Acid Reflux Symptoms: Know what they are and How to Cure Them

At one point or another, a lot of us must have experienced acid flux or heartburn. While the acid reflux symptoms can be mild for most of us, there are some who get to experience extreme pain from this condition. Heartburn is the layman’s term to describe for gastroesophageal flux disease, GERD, acid reflux or simply reflux.

Gastroesophageal reflux is also termed as acid reflux. This condition is characterized as a disorder wherein the acidic juices produced in the stomach tend to flow back or reflux in the esophagus. The walls of the stomach are made to endure the acids that are synthesized while the foods are being digested. On the other hand, the esophagus -- the tube where food passes from the throat to the stomach -- has a very thin wall lining. This lining of the esophagus does not possess the same protective strength that the stomach lining has. Therefore, when the acids in the stomach flow back into the esophagus, the acids make the lower part of the esophagus irritated and painful. This painful inflammation is termed as the reflux esophagitis.

The stomach of a human body is composed of acidic juices such as pepsin, hydrochloric acid and oftentimes, bile juices from the liver. These stomach acids are intended to improve the digestion and sterilization process of the food that you eat and drink in order to convert them into energy.

The acid reflux symptoms vary from one another. These symptoms range from your usual heartburn to difficulty or painful swallowing, shortness of breath, excessive salivation, cramping, vomiting or inhaling fluid into the lungs and many other conditions. While the acid reflux symptoms are painful, frequently occurring acid reflux can bring about more serious disorders such as esophageal ulcer, esophageal narrowing and reflux esophagitis. Barret’s syndrome is the most serious acid reflux condition known. This syndrome is characterized by a change in the lining of the esophagus which can further lead to the development of esophageal cancer.

The acid reflux symptoms may occur in anyone. The primary sufferers of acid reflux are those individuals who have a history of scleroderma or hiatal hernia, have nasogastric tubes, those who experience repeated vomiting and those who are obese. Conceiving mothers may also suffer from acid reflux symptoms.

Acid reflux should be properly diagnosed and appropriately treated, for the symptoms to be relieved. The patient will have to undergo x-ray tests, performed by the gastroenterologist. The patient will be asked to ingest a barium solution and lie down so that their head will be in a place lower than their feet. A laboratory test called the esophagoscopy examination will also be taken. In this test, a flexible viewing tube will be inserted into the patient’s esophagus for a clearer and closer look of what is happening inside.

It is estimated that about 300 million of the world’s population is suffering from acid reflux symptoms and it still remains a mystery why about 50 million Americans suffer from acid reflux once in a month and 25 million of this population suffer from the symptoms of acid reflux on a daily basis.

In spite of this large approximation of population that experience acid reflux symptoms, there are no known alternative or nutritional therapies to be entirely successful in preventing the disease. To treat the acid reflux symptoms, physicians can make use of pharmaceutical drugs but not treat the disease entirely.

For those who are suffering from acid reflux symptoms, however, there are some simple things you can do in order to ease the pain. Simple things such as eating a couple of small meals in a day and trying to avoid fried and fatty foods and maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle can help you greatly in easing the acid reflux symptoms that you are suffering from.