What is Acid Reflux?
When the gastric juices with acid contents in the stomach flow back into the esophagus (known as gullet), it results in condition called Acid Reflux.
What are the symptoms?
Following are the symptoms of acid reflux:
A person having acid reflux will have a burning sensation in the area covering stomach and the neck.
The food that has been taken comes back into the mouth.
Pain in chest
The patient feels difficulty in swallowing.
The acidic juices traveling through throat and air passages of lungs while coming back the mouth, leads to throatiness, dental erosion and asthma.
How does acid reflux occur?
Acid reflux can be a regular complaint in some people. Such people have a condition called gastro esophageal reflux disease or GERD.
When food enters into the body, it is partially digested with the help of acid and enzymes, which exist in the stomach as special chemicals for helping in the process of breaking down the food for the further use in the body. In the normal condition of the body, the acidic content after being partially digested in the stomach goes into the small intestine called bowel where it is digested further.
However, in the people having complaint of acid reflux feel burring sensation in their throat and stomach with the acid content in the stomach refluxing back to esophagus.
The acid and enzymes in the stomach that normally help break down the food for the use in body, help in partial digest of the food when acid reflux occurs.
What are causes of acid reflux?
Smoking, consumption of alcohol and caffeine are considered to be the major causes of acid reflux.
Consumption of chocolate can also be the major contributor of the condition.
Person having problem of obesity and pregnant women are also likely to have complaint of acid reflux.
Too much of eating makes the stomach full and tight resulting in reflux of acid content.
How to treat acid reflux?
Following are the medication, which are available for the condition of acid reflux:
Antacids: Antacids come in forms of alkali liquids or tablets, which help in neutralizing the effect of acid reflux. Person having complaint of acid reflux can get immediate relief with one dose of antacid.
Acid-suppressing drugs: Acid-suppressing drugs come in two different groups-.one comprising proton pump inhibitors which are known as PPIs and other histamine receptor blockers called H2 blockers. Both PPIs and H2 blockers work differently for suppression of the amount of acid produced by the stomach.
