Gerd Be Gone

People who suffer from heartburn and are willing to change their lifestyle will be the ones who will benefit the most from the GERD diet. Contrary to popular belief, being on a GERD diet does not mean that you will be left out from the pack who enjoys their unhealthy foods, neither does it mean that you will be relegated to eating bland or tasteless foods for the rest of your life.

GERD is gastroesophageal reflux disease and one of its scariest symptoms is heartburn. What does heartburn feel like? Well, just as it is termed, a burning in the heart area, or so we think. Actually the burning is in the esophageal tract which is in the thorax area. The heart has absolutely nothing to do with it. What happens is that the burning sensation radiates in the chest and neck accompanied by a nauseating feeling and taste at the back of throat. This pain can continue on for a few minutes or can last up to a day or more, depending on the severity of the attack.

What usually trigger these sensations of heartburn are the foods that we eat. I noticed that when drinking coffee once or twice a day is fine, but if I continue this for weeks or months on end, paired with laziness to cook and just eat pizza and burgers and fries, take these with nice soft drinks or even icy cold beer, the ‘YUMM’ turns into an all out ‘OUCH, OH MY GOD! I AM DYING!’ If what is described sounds VERY familiar, then welcome to the GERD club.

The GERD diet is really simple. All one has to do is to lower if not totally removing the following good tasting foods from the body: fried and fatty foods, chocolate, peppermint, tomato products, caffeine containing drinks and alcohol. Why all these?

The GERD diet had been thoroughly researched and they have proof that some foods do trigger GERD even if they seem harmless. Tomatoes, if taken liberally and the body cannot accept it, can actually loosen the ability of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) from functioning well. The LES is in charge of making the food stay where it belongs as well as releasing of gasses. If it loosens up due to a reaction in tomatoes, then avoid the tomatoes. There are a majority of people who do not react to tomatoes so if there are no reactions do not avoid.

There are other foods which are healthy if taken in small amounts but can trigger GERD. And most of these are the spices that we enjoy to make out foods taste better. The secret to the GERD diet is really not to prohibit yourself in order to prevent, the secret is to take things in moderation and eat more fruits and vegetables which will not only cleanse your system but will make you healthier in the long run. So be responsible with your body and practice the GERD diet even if not yet suffering from it.

Cyndi Funaldi writes about heartburn treatment at her website. Read more about heartburn treatment and what does heartburn feel like.

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When we speak of indigestion symptoms, we are talking about indigestion as this is the chief complaint when one feels a discomfort in the upper part of the abdominal area. Most frequently there is a feeling of bloating as well as burping and a nauseated feeling. Whatever causes the indigestion, everyone suffers from them but not everyone suffers in the same way.

When suffering from indigestion symptoms it is best to look at it from a prevention angle rather than the treatment angle. Look at the symptoms individually: fullness even before the meal is done, discomfort after the meal, pain in the upper abdomen even if just moments after a meal or burning in the upper abdominal area.

When going through indigestion symptoms, people immediately ask what does heartburn feel like when they feel a burning sensation on top of their bloatedness. Even if heartburn is a different condition than indigestion, heartburn can still present itself as part of the symptoms, which just makes it all the more confusing for some not aware of the difference.

The only time to worry about the symptoms of indigestion is if the symptoms do not let up after two weeks. The situation is generally alarming if the symptoms are accompanied by loss of weight, vomiting, black and tarry stools, jaundice, shortness of breath and heartburn like symptoms that do just affect the esophageal tract but actually radiates to the jaw, neck and arms.

Just like heartburn, indigestion have the same causes, namely the fatty oily spicy foods, smoking, alcohol and caffeine. This all points to an irresponsible lifestyle that most Americans are guilty of and it is not curious to see that there are more and more incidents of indigestion and heartburn every year.

A good diet protocol is the only way to prevent indigestion from recurring frequently. Knowing what is not good for the body and learning to avoid it may not be as simple as it sounds as people are generally hard-headed in resisting temptation, with or without knowledge that indigestion symptoms may just come out of the blue.

Cyndi Funaldi discusses heartburn remedies at her website. Learn more about what is heartburn and gerd diet.

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Experiencing heartburn does not mean that you will have a heart attack; instead it is merely one of the symptoms of GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease. GERD is now considered one of the most common diseases going around in the modern world. Not only do adults have it, but the symptoms of GERD can also be found among infants and children. Good news is, the treatments are the same and they all work.

GERD is caused by the weakening of the lower esophageal sphincter or LES. This opens and closes after food had travelled from the esophagus down to the stomach and into the intestines. The LES is also responsible for the release of gas from the intestines in the form of a burp. Now, when the LES is weakened by either too much food, or pregnancy, or foods which are too oily fatty, spicy or there is a constant influx of caffeine and nicotine into the system, this sphincter will inadvertently open and allow the food and stomach acids to go back from where it came from.

What does heartburn feel like? Well, everyone knows that it is that burning sensation in the chest which almost always is mistaken for a heart attack. Then of course the other symptoms of GERD include that vomitus in the throat that is sticky and makes it difficult to swallow. The whole thing just sort of happens and then lasts for either a short time of the whole day. It really depends on what diet and lifestyle you have that can increase the symptoms of GERD.

What is good about the symptoms of GERD is that they are most often relieved by simple OTC medications. OTCs like Mylanta, Tums, and Pepto Bismol work pretty fast. If there are none available, then other antacids should do the trick like a teaspoon of baking soda, apple cider vinegar should have the same results.

With severe GERD symptoms, doctors can prescribe medications like proton pump inhibitors. They work to decrease the gastric acid production in the stomach. The last of the GERD treatments if all else fails is surgery which has to be discussed with the doctor thoroughly.

People suffering from GERD do not really like to talk about treatments and avoidance and whatever else which may mean a diet or a shift in lifestyle, even if these are good for them. People are generally resistant when it means having to give up on the good food stuff and they have the misconception that if the go on a GERD diet they would be half of what they normally were. I agree, they would be half, half their size and healthier too. If they only comply, they would not have to suffer through the symptoms of GERD at all.

Cyndi Funaldi discusses heartburn remedies at her website. Learn more about symptoms of gerd and what does heartburn feel like.

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You might well wonder “What does heartburn feel like,” when you come home after a busy day, and plop down on the sofa. You’ve already had your regular dinner of a chili dog, cheese fries, and a root beer in the car on the freeway on the way home. You get this burning pain in your gut with the irresistible urge to belch. After chomping down some Tums, you let loose with a really big burp. acid reflux strikes again.

Most people that feel it for the first time think they’re experiencing heart failure. What does heartburn feel like, then? Like my friend described, the pain was so bad that it woke him up from a very deep sleep. It was in his chest, which made him worry even more. It didn’t go away immediately, like the majority of acid attacks do, but lasted several hours. But a heart attack, while painful, doesn’t feel that way. There is a constricting feeling in the chest, a mounting pressure that makes it difficult to breathe, but not painful. There may be a painful, weighty feeling on the shoulders, neck, or arms, too. The breathless feeling causes dizziness, sweating, or nausea. They turn pale, have cold, sweaty skin, and an increased heart rate.

A chest pain is an urgent signal that you should visit your physician. It could embarrass you to ask him “What does heartburn feel like,” but that could be a question that could very well save your life. If you are concerned with this, your MD will give you a complete round of tests, starting with a medical interview on your way of life, and then take your vital signs, run a blood exam, and take your EKG reading.

Once the EKG gives you a clean bill of health, the doctor could zero in on heartburn as the main cause for your pains. Now that your question as to what does heartburn feel like is answered, you may very gladly accept all the doctor’s suggestions for you. Some medications like antacids and proton pump inhibitors may be prescribed but the main bulk of the suggestions would require a change in lifestyle, like cutting down, or out, on caffeine, alcohol, and cigarettes, and switching to a low-fat, low-acid diet.

Heartburn is definitely treatable and is a condition that is easily preventable, depending on how much action the sufferer is willing to take! Our “modern” lifestyle is the root of the problem here. Even just our habit of crunching down over the desk compresses our abdomen and where is the acid supposed to go? Why, up, of course.

Children are victims of stress, too and it’s not unusual to hear the question “What does heartburn feel like,” coming from their mouths. Kids have a fast life too, and juggling school, friends, family, part-time jobs, and unhealthy diets result in acid reflux for our little darlings. If anyone poses the question “What does heartburn feel like” to you, then tell them to get themselves to their doctor for a checkup. And watch out for that coffee.

Cyndi Funaldi discusses heartburn remedies at her website. Learn more about symptoms of gerd and indigestion symptoms.

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Technorati Tags: acid reflux in babies, bloated belly, gerd diet, Gerd Treatment, heartburn, indigestion symptoms, symptoms of gerd, what causes heartburn, what does heartburn feel like, what is heartburn