Pregnant - Fighting the Burn of Indigestion and Acid Reflux

If you sit and talk to any group of pregnant women anywhere in the world about the various discomforts they must endure during pregnancy they'll all likely agree on one that's worst than most. What is it? Acid reflux. Many years ago there was an old wives tale that women who suffered from heartburn would give birth to a child with a full head of hair. This, of course, is purely mythical. That aside acid reflux is still a hugely annoying thing to have to endure while you're pregnant.

Reasons For Acid Reflux In Pregnant Women

There are several reasons why pregnant women are more likely to experience heartburn:

1. Hormone levels in a pregnant woman are far higher than a woman who isn't pregnant. This dramatic increase in hormone levels can have a huge effect on every aspect of your body and especially your digestive system. The most common effect is that the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) can loosen up a bit. This is a type of valve which typically holds the food in your stomach. If this valve is loose then acid can flow back upwards into your gullet (esophagus). You'll then experience heartburn to a varying degree.

2. During pregnancy your body will change shape. This normally doesn't happen until later in pregnancy. When these changes do happen your stomach area will keep expanding and this expansion is what can lead to acid reflux. Your stomach enlarging in this way puts far more pressure on the esophagus which can then lead to indigestion and acid reflux in general.

Is There Anything You Can Do? There is always something you can do to help yourself! Firstly watch what you eat. Citrus foods, mint, spicy foods, fried foods, and chocolate should all be avoided as much as possible.

Eat smaller meals too. This will help a lot if you're experience a lot of morning (and daytime, evening and nighttime) sickness too. If you eat several small meals throughout the day you're far less likely to experience heartburn. Your body will be able to process those small meals far easier than 2 or 3 large ones.

Correct Your Posture Believe it or not practicing correct posture can help an awful lot with acid reflux. Be especially careful of how you bend. Whilst pregnant you should always bend down at the knees - although later you'll have no choice but to do so as your stomach expands. However earlier on in your pregnancy bending down at the knees will put far less pressure on your stomach and therefore your esophagus. This can and will help you with the discomforts of indigestion.

You can fight back against acid reflux during your pregnancy. You simply have to choose to. Don't suffer in silence however and don't ever be afraid to consult with your doctor for medication if the heartburn becomes too painful to bear.

Jill Seimer shares her passion for healthy living at RefluxLife.com She has recorded her personal experiences on infant acid reflux and dealing with heartburn.

Prevent acid reflux with the acid reflux diet

Acid reflux occurs when the acids that can be found in the stomach get into the esophagus because the valve that separates the esophagus from the stomach cannot close properly. These acids are very strong, and they can severely damage the esophagus' walls. They do not damage the stomach's walls because it is protected by a special membrane.

Acid reflux is pretty serious, it can cause pain in the chest area, and if it is left untreated the esophagus will become very erroded and gastric acid will also reach the lungs, where is can cause coughing and asthma, and the mouth, where it corrodes the teeth.

Diet has an important role in both treating and preventing acid reflux, and an acid reflux diet is not expensive or hard to follow. The idea is to reduce the acids inside the stomach and to keep it from filling, which can cause the food and acid inside it to reach the esophagus.

Here is what you can eat and what you should avoid:

You can eat all the cereals and vegetables you want. They contain a lot of vitamins and nutrients that help the body fight not only acid reflux, but other illnesses too.

You should definitely stop smoking, because tobacco smoke damages the esophagus' walls and weakens it. You should also avoid chewing gum, because when you chew the stomach starts to produce acids that it won't use and that can get into the esophagus.

If you are overweight you should try to loose some of your weight, and avoid fatty food, because at overweight people the levels of gastric acid are higher.

The foods that are know to help acid reflux advance by stimulating the acid production are: chocolate, milk, chewing gum, fatty foods, spicy foods, alcohol and garlic. Coffee can irritate the esophagus so try not to drink any.

Also try to avoid wearing tight clothing that can press the stomach, because this way the acid inside it is almost forced to leave the stomach. Furthermore, if you lie down right after you eat you help the content of your stomach came back, so try sitting on a chair for a few minutes, depending on how damaged the valve that separates the stomach from the esophagus is.

If you follow the advises mentioned above you can prevent acid reflux, and your treatment will be more effective, but also consult your doctor and take the medication that he prescribes you if you want to be fully cured.

For more resources about many acid reflux subjects like acid reflux symptoms, acid reflux treatment or many more please visit us at http://www.acid-reflux-info-guide.com

The Symptoms Of Gerd/Acid Reflux

Acid reflux or GERD is a problem that many people face on a daily basis. Although everyone has reflux, a patient with acid reflux actually experiences a burning, painful sensation as the stomach liquids back up into the esophagus. This can be an uncomfortable and even serious medical problem.

In most cases, the symptoms of acid reflux are painful and uncomfortable but not seriously damaging to a person?s health. These types of symptoms are referred to as ?uncomplicated? acid reflux. The three most common symptoms are nausea, regurgitation, and heartburn.

Patients with acid reflux often report suffering from nausea. In fact, nausea as a result of acid reflux is so common that when a patient experiences nausea with no apparent cause, a doctor usually suspects acid reflux as the culprit.

Equally as common as nausea occurring from acid reflux is regurgitation. Regurgitation occurs when refluxed liquid actually backs up into the mouth. Sometimes, this liquid can contain food. When a patient regurgitates, they often experience a burning sensation as refluxed liquid and food bypass the UES (upper esophageal sphincter) and make their way into the mouth. This burning is often accompanied by an awful, acidic taste. If a patient continues to experience regurgitation, it can actually cause damage to their teeth as the acidic substance erodes the enamel that encases each tooth.

Probably the most common reported complaint of acid reflux patients is the presence of heartburn. This is usually characterized as a searing pain in the chest. It can either begin in your upper abdomen or actually travel up to your neck. For some patients, this can be a cause for alarm. In fact, many people have mistaken painful acid reflux for a heart attack. Heartburn is especially prevalent after eating meals. Although heartburn usually goes away, the bad news is that it is usually a lifelong problem that will eventually return.

Although most forms of acid reflux do not pose serious health risks, there are complications that can occur from acid reflux. One of the most common complications comes in the form of ulcers.
If the liquid from the stomach that refluxes, damages the lining of the esophagus, inflammation can occur. If the damage is deep enough, an ulcer can actually form. Scar tissue can form a ?stricture? which can cause food to get lodged or stuck in the esophagus.

Another complication that can arise from acid reflux is Barrett?s Esophagus. If a person has severe acid reflux, this causes changes to the cells that surround and line the esophagus. These can turn pre-cancerous and even evolve into cancer cells.

There are many other complications that sometimes occur as a result of acid reflux. Asthma and coughs can be intensified or sparked by acid reflux. The same is true of inflammation of the throat, larynx, or lungs. A patient can also experience fluid in his sinuses or middle ears.

Although the complications associated with acid reflux are rare, it is important to keep in mind that acid reflux is a condition that should be treated by your doctor. There are also a variety of effective home remedies for acid reflux. If properly handled, it is a highly treatable condition. If left unattended, you risk the possibility of causing irreparable damage to your body.
Kathryn Whittaker has an interest in Acid Reflux. For further information on Acid Reflux please visit http://www.naturally-stop-acid-reflux.com/acidreflux.html or http://naturally-stop-acid-reflux.com/blog/2006/08/19/the-symptoms-of-gerdacid-reflux/ .

Crohn's? IBS? Colitis? Acid Reflux? Try Holistic Medicine

Do you have gastrointestinal problems such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Colitis, Crohns Disease, Acid Reflux Disease, among many others? Are you sick (literally) and tired of going from doctor to doctor only to be handed a prescription slip and pushed out the door? Do you enjoy the many side effects these prescriptions cause? Are you looking for a solution to the problem instead of covering it up with drugs, or removing it with surgery? Then try holistic medicine.

I am very happy to see our nation slowly catching on to the idea that natural medicine is the better way to go. It angers me however that insurance companies (who we pay premiums to) do not give us the choice to choose what path we want to take to heal ourselves. Holistic medicine is not cheap because there are very few insurance companies that cover your office visits, and none that I am aware that assists with nutritional supplements used by holistic doctors. Now don't get me wrong, modern medicine has its place in this world, and heaven knows all the good it has done for mankind, but there is a limit to how far it should go in the treatment of health conditions. Modern medicine knows next to nothing about the digestive system and how to fix it when it is in duress. Just ask any person suffering from any of the conditions listed above. The old saying of you don't have anything if you don't have your health is a very true statement.

I suffered with Crohn's Disease for 5 years before I started going to a holistic doctor. I went through 2 colonoscopies, and visited 3 different gastroenterologists. The first doctor performed my first colonoscopy, and found a mass of tissue close to my ileocecal valve. The tissue biopsy that he took came back negative for cancer (thank the Lord), but they could not tell what the tissue was. He referred me to another gastroenterologist who on my first visit, told me flat out that all he wanted to do was cut me open and remove the mass so he could try to figure out what it was. Needless to say my wife and I left his office never to return! Only later did we find out that he was a surgical gastroenterologist, so that's all he knew how to do was cut people open and remove their insides (comforting I know). The third doctor I visited was a medical gastroenterologist. He also wanted to perform a colonoscopy, and found more tissue masses etc. When I asked him what caused my condition, he said that medical science does not know what causes these kinds of conditions, but knows how to control them somewhat. He wrote me a prescription for a steroid medication, and sent me out the door.

Thus began my crusade to figure out what was going on with my body and why. I never did take any of that steroid medication that last doctor prescribed me, because I had enough sense to get online and start researching what it was he was wanting me to take and what it did. The drug is an immune suppressant. You see people with digestive problems often times have an over active immune system, thus triggering inflammation throughout the digestive system. The steroid suppresses the immune function to reduce inflammation. It does nothing to get rid of what is causing the inflammation, just masking the effects.

To fully understand how the body gets afflicted with these digestive problems you need to understand how the digestive system works in conjunction with the rest of your body. The digestive tract has been called the body's second brain because there are more nerve endings in the digestive tract than the brain itself. Think about what the digestive system does for you....it is the extracts of all vitamins, minerals, and other materials your body needs to function from the foods you eat. Without it were dead! New research indicates that most diseases of the body are a result of a failure somewhere in the digestive system. So if you are afflicted with a serious digestive problem, and you take a drug that masks the problem instead of fixing (and has the potential of serious side effects which include may other diseases), sure you symptoms may subside for a while, but in the meantime your condition will worsen or spread!

Finally I decided to go to a holistic doctor. It was the smartest thing I have ever done for my health! My doctor knew more on how the body works, and all the organic compounds it uses and more specifically what organs used them, than any medical doctor I have ever been to! I was on my way to recovery after my first visit. I had a plan on how to recover my health. It wasn't a prescription for some drug that he gets kickbacks from the drug companies for prescribing, it was a professionally planned regiment of natural compounds that would kill parasitic infections, reduce my inflammation, assist in digestion of foods, and nourish my body with the critical vitamins and minerals I was seriously lacking. Yes it took me well over a year to get myself back to normal. You have to take into account the fact that I had been living with several parasites in my digestive system for several years to get to the point I was at, so there is no way I would heal overnight. You know its funny how over the years all my doctors told me that I had IBS, and that I needed to eat more fiber. If only I had known about holistic medicine back then! Sure holistic medicine is expensive, but can you truly put a price on your health and well being? I sure can't, it has been worth every penny.

Do your research! No matter where you go and what you do, there is always going to be someone with a horror story about a holistic doctor, or even a modern medicine MD. It's just unavoidable, people make mistakes every day. All I can say is this: do your research! Find a holistic doctor that is highly recommended, Answer any of their questions with total honesty, stick to the regiments they give you (to the T) and always be a well informed patient! If the doctor you go to makes you uncomfortable, don't go back! Find someone you are comfortable with. Trust your instincts! Your reading this aren't you? Your instincts have brought you this far, searching for answers a medical doctor could not give you. Keep going! Keep digging! You deserve to feel normal again!

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After suffering with Crohn's disease for 5 years, I finally trusted my instincts that there was something very wrong with modern medicines approach to digestive disorders, and used a holistic approach to heal myself. No scars from surgery, and no side effects from dangerous drugs

Nighttime Heartburn and Acid Reflux

Acid reflux disease often occurs on the premises of physiological abnormalities at the level of the gastro-esophageal tract. In most cases, the disorder occurs due to poor functioning of the lower esophageal sphincter (muscular valve that normally shields the upper esophageal lining from stomach gastric acid), or increased pressure inside the abdomen. However, the occurrence of acid reflux is strongly influenced by diet, eating patterns and lifestyle.

One of the most common symptoms of acid reflux is heartburn. Described by acid reflux sufferers as a radiating pain or pronounced discomfort inside the chest, heartburn occurs due to inflammation of the esophageal tract. Although people who suffer from chronic forms of acid reflux disease may always perceive this symptom, heartburn tends to intensify after meals and during the night. On the premises of a weak lower esophageal valve or low pressure inside the esophagus, acid reflux sufferers commonly have nighttime heartburn. In the case of people with pronounced physiological abnormalities at the level of the gastro-esophageal tract, heartburn intensifies when lying down, as the stomach's content can easily reflux inside the upper levels of the esophagus. Late meals can also cause heartburn by stimulating the stomach's production of digestive fluids.

Another explanation for nighttime heartburn is the absence of swallowing. During sleep, the reflex of swallowing is inhibited. This may facilitate the occurrence of heartburn, as swallowing clears the esophageal tract of stomach acid, while saliva acts to neutralize the undesirable effects of digestive fluids. Saliva contains bicarbonate, a substance that helps in normalizing the stomach's production of gastric acid.

Apart from being very frustrating, perturbing the sleep of acid reflux sufferers, nighttime heartburn is also very dangerous. Intense heartburn indicates that large quantities of stomach acid are pushed inside the esophagus, thus causing serious damage to the lining of the upper esophageal tract. People who suffer from frequent nighttime heartburn are exposed to developing serious complications such as Barrett's esophagus.

In order to prevent the occurrence of heartburn during the night, acid reflux disease sufferers should make a few lifestyle improvements. Firstly, people with acid reflux should avoid eating right before going to bed. Also, acid reflux sufferers should avoid eating fatty foods, chocolate or citrus fruits at dinner, as they stimulate the production of gastric acid. Furthermore, people with acid reflux disease should also abstain from alcoholic beverages or cigarettes late at night.

A good method of preventing the occurrence of nighttime heartburn is to maintain the head and the thorax in a slightly elevated position during sleep. You can do this by using extra pillows.

Medications can also help in preventing the occurrence of nighttime heartburn. Doctors recommend using a combination of antacids and acid reducers (H2 blockers). These two types of medications should be taken together in order to maximize their effects. Antacids provide rapid symptomatic relief, while acid reducers will prevent the occurrence of heartburn during the night.

If you want to find great information about many acid reflux subjects like natural cures for acid reflux, acid reflux symptoms, acid reflux surgery or many more please visit us at http://www.acid-refl

The Most Effective Treatments for Acid Reflux Disease

 Acid reflux disease, or GERD, is a common compliant of the digestive system, often characterised by persistent burning or discomfort behind the breastbone. As the symptoms of GERD can mimic those of coronary disease, it is important that you visit your doctor, if you have chronic heartburn. If you have been diagnosed as having acid reflux disease, there are many treatment options available to you to help you manage your symptoms.

The treatment of GERD usually incorporates simple lifestyle changes. It is very important for patients suffering from GERD to monitor their diets, eliminating any foods or beverages, which seem to aggravate their symptoms. Avoiding a diet high in fatty foods and alcohol is very important and quitting smoking can also help decrease your symptoms. Another effective way to alleviate your symptoms of acid reflux disease is
to try to manage your stress, which causes the body to produce more acid, often causing a flare-up.

If these changes are not enough to alleviate your discomfort, however, your doctor may prescribe drug therapy. Drug therapy is usually prescribed for the lifetime of the patient and often includes medications which inhibit the production of stomach acids, such as proton pump inhibitors or antacids.

While most patients tend to respond well to these treatments, sometimes surgery is the only option for those who do not respond well to other methods. The most common form of surgery used to treat GERD is fundoplication surgery, which repairs the lower esophagal sphincter, thus stopping the stomach acid from backing up into the esophagus. The average hospital stay is between one to four days, and it can sometimes take a patient up to five weeks to fully recuperate. Although surgery can successfully eliminate symptoms, a small number of patients will still need to take medication to fully control their GERD.

Whether you have been recently diagnosed with acid reflux disease or are a long-time sufferer, there are many treatment options available to you, and with a few simple lifestyle changes, under a doctor's supervision, can help you live with your symptoms.
Jeff Lakie is the owner of the Acid Reflux Cures
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