The coincidence of a number of medical and lifestyle factors leads to acid reflux disease making causes complex and rooted in many factors. GERD – gastro-esophageal reflux disease, or acid reflux is the product of physiological conditions such as the sensitivity of the mucus of the esophagus to the refluxed stomach content, the contra-flow of the food and acid content into the esophagus and LES (lower esophageal sphincter) hypotonia, which is the gradual weakening of the LES.
A mechanism exists at the junction of the esophagus and the stomach that acts like a valve. This is the LES (lower esophageal sphincter). When you swallow food it travels down your throat where movements of the esophagus muscles then move it towards the stomach. Closing the LES stops stomach acid from returning or refluxing into the esophagus.
For healthy people, the LES will only open when food travels from the esophagus into the stomach. The valve shuts again when the food inside the stomach, to prevent stomach acid and content coming back up. LES difficulty is the first factor that sets off the disease of acid reflux. The pain and the burning sensation called heartburn is caused when a weakened LES no longer succeeds in closing as it should, opening the way for acid to move back up your throat.
A weakness that is inherited, obesity and eating too much fatty foods all contribute to preventing the LES from properly shutting. As well as these factors, muscles also sag because of the aging process undergone by humans, a tendency which affects the LES as well.
As already seen, an LES that is already weakened has a direct physiological link to the onset of acid reflux disease. The next factor or set of factors resulting in GERD are due to behavior and lifestyle. Different nutrition, drugs and interactions of the nervous system can make the LES muscle lose its force and in turn create gastro-esophageal reflux disease. Orange juice, lemons and lemonade, grapefruit juice, tomatoes and their juice, fried potatoes, sour cream, tea and coffee are nutritional elements that may increase the risk of heartburn.
Several options exist for dealing with symptomatic acid reflux. However the esophagus is not properly protected or treated by the classic approaches and the use of these over the counter and prescription drugs, including antacid, over a long period of time can cause multiple side effects with varying degrees of risk. In other words, the conventional frequently used approaches, based on prescription and over the counter medication, only handle the symptoms of chronic heartburn. They may not be good enough to stop heartburn other than in the short term.
There are many alternatives to short-term superficial treatments such as prescription medication. These include homeopathy, herbal remedies and all encompassing all natural holistic therapies. While dealing with the internal causes of acid reflux, these natural remedies help your heartburn problem by treating the causes rather than only attacking related symptoms that are external.
Author’s Note: Also published here.
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Jeff Martin is a medical researcher, certified nutritionist, health consultant and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, “Heartburn No More- Open The Door To an Acid Reflux Free Life
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