent and severe or the baby is vomiting along with spitting up, it indicates a problem.

2. Irritation or dullness while feeding

If your baby gets irritated while feeding, it may be due to the burning sensation and pain in the esophagus due to the acid reflux.

3. Baby eating too less or refuses to eat at all

If the baby is not eating properly this may be because of the pain that he is suffering from the acid in esophagus.

4. Colic symptoms

Due to the acid reflux the baby will feel severe pain which may give rise to symptoms typical of colic pain.

5. Arching the back and neck while feeding

If the baby is getting pain due to acid in the esophagus, they will bend their backs and necks.

6. "Wet" burps

If a baby is suffering from GERD, some liquid may come out when he burps.

7. Hiccups

During reflux the nerves along the upper part of the stomach and the lower part of the esophagus is stimulated irritating the vagus nerve and cause frequent hiccups in the infants.

8. Coughing

Because of reflux, the airways of the baby and the throat may get irritated. As a result the baby may start coughing.

9. Disturbed sleep pattern

Due to reflux the baby may start coughing when sleeping causing him/her to wake up from sleep.

10. Trouble in swallowing

Due to the reflux of the acid into the esophagus an obstruction may be formed in the esophagus. As a result the baby experience difficulty in swallowing.

11. Sore throat

When stomach contents flow back up to the throat, the baby's throat gets irritated leading to sore throat.

12. Respiratory problems (such as asthma, pneumonia)

During reflux, in some cases, the acid may get into the lungs. This makes breathing difficult causing asthma, pneumonia or bronchitis.

13. Croaky voice

As a result of reflux the stomach content comes up to the throat causing irritation of the throat and the voice of the baby may turn hoarse.

Apart from all those mentioned above, sinus infections or congestion, ear infections, bad breath, anemia, drooling from the corners of the mouth, unexplained weight loss etc. also may be suggestive of acid reflux in infants.

Khairun Nadzar is the publisher of Acid Reflux Disease, For better understanding of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) browse through http://theacidrefluxdisease.net/ today.

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Foods You Should Avoid If You Have Acid Reflux

There are several different acid reflux foods to avoid. If you suffer from this issue, it is important to ensure that you become familiar with all of the foods that are considered to be culprits of the condition. When the muscular valve at the end of the esophagus opens either too often, or too far, it often results in gastric liquids from the stomach back flowing into the esophagus. When this happens, the individual often suffers from an immense amount of pain and/or discomfort. This experience is commonly referred to as "Heartburn". Consuming foods that have a high acid content could increase the likelihood of experiencing this discomfort. The following highlights the different acid reflux foods to avoid if you suffer from frequent bouts of heartburn:

The first types of acid reflux foods to avoid are those that contain a high amount of fat. In addition to this, it is important to ensure that you limit your intake of foods that are prepared using grease, oil or butter. It is a known fact that these food products have the ability to drastically slow the progression of digestion. As a result of remaining in the stomach for such a long period of time, there is a certain amount of pressure that develops. As this continues, it is likely that the gastric juices will flow back into the esophagus.

• It is also important to ensure that as you prepare your list of acid reflux foods to avoid that you put those that are considered to be spicy down. Foods and ingredients that are considered to be spicy in nature drastically increase the amount of acid that is contained within the stomach. As a result, when the valve at the end of the esophagus opens, there is a greater likelihood that the liquid will flow back into that region of the body.

• When researching acid reflux foods to avoid, it is important to ensure that you avoid those that contain a high level of acid in them. Examples of these foods and food products include citrus fruits, vegetables such as tomatoes, and even beverages that contain acid. By eliminating these foods from your diet, you will be successfully eliminating the amount of acid that is contained within your stomach and also reducing the amount of pressure that accumulates in the stomach.

• You should be especially cautious of foods and ingredients that contain a lot of dairy. Throughout history, many individuals have been instructed to drink milk and eat dairy products in order to soothe gastrointestinal complications. However, it has recently been established that these types of products are commonly associated with issues such as constipation, gas, bloating and heartburn. If you suffer from acid reflux, it is important to only consume dairy in a careful manner to reduce discomfort.

• When studying up on acid reflux foods to avoid, you will often find that there are many types of meats that should be avoided. Many of these meats contain a lot of fat. In addition to this, there are many natural oils contained in the meats that may increase the amount of acid in the stomach. Meats that are safe to consume are chicken and fish that is considered to be fresh. Avoid all other meats if possible. If you often experience heartburn, it is important to take steps to reduce your experience with the complication. One of the best ways to do this is to make a list of acid reflux foods to avoid. By following the guidelines contained in this guide, you will find that you experience success in doing that.

Dr. Clifton Thomas is a gastrointestinal endoscopic surgeon in Houston, Texas. To find out more about your options for treating Gastroesophageal reflux disease visit his site at http://stop-heartburn.com/

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Diabetes complications - why should care and avoid that

It is true that complications of diabetes can cause serious damage to his body. It is one of the reasons that should prevent the occurrence of complications of diabetes. On the other hand, you can stop further damage to his body.

Actually, there are two categories of diabetes complications that must be taken into account.  In the first category are the so-called complications in the short term, which was established in a short period of time including high blood sugar levels.

In fact, this type of complications occurs when you can't control his diabetes, and there is a rapid increase in blood sugar levels. This includes Ketoacidosis, mostly occurs in type 1 diabetes; HHNS (Hyperosmotic non-Ketonic Hyperglycemic syndrome) in type 2 diabetes.

When occurs Ketoacidosis, a type 1 diabetic blood sugar level is very high. Your cells need to provided energy of sugar, especially of the brain cells. Given that your pancreas cannot produce insulin to provide fuel to their cells, your body produces ketones, substances always energy for the cells of the brain.

But when your blood sugar level is very high, and at the same time the level of ketones is very high, may then occur the symptoms of Ketoacidosis.

In type 2 diabetes, high blood sugar levels, your body loses much liquid and get dehydrated. To cause the symptoms of HHNS.  Both both are very dangerous because they can cause coma or even death.

The second category is called long-term complications, which include damage to his body's blood sugar levels for many years.

The blood vessels and other tissues can damage and at the same time be very sensitive to additional damage. Given that vessels spread around their body, their bodies begin to suffer.

You can "see" how your heart suffers through and attack on the heart or hypertension. You can "see" damage of nerves by numbness or loss of the leg. Also his kidneys can become non-functional and you can practically need dialysis to cleanse your body.  Your eyes are damaged and it may have many problems of vision, even blindness.

You can see for yourself how important it is to maintain its levels of sugar in the blood in the normal range. All these complications of diabetes can make your easy life at all. You must take care of them.

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