Monday, May 26, 2008

Acid Reflux And Indigestion: What Is The Difference?

Many construe the conditions of both acid reflux and indigestion to mean the same thing. In reality, there are a number of differences between the two conditions. While it is true that acid reflux symptoms are very similar to those of indigestion, they are a lot more severe and tend to persist for more than a few hours.

Acid reflux can be a serious condition if you do nothing about it. When series, acid reflux is known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). You experience pain in the oesophagus and throat as the acid from the stomach causes damage to the lining. If you do not treat your condition, the acid reflux symptoms can become unbearable as the lining of the oesophagus is slowly eroded away by the stomach acid. In the worst case scenario, you may develop oesophageal cancer or any of the other serious and potentially life-threatening throat conditions. These will be a lot harder to treat than the initial acid reflux symptoms. Hence it is important to seek early medical attention especially if your acid reflux symptoms do not go away.

Acid reflux is not curable. However, you can make changes to your diet and lifestyle for pain relief and to control your symptoms. Only if these solutions fail, should you consider consuming prescription medications.

Indigestion is often thought to be a milder version of acid reflux. But this is not really true. Only some of the symptoms are similar. For example, one of the most common symptoms of indigestion is gassy episodes and often these episodes are felt by sufferers of true acid reflux. Indigestion sufferers may also have an uncomfortable feeling around the chest and shoulder area that you are unable to relieve by burping.

Indigestion is commonly caused by over-eating or eating too quickly. Your stomach is bombarded with food and it produces acid in extreme amounts. Acid reflux however is caused when the sphincter at the top of the stomach is weakened and the stomach acid is allowed to travel up the oesophagus and then into the throat. Because of this dissimilarity, you often experience the major symptoms of the two conditions in different parts of the body; that is the chest for indigestion and the throat/oesophagus for acid reflux.

Acid reflux symptoms can be easily treated with diet and lifestyle changes. For more information and resource, please visit this site here at http://www.treat-acid-reflux.com

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Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Acid reflux Causes And Triggers

Recent events happening to a dear friend led me to scour the web for more information on acid reflux causes. My friend had three major attacks of heartburn in the space of two weeks. He had thought that he was having heart attacks and had to be rushed to the hospital each time. Initially the doctors could not detect what was wrong with him. Later, he was found to be having symptoms of acid reflux. Read on for what I found out about acid reflux causes.

The most common acid reflux cause is triggered from the physical inability of the lower oesophageal sphincter to prevent the stomach acid from travelling up the oesophagus. Unfortunately because this is a physical abnormality, most medications cannot address the root cause. Thus, the only solution is surgery to strengthen the sphincter, thus enabling it to open and close properly.

A condition called adult-ringed oesophagus is another physical abnormality associated with acid reflux causes. Here the lining of the oesophagus develops hardened rings of cartilage. This makes it hard for you to swallow. Hence, peristalsis (the rhythmic contraction and relaxation of the muscles in the oesophageal walls) is not able to move the food into the stomach effectively. As a result, the sphincter remains open for longer than normal, allowing the stomach acid to escape from the stomach and travel up the oesophagus and throat.

Another very common acid reflux causes is an abnormality of the stomach muscles. When these muscles are impaired, food remains in the stomach for too long. Acid production then becomes extreme.

A more serious but less common example of the acid reflux causes is the hiatal hernia. This is where a small section of the stomach becomes trapped in a natural hole in the diaphragm. This process in itself is not one of the acid reflux causes; however, it has an impact on the lower oesophageal sphincter resulting in incomplete closure. Again, this allows stomach acid to make its way up the oesophagus and causing the damage associated with the condition.

Chemical conditions also contribute to acid reflux causes. Certain drugs such as the non-steroid and anti-inflammatory drugs are widely thought to trigger acid reflux in some people. These type of drugs are often prescribed for pain and inflammation associated with many illnesses; so acid reflux is considered a possible side effect to consuming them.

It has been found that diabetes is often diagnosed in conjunction with acid reflux. As diabetics also need to be careful of what they eat, it may be a challenging task to plan a healthy diet that does not set off either condition.

Asthma is also commonly associated with acid reflux. However, it remains rather debateable as to whether asthma causes acid reflux or whether acid reflux causes latent asthma to develop. It would appear that more research on the cause-effect relationship between these two conditions.

My friend has since felt better after his three attacks. He is convinced that his acid reflux causes are diet-triggered with some careful observation. It was quite a scare but at least now with better understanding as to acid reflux causes and triggers, he is much more able to keep his condition under control.

Acid reflux symptoms can be easily treated with diet and lifestyle changes. For more information and resource, please visit this site here at www.treat-acid-reflux.com

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Monday, May 19, 2008

Causes of Acid Reflux: Lower Esophageal Sphincter

Gastro esophageal reflux disease, also known as acid reflux disease, is cause by a variety of things, the lower esophageal sphincter being one of them. While some think that fatty foods or high cholesterol foods are the reason for acid reflux, there may be much larger problems than your diet. One possibility is that, in some patience, excess acid may be produced. When your body does not use all the acid it produces, the acid needs to go somewhere, so it goes up, causing heartburn. There may be other factors at work; following is what you need to know about the lower esophageal sphincter.

The lower esophageal sphincter is the tube of muscle that goes from the bottom of the throat to the stomach and is one of the biggest factors in acid reflux. In the majority of individuals, this area is active most of the time. The lower esophageal sphincter is a gatekeeper of sorts, between the stomach where the food is digested, and the esophagus where the food travels after it is swallowed.

What happens to cause acid reflux is that the lower esophageal sphincter is actually malfunctioning. When everything works right, the sphincter will open to let food through to the stomach, then close tightly afterward. When you suffer from gastro esophageal reflux disease, the lower esophageal sphincter does not function correctly and does not shut tight, this lets partially digested food out of the stomach, causing heartburn.

There are a couple of ways that the abnormally functions causing the reflux. A weak contraction of the muscle is one way. When the muscle does not close tightly, the reflux prevention is reduced. The second way the lower esophageal sphincter can malfunction, or not function properly is when the it does not close tightly for a prolonged period and it gets too relaxed, and this allows acid reflux to occur more often than normal.

When you eat a meal or snack, your stomach has to distend to accommodate the new material. When you eat a large meal, the stomach can stretch too much, the lower esophageal sphincter then becomes too active and acid reflux can occur. Even if you don?t usually suffer from acid reflux, can sometime suffer after a large meal, because the lower esophageal sphincter has become too active.

Jill Seimer reports on health issues at RefluxLife.com and wrote on acid reflux disorder symptoms from her experience with heartburn and acid reflux.

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Friday, May 16, 2008

Acid Reflux Disease-when It?s Not Just Heartburn Anymore

Acid reflux is also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease and no matter what you call it, this one is a real pain!

Persistent, frequent heartburn occurring more than twice a week and often lasting two hours or more can be an early indicator of something more serious than simple heartburn. It could be acid reflux disease. Characterized by the abnormal reflux of the stomach?s gastric contents backwards into the esophagus resulting in a burning in the chest a throat. Left untreated the chronic symptoms of acid reflux disease can lead to erosion of the delicate esophageal tissues.

A temporary relaxation of or an abnormal closing of the lower esophageal sphincter, LES, allows the back flow or regurgitation of stomach acids back into the esophagus causing the characteristic heartburn associated with acid reflux disease.

A burning or general soreness in the throat, chest pain, a burning sensation in the chest, hoarseness, difficulty or painful swallowing, nausea, vomiting, pain in the ears, an acidic taste in the mouth, the sensation of fluid arising from the throat back into the mouth, bad breath and a chronic cough or tickle in the throat are all frequently reported symptoms of acid reflux disease.

It is important to remember that someone suffering with heartburn does not necessarily have acid reflux disease. Heartburn is often the result of a heavy meal or even an overly fatty or acidic meal. Heartburn occurs infrequently and may simply be just that... heartburn... and not the more serious condition of acid reflux disease. Persistent, frequent heartburn occurring more often than twice per week may be a sign that acid reflux is the culprit and not just your run-of-the-mill heartburn. Heartburn unrelieved by traditional methods and occurring more frequently than usual should be evaluated by a physician or healthcare provider for a proper assessment and diagnosis.

Left untreated acid reflux disease can lead to esophagitis, an erosion of the lining of the esophagus, or tooth decay from the constant exposure of the teeth to gastric acid. There are many treatment options available for acid reflux disease... you don?t have to live with the pain anymore!

For more important information on stomach pain visit a-stomach-pain.com where you will find advice and tips on common stomach pain causes such as acid reflux, ulcers, and many other articles.

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Sunday, May 11, 2008

Acid Reflux - Managing the Symptoms

Acid reflux affects millions of people every year. There are many different causes of acid reflux, but through diet, lifestyle changes and sometimes medication the symptoms may be managed. Acid reflux can be potentially dangerous if left untreated. Not only is it painful, it can be hazardous if the stomach contents are aspirated into the lungs. Acid reflux can also be harmful to the esophageal lining, causing irritation, pain and damage.

Chronic acid reflux sufferers may have several different things that produce acid reflux and heartburn. The objects that contribute the most to acid reflux are: tea, coffee, other drinks containing caffeine, chocolate, tomatoes, fried and fatty foods, alcohol, tobacco, large meals, eating before bedtime or late night eating, citrus fruits and juices and wearing tight clothes.

Foods that should be eaten rarely to avoid acid reflux are fruit juices, berries, garlic, onions, leeks, sauerkraut, scallions, ground beef, chicken salad, eggs, hot dogs, ham, milk, cheese, granola, alcohol, cola and fattening or fried foods.

Alcohol has adverse effects on acid reflux sufferers. Alcohol increases the production of stomach acid and relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter, allowing stomach contents to reflux into the esophagus. Alcohol can also lead to stomach ulcers, which hinder healing of the esophagus or stomach.

Avoid alcohol as much as possible, but it can be consumed in moderation once in a while. To lessen alcohol's effect on the stomach and esophagus, you should dilute any beverages with club soda or water, have only 1-2 drinks and drink white wine instead of red.

Stress may also cause acid reflux. Everyone has stress in their lives, but it must be managed in order to lead a healthy life without acid reflux. Stress isn't a direct cause of heartburn, but can lead to behaviors that cause acid reflux.

Regular exercise not only helps to relieve everyday stress, it also helps acid reflux symptoms. Exercise releases endorphins, which make the acid reflux sufferer feel better and also aid with digestion. Heartburn may be a problem during exercise. If so, you should discuss this with your doctor. Avoid jarring type exercises and do less jarring exercises like bike riding, swimming or walking. An antacid may also be taken before exercise to bring relief.

Seven to eight hours of sleep a night is a must to keep stress levels down. Various studies have shown that sleep-deprived people have higher levels of stress.

Another stress-reliever is to take a quick mental rest. Visualize a relaxing place in your mind. A favorite vacation spot or somewhere you would like to go to one day; anywhere that relaxes you to think about it. Imagine seeing the place, smelling scents and hearing sounds. This visualization technique will help you to relax.

Balanced, low-fat meals also help with acid reflux. Avoid foods that cause acid reflux, but eat plenty of vegetables, fruits and fish. Drink plenty of water also, as it rids the body of toxins.

Smoking is another factor that worsens acid reflux symptoms. Smoke reduces the production of saliva. Saliva helps to defend damage to the esophagus by acid reflux. Smoking also stimulates the production of stomach acid, which could worsen the effects of acid reflux and weaken the lower esophageal sphincter. The LES is the valve at the junction between the stomach and esophagus. Smoking causes decreased gastric motility while smoking, which can cause less efficient digestion because the stomach takes longer to empty.

There are many factors to acid reflux, but with some of the previous suggestions, it can be managed. Always consult your doctor first; medication may be needed in addition to diet and exercise.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Acid Reflux

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Friday, May 9, 2008

Complications of Acid Reflux and How to Avoid Them

One illness caused by acid reflux is Barrett's Esophagus. It occurs when the tissue lining the esophagus actually gets changed into the type of tissue that is found in the intestine through a process called internal metaplasia. Barrett's esophagus generally does not cause symptoms of itself, but having Barrett's esophagus makes a person much more likely to get esophageal cancer. The only way to detect Barrett's esophagus at this time is through an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and biopsy. There is no cure for Barrett's esophagus other than the removal of the esophagus, which is only recommended for those who already have esophageal cancer.

Esophageal cancer occurs when cancer cells form in the esophagus. It starts on the inside lining and spreads outward. There are two common forms of esophageal cancer, squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma is found in the upper and middle parts of the esophagus and adenocarcinoma is found near the stomach on the lower part of the esophagus. There are several risk factors for getting esophageal cancer. The most prevalent risk factor is age. Almost half of patients diagnosed with esophageal cancer are over age 70. Use of tobacco and heavy alcohol use are also major risk factors for this disease.

Although Barrett's Esophagus and Esophageal cancer are the most common illnesses related to acid reflux, there are several other ailments that can be caused by untreated acid reflux. People with acid reflux are also more likely to get laryngeal cancer, which occurs when cancer cells form in the larynx. Erosive Esophagitis occurs when the esophagus is inflamed and swollen. It is caused by the acid from the stomach refluxing up into the esophagus. Esophageal Strictures can also be caused by untreated acid reflux. A stricture happens when the esophagus becomes gradually narrower. Swallowing problems often occur with strictures.

There are many ways that a person can reduce their risks of having esophageal complications. One form of protection comes from a changed lifestyle. If a person can determine what triggers their acid reflux, they can then take steps to avoid those triggers. Eating the right foods can make a huge difference in avoiding complications. There are certain foods that have almost no chance of causing acid reflux and there are others that should not be eaten at all if acid reflux is to be avoided. Learning ways to prevent acid reflux before is starts can make a huge difference because the overall number of acid reflux incidences will be reduced therefore limiting the damage done to the esophagus. Acid reflux can be extremely damaging at night as the acid remains in the esophagus for long time periods, so learning how to limit nighttime reflux can do much to prevent complications. The most important thing someone can do to prevent acid reflux complications is to talk to their doctor about their acid reflux. A doctor may prescribe medications, either prescription or over-the-counter, or they may suggest lifestyle changes to improve the reflux.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Acid Reflux

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Managing Acid Reflux Symptoms While Sleeping - Changing Your Life For The Better

Getting good nights sleep can be very difficult when you suffer from indigestion or acid reflux. Heartburn or nausea may keep you awake, or tossing and turning. Nighttime is one of the most common times that people battle acid reflux. If you are one of those people, you have become aware just how important a restful night of sleep can be. So, how do you relieve the symptoms of acid reflux so you can get the night of sleep you need and deserve. Following are some thing so to keep in mind during the day.

Eating After 6pm

Doctors say that if you suffer from acid reflux, you should push your dinnertime back. Try to eat no later than three hours before bedtime. What happens is that you eat at eight o?clock, but then go to bed at ten o?clock, and your body does not have time to digest dinner. That is understandable because you get home from work about six o?clock, eat at seven and are in bed by nine so you can get back up at six and go to work. To top it off, your diet is probably not the best. Give your body a chance to digest your dinner by going to bed at ten. You maybe surprised that even tough you stay up an hour later, the sleep you get will be more restful.

Raising Your Body

Elevating your head and upper body is another thing you can do to get better sleep at night. By placing blocks under the legs of the bed, you can successfully raise the top of the bed without having to think about it. The nice thing about that is your partner may not even notice the difference. But you will!

Another way to raise your body at night is to place some pillows under your head, neck and chest. The higher you can raise the top of your body, the better you will feel. There are also pillows made in a wedge shape so you don?t? have to worry about the pillows slipping out of place.

Medication Times

Medication is also an important piece of the puzzle. Keep in mind, however, you need to e careful with the timing of that as well. You want it to be most effective while you are trying to sleep. Check with your doctor or pharmacist to determine when the best time is to take the medicine. This can be figured by how long it takes for the pill to start working once you have swallowed it, and then you will know how much time to give it to kick in. This may or may not be effective for you, but it is an option.

Acid reflux and indigestion are very controllable conditions. It may take some trial and error before you find a system that works for you. But keep trying. I will be worth it when you find a way to get good nights sleep. It may be a combination of a few techniques. It is worth finding what works best for you because the more restful your sleep, the better you will feel in the morning, and the more productive your day.

Jill Seimer talks healthy living at RefluxLife.com and reported on acid reflux disorder symptoms from her experience using on natural cures for heartburn.

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Thursday, May 8, 2008

The Cause Of Acid Reflux

Acid Reflux disease is caused by acid from the stomach continuously being forced, or splashed back up into the esophagus tube. This reflux acid causes irritation.

If we can visualize the stomach as jelly bean shape or J shape with a 10? tube attached to the top. At the lower end of this tube is a ring of tissue or smooth muscle called a esophageal sphincter (LES). At the lower end of the stomach is another sphincter muscle valve.

Acid reflux disease has to do with this sphincter muscle between the lower esophagus and upper stomach. How it opens and close, and the strength or weakness of this valve is involved. The normal position of this valve is closed position. This is to keep stomach acid, food, and drink from being regurgitated back up into the esophageal tube.

The whole digestive system begins at the mouth and ends at the anus. When food is swallowed and enters into the esophagus, it takes only a few seconds for the food to be moved down into the stomach. There are smooth muscles all along the esophagus that quickly moves the food down. The one way valve at the bottom automatically opens to allow the food into the stomach. This valve is to instantly open and close tight behind the exodus of food.

There are certain foods, situations, and stresses that can cause this valve to weaken to allow a back splash of stomach acid, food, and drink to be forced back up into the esophagus tube.

Peoples esophageal sphincter valve will relax at different times to allow a small amount of acid reflux or splash into the esophagus. This is called a physiologic reflux. Most people and children do not have this problem.

For some people, this sphincter valve is weak - it either does not contract properly, or may relax too long or too frequently. Acid reflux disease occurs when the esophageal sphincter valve either does not close at all or relaxes to often.

It is possible that the acid can be thrown so high with such force, that it ends up in your throat, vocal cords and breathed down into your bronchial tubes, causing loss of voice or hoarseness and asthma.

Many things can cause the acid to be forced back up and out of the stomach. Different foods and medications can relax the LES valve, such as hard coughing, bending over, being overweight, lying down after eating or drinking, smoking, tight clothing like belts and girdles and vigorous exercise of different kinds.

When overweight, this fat around the midsection can also cause acid reflux disease. This is because the excess fat that you carry puts pressure on the inner organs. All the organs are effected because of the restrictions of space, including your stomach.

Once you know the things that cause or contributes to acid reflux disease, then you can take steps to ease and heal the problem. By educating yourself, eliminating the causative factor from your lives, using natural healing methods such as probiotics, correct eating, internal cleansing, and taking control of your stresses then you will begin to turn your acid reflux disease around.

Article by Jeannie Crabtree C.Ac. Grab your free report on Acid Reflux and learn what to do about Acid Reflux Disease naturally.

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Thursday, March 27, 2008

Living at the Edge - Can Bulimia Cause Acid Reflux?

Bulimia (bulimia nervosa) is a psychological eating disorder whereby the subject will eat large quantities of food and then purge what they have eaten from their bodies. This desire to be rid of the food they have just eaten stems from a persons self-image of themselves being either overweight or simply not thin enough. First recognized as a serious medical condition in 1979 bulimia continues to plague many people (mostly young women) all over the world. In severe cases bulimia can prove to be fatal.

So how are bulimia and acid reflux related?

Well when a bulimic wants to purge the food from their stomach they resort to either vomiting or using powerful laxatives. The vomiting reflex is far more common as it provides them with an immediate way to get rid of the food. This then allows them to binge again shortly afterwards and then continue the purging process several times in a row.

The Potential For Damage

What most bulimics never stop to consider is the damage they are doing to their body. When a person vomits food is not the only thing forced through the esophagus - stomach acid is also present. Some bulimics can binge and purge several times per day which means that their esophagus is exposed to strong stomach acid over and over again. This continued exposure to stomach acid can leave the esophagus raw and worn down. This can then lead to one of the more serious diseases caused by acid reflux such as Barrets Esophagus.

How Bulimia Can Cause Heartburn

Another issue is that if you continually force the body to produce extra stomach acid during these binge/purge phases then this can form a "pattern" for the body. Your body can "learn" to expect certain situations to occur and if you get it into the habit then it will produce more stomach acid than it actually needs on an ongoing basis. This will then lead to acid reflux which, of course, will just make a bulimics life far worse. Vomiting will then become extremely painful.

Other Complications

Acid reflux is not the only problem that can arise from bulimia. If the body is starved of proper nutrients then organs can start to slow down and malnutrition can set in. This leads the bulimic into a further psychological downward spiral whereby the bingeing/purging process can actually increase in frequency and severity. Severe bulimia can result in death but this is often very hard to explain to anybody with an eating disorder.

Is There Hope?

Bulimia can be treated but it's a two-part process. Firstly medication will need to be prescribed to prevent vomiting and promote a healthy and constant appetite in the sufferer. Far more serious are the emotional issues that cause bulimia in the first place. Any person with an eating disorder should also receive psychological therapy as part of their healing process. Trained counsellors can get to the root of the problem if you will let them. Bulimics who do not take part in the psychological healing process often run the risk of simply getting into the same old habits all over again.

If you can categorize yourself as a bulimic then it's time to stop and take a quick review of your life. Do you really want to cause harm to your body? Why would you deliberately go about causing yourself potentially permanent pain? With the right help you can have a second chance at life and really enjoy your life too.

Jill Seimer and her passion for helping others shares healthy lifestyle tips at RefluxLife.com She recently published Natural Healing for Heartburn with her own experiences on natural cures for acid reflux.

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Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Persistent Heartburn as an Indicator for Acid Reflux Complications

Heartburn is a symptom characteristic to many disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and it can also be a sign of heart disease. However, heartburn is most commonly experienced by gastro-esophageal disease (acid reflux) sufferers. Heartburn is a sensation of soreness and burning, generally located in the central region of the chest. Accompanied by inflamed throat, difficulty swallowing and difficulty breathing, heartburn is frequently experienced by people with acid reflux.

Gastro-esophageal reflux disease, commonly referred to as acid reflux, involves regurgitation of the stomach's content inside the upper levels of the esophagus. Due to increased pressure at the level of the abdomen, low pressure at the level of the esophageal lining or weakness of the esophageal sphincter, stomach gastric acid is pushed upwards and it may even reach inside the oral cavity. In the absence of medical treatment, people who suffer from chronic forms of acid reflux disease are very exposed to the development of serious complications. Frequent regurgitation of stomach digestive fluids inside the gastro-esophageal tract can cause inflammation, ulcerations and open lesions of various internal soft tissues and organs.

Although everyone may experience heartburn every once in a while, especially after a rich meal, the recurrence of this symptom generally points to acid reflux. Although the undesirable effects of acid reflux can be kept under control with the help of antacids and other over-the-counter acid-reducing medications, people who suffer from acid reflux should see a doctor in order to receive an appropriate medical treatment.

Without appropriate treatment, acid reflux can in time lead to the development of Barrett's esophagus, a serious condition that can further lead to esophageal cancer. Barrett's esophagus involves scarring of the gastro-esophageal tract's lining due to frequent exposure to stomach acid. This disorder is developed by around 10 percent of acid reflux sufferers. Furthermore, 5 - 10 percent of people who suffer from Barrett's esophagus may later develop esophageal cancer. Ongoing, intense heartburn that doesn't ameliorate with medications may be an indicator of Barrett's esophagus.

In order to avoid such complications, acid reflux sufferers should take measures in minimizing the undesirable effects of their disease. Apart from respecting a medical treatment recommended by the doctor, acid reflux sufferers should make lifestyle changes and diet improvements. People with acid reflux are advised to abstain from smoking and alcoholic beverages, as these factors greatly contribute to the progression of the disease. Acid reflux sufferers should eat smaller portions of food during meals and they should avoid eating right before going to bed. It is best to eat 5-6 smaller meals rather than 2-3 large meals a day. Remember that a good digestion can considerably reduce the frequency and intensity of acid reflux symptoms, also minimizing the risks of complications.

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

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Saturday, November 24, 2007

Acid Reflux And Heartburn Natural Remedies

Here is a list of natural remedies that you can use when you have acid reflux or heartburn. No need to use antacids, which have unwanted side effects and contain aluminum, which has been associated with senility and Alzheimers disease.

Here is a list of natural remedies that you can use when you have acid reflux or heartburn. No need to use antacids, which have unwanted side effects and contain aluminum, which has been associated with senility and Alzheimers disease.

Anise, peppermint, and lavender

Heres a tea that you can make to help you with acid reflux or heartburn. It will help you reduce the amount of acid you have in your stomach. Mix together equal amounts of aniseed, peppermint and lavender. Make an infusion of this tea:

* boiling 2 cup distilled water
* pour this water over a teaspoon of the herbal mixture
* let this tea sit for 3- 5 minutes
* strain the tea and add a little bit of honey if you like.
* place this tea in a thermos

Drink up to 8 oz in the morning and 8 oz in the evening to get relief of acid reflux.

Aniseed or anise is a powerful herb that helps in digestive conditions and has many other benefits for your body. Use only the ash-colored anise called green anise, European anise or sweet anise. There are two other types of anise, star anise and caraway, which should not be used here.

Peppermint is another powerful herb for stomach conditions or heartburn. It helps in digestion, stomach distension, cramps, ulcers, and gas.

Lavender known for it scent has enormous healing activity for your body. Is also an excellent stomach aid. It is useful in reducing acid in the stomach.

Betain, Pepsin, and Papaya digestive enzymes

As you get older, your stomach weakens in its ability to produce hydrochloric acid to digest protein. It is undigested protein that leads to acid reflux or heartburn. Use digestive enzymes that contain Betain, pepsin, or HCl with each meal to make sure you digest all of your protein.

Papaya digestive enzymes, which contain papain, are also excellent for protein digestion and you can use them with each meal. Use 500mg or more of papaya enzymes per meal.

Pineapples

Pineapples are a store house of enzymes and contain bromelain, an enzymes that reduces protein. Pineapples support digestion, reduce inflammation, and supports wound healing. The fresh juice has a high level of enzymes that will help you stop your acid reflux.

You can also buy bromelain as tablet and take 200 500mg per meal.

Chicory Root

Chicory comes from a family of bitter herbs that contain endive and escarole. Boil 1 cup of chicory root for 5 - 10 minutes. After it colds to room temperature, drink this tea to correct acid reflux or heartburn.

Adding these herbs to your salad will also have benefits in preventing acid reflux. Eating those foods that are alkaline is the best way to avoid acid reflux and heartburn.

Using the remedies listed here will give relief from your acid reflux. But more importantly add a salad to your diet everyday and you will have less acid reflux in your life.

Rudy Silva has a degree in Physics and is a Natural Nutritionist. He is the author of Constipation, Acne, Hemorrhoid, and Fatty Acid ebooks. He writes a newsletter call natural-remedies-thatwork.com. More remedies and information on acid reflux go to: http://www.acidreflux-relief.info

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