Acid reflux is most commonly known as heartburn. It can occur occasionally or be persistent, during the day or night, causing great physical discomfort for the person suffering from it. Mild cases can be treated with over the counter remedies, such as antacid preparations, and a change in diet. Severe cases such as GERD (gastro esophageal reflux disease) or hiatal hernias (where part of the stomach pushes through the esophagus or chest wall), usually require treatment with prescription medications or even surgery.

It is recommended that the sufferer seek medical attention with persistent episodes, because there may be a more severe underlying problem causing the symptoms. In some cases, it may be because a certain bacteria is present in the gut, known at helicobacter pylori, or H-pylori. This type of bacteria has been proven to cause stomach ulcers and can be easily treated with a combination of antibiotic and antacid therapy, requiring no further treatment once it has been eradicated.

Certain food and drink items, as well as stress and emotional issues, are notorious for causing acid reflux, even in people who never experience this type of discomfort. Alcohol, citrus fruits, tomato based and spicy foods are the most common culprits. Just abstaining from these items may be enough, but often times we just cannot give up the foods we love cold turkey. Some symptoms may be alleviated by simply taking Tums or another immediate relief preparation, but persistent acid reflux may require more to completely eradicate it. As discussed previously, it is recommended that a physician be consulted with persistent symptoms to rule out other causes.

There are medications that are now available both over the counter and by prescription that can be taken on a daily basis, known as H2 blockers and proton pump inhibitors, to heal any damage that has already occurred and prevent further heartburn flare-ups. According to various sources on the internet, these medications do not work immediately and may take anywhere from seven to twenty-one days to prove effective. It is also recommended that these medications not be taken for longer than an eight-week period, because it is thought that these medications cause an overproduction of the hormone known as gastin, which is thought to be linked to a higher incidence of cancer.

There is something you can do about your persistent acid reflux. Get it checked out and get it treated. Why would you want to continue living like this when there are easy treatment options available? To your good health!

If you suffer the discomfort of heartburn more than occasionally, you may have a more serious problem. After an especially spicy or heavy meal, even very healthy people can experience a bit of regurgitation of stomach contents. If this is rare, it's simple heartburn and nothing to worry about. But if it's a familiar sensation for you, you could be suffering from acid reflux or more officially called gastroesophageal reflux disease. You can use the acronym GERD for short. You know how strong stomach acid is. Imagine what it does to the esophagus over time if stomach contents back up? Not a pretty picture. The stomach also contains pepsin for breaking down proteins and bile that may have backed up from the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine). These are not as damaging as the acid, but they are harmful, and the three substances together make for an unhappy combination in the esophagus. It can become inflamed and develop ulcers. When this happens, the condition is called esophagitis. So, it's one disease causing another, sort of a domino effect. This can even erode the enamel on your teeth. Think of the dental bills! While becoming informed about your symptoms and what they might mean is always a good idea, it's not a good idea to diagnose and treat yourself when it comes of acid reflux. It could delay your getting on a proper course of treatment that will lead to recovery. The good news is that this condition is highly treatable. But first, a doctor needs to examine you to determine exactly what is going on in your digestive system and why. Some of the possible culprits of acid reflux are: a malfunctioning esophagus either because its sphincter valve where it connects to the stomach isn't working right or because it does not contract property and move food along the way it's supposed to; a bulging of the stomach into the chest area, called a hiatal hernia; Improper emptying of the stomach, so it sits in the stomach instead of being pushed to the small intestine, sort of like a clogged drain. This is sometimes called "weak stomach" because the stomach muscles are not contracting properly. In a normal stomach tiny electrical impulses contract the stomach about three times a minute. This grinds the food and helps push it along. Sometimes a person can have GERD without heartburn symptoms. Another telltale sign is halitosis (This doesn't mean everybody with halitosis has acid reflux though). If you suspect you have acid reflux, make an appointment with your doctor. He or she has the expertise and diagnostic tools to get to the root of the problem and advise a workable course of treatment. Acid reflux/GERD is a real pain in the neck. Literally. Well, more often than not it’s a pain in the chest, but in really bad cases like mine that burning sensation it can travel right up to the back of my throat. My dad has an even more severe acid reflux disease than me, sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night choking on the acids that have backed up his esophagus. It’s a pretty scary and painful condition at times, but acid reflux/GERD it is not normally life threatening. However, the damage it can cause to your esophagus does increase your chances of esophageal cancer, so it is important to treat it. So what causes it, and what can you do to get rid of it? Acid reflux and GERD are used interchangeably in describing the same condition. The GERD stands for gastroesophogeal reflux disorder. It sounds complicated, but is quite simply a condition in which the acids from the stomach are irritating or damaging the esophagus. The sphincter muscle that contains stomach acid to the stomach doesn’t always work perfectly. Minor imperfections present at birth, damage due to a hernia or excessive vomiting, or even just the eroding effects of age can all reduce the effectiveness of the muscle to the point where it regularly lets stomach acid escape. Unfortunately, if you are having heartburn frequently enough to qualify as acid reflux GERD, you can’t do anything to ‘cure’ it completely. You are always going to have to take measures to keep your symptoms under control. The good news is there are a lot of things to treat the symptoms. Here is some non-medication oriented tips to help you reduce your acid reflux/GERD symptoms. Firstly, don’t overeat, and avoid very greasy foods. Overeating puts excessive pressure on your sphincter muscle, making it more likely to fail. Also, greases are better at getting past the muscle. Even worse than overeating is laying down or sleeping right after eating. This will also put a lot of pressure on your poor abused sphincter. It’s generally agreed that you should wait at least three hours after eating before laying down. This is good advice whether you have acid reflux disease or not, as you can actually develop the condition by sleeping too soon after eating too often. One final tip in helping to reduce the symptoms of acid reflux/GERD is to raise your bed at least eight inches. This will further reduce the pressure on your sphincter while you are sleeping. It will look like a lot when you first do it, but you’ll be surprise how soon you get used to it, and how helpful it is in reducing your symptoms. Of course, the most important thing you need to do if you think you have acid reflux/GERD is see a doctor. All these tips aside, you’ll probably also need to take some form of medication, many of which are available only by seeing a doctor. nelsonpublishing.com  Books Blitz .com