What is acid reflux disease, what are the causes of acid reflux, and who does it affect? Acid reflux and heartburn are more or less the same painful condition known in the medical community as gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. The causes of GERD are as varied as the people who suffer from acid reflux, but the basic premise is stomach acid along with partially or undigested food coming back up from the stomach, through the lower esophageal sphincter, and into the esophagus, where corrosive substances such as hydrochloric acid damage the sensitive lining of the esophagus.
Preventing acid reflux can be as easy as sitting upright after a meal, or as difficult as fundoplication surgery. Diet, alcohol consumption, other health issues such as obesity, use of prescription medications, and simply the inherent strength of the esophageal sphincter are all causes of GERD. Often, older men suffer from the disease, although everyone is affected from healthy babies and young people to pregnant women.
Acid reflux therapy includes making lifestyle and dietary changes to minimize the causes of acid reflux, as well as learning how to improve digestion, increase healing, and reduce acid in the body with natural remedies for GERD. Preventing acid reflux can be much less invasive and less expensive than having to either take lifelong medication or having an anti-reflux surgical procedure.
Preventing Acid Reflux with Lifestyle Changes
Making changes to every day habits is probably the most straightforward way to circumvent the causes of GERD. Acid reflux therapy can be as simple as wearing loose-fitting clothing. Tight clothes, such as stockings or even well-fitted jeans can put pressure on the abdomen, push against the stomach, and possibly cause the lower esophageal sphincter to open — thereby creating one of the causes of acid reflux. Wearing pants with elastic waistbands, especially when about to eat a meal, is one of the best natural remedies for GERD.
Sleeping position is another of the major causes of GERD. When lying down on a bed with partially-digested food in the stomach, acid and food can easily splash up into the esophagus, sometimes waking reflux sufferers during the night with an incredible pain. Sit upright for at least four to six hours after eating, and use gravity; it is one of the most efficient forms of acid reflux therapy.
Mild to moderate exercise is another productive way of preventing acid reflux. Not only does it help with the common causes of GERD, by helping to shed excess weight and improve digestion, but exercise is a wonderful way to reduce stress and increase both circulation and healing. Turn a thirty minute walk around the neighborhood after dinner into acid reflux therapy.
Drinking appears to be one of the direct causes of acid reflux. Alcohol loosens the tightness of the lower esophageal sphincter and slows the movement of food through the digestive tract. Eliminating alcohol completely is a great method of preventing acid reflux, but even minimizing consumption will help a great deal.
Basic Rules of a Diet for Acid Reflux Disease
What and how food is eaten has a huge impact on the causes of GERD. First, a high-fat diet, especially a chronically unhealthy diet, tends to create long-term reflux problems. Fatty foods are much more difficult to digest, encouraging more acid production to break down food, and a longer time period that food is sitting in the stomach. Rich dairy foods, fried foods, and too much meat should be excluded from a diet for acid reflux disease. Dairy in particular can be a major problem as calcium is one of the minerals that tells the body to release hydrochloric acid for digestion. Also, obesity in general may be one of the causes of acid reflux as extra weight can put pressure on the stomach.
Trigger foods should be avoided or minimized for preventing acid reflux. Aside from rich, fatty foods, stay away from citrus and other acidic fruit, hot peppers, chocolate, peppermint, carbonated beverages, and caffeine. Instead, eat plenty of alkalizing foods for acid reflux therapy — peaches, papayas, pears, figs, dates, cherries, and cantaloupes are wonderful fruit ideas, apples in fact are one of the natural remedies for GERD. Drink fresh carrot, apple, and aloe vera juice on a regular basis, healthy grains such as brown rice and oats, and plenty of lean protein such as fish, chicken, and tofu. Also, to reduce the causes of GERD, eat small meals, and chew every bite thoroughly.
By understanding the causes of GERD, acid reflux therapy can be an attainable pathway to relief.
Sources:
Page, Linda. "Healthy Healing: A Guide to Self-Healing for Everyone." Eleventh Edition (Traditional Wisdom, 2003).
Skylar, Jill and Annabel Cohen. "Eating for Acid Reflux: A Handbook and Cookbook for Those with Heartburn." (Marlowe and Company, 2003).
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