When food enters your stomach, a valve called the lower esophageal sphincter opens to allow food into the stomach which normally remains closed so that stomach food and acid do not flow back up into your esophagus area. It is when the esophageal sphincter does not close after food has passed through that the stomach fluids try to escape upwards and that is why it is called acid reflux.Doctors abbreviate the condition to GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disorder. At the moment it is considered that a poor diet is the underlying reason for the acid reflux problem but not the main cause of the condition,overeating could also add to the problem and cause unnecessary stress on the stomach and its ability to process food.
Many people that overeat find they have this condition because their eating habits affect the stomach walls and place pressure on the muscles surrounding them,as this pressure builds up, the lower esophageal valve starts to weaken and can eventually open, allowing food and acid to move up into your esophagus causing that unpleasant burning feeling centered in the chest. Easing this pressure should stop the esophageal valve from opening and acid escaping into the esophagus causing further damage.if this is a problem you have to live with then you should eat smaller meals during the day which will help the situation. Your mouth, esophagus, and stomach are the first areas of food processing so if something goes wrong in this area, if will affect the health of the entire body.the stomach carries out not only the breaking down of food but processing it into nutrients that can be absorbed by the body.
Using drugs and other acid reducing drugs readily available from drugstores will block the natural processes of your stomach on a temporary basis,the problem is these short term remedies can create other problems as they interfere with the natural functioning of the digestive system. It may take a while but the best solution is to make adjustments to your drinking and eating habits which may have caused the acid reflux condition,this should be done for a period of a few months to strengthen your stomach’s normal processes. If you can reduce the heartburn occurrences, in time you may well be able to slowly start eating those dishes that have needed to be cut out.
Lifestyle changes extend beyond those of just eating habits as other contributing factors to acid reflux can be:
*Regular smoking *Allergic reactions to certain types of food *Prescription medication *Alcohol *After meal napping
Changes in lifestyle are generally all that is required to make a big difference to your life,the thought of reducing the incidents of heartburn should be sufficient incentive. It only requires a little effort on your part to dramatically reduce the number of occasions when you suffer the pain of acid reflux; you may even cure the disorder completely,no-one can force you to change but improvements to your life are within your control.
Tags: Acid Reflux, fitness, gas, health, heartburn, medicine, nutrition