What Doctors Know About Acid Reflux

Acid Reflux affects about 36% of all healthy Americans. This condition is associated with a common irritation on the walls of the esophagus, which usually occurs after having a meal or a snack. Symptoms of acid reflux is commonly referred to as heartburns where the person affected experiences a burning or tightening sensation in the chest which at times would be quite severe that the affected person would be fairly convinced that he or she us having a heart attack.

In some instances, people suffering from heartburns pressure sensation in their chest, which can even radiate into the arm, back or neck area. As this symptom is closely related to hypertensions and heart attacks, a lot of heartburn suffers often panics. Fortunately, in most cases, the pressure in the chest and the difficulty in breathing is often relieved once the suffer burps and release trapped gases from the esophagus. Trapped gases in the esophagus are acidic fumes generated from the stomach, which is producing excessive acids during digestion.

According to physicians, acid Reflux occurs when the Lowe Esophageal Sphincter or LES fails to remain closed. By nature, this part of the body, which is located somewhere in the upper portion of your stomach, is supposed to hold food and acid away from the esophagus during the digestion process.

A properly functioning Sphincter is like a safety valve that locks away acid and food into the digestive system. In the event that the LES relaxes and fails to close properly, food and acid seep into the esophagus, this causes the irritation and burning sensation. However, the human body has a very effective way of helping and healing itself.

When food and acid seep into the esophagus, secondary peristalsis or the movement of the esophagus caused by swallowing pushes back the food and acid into the stomach and the LES closes again for normal digestion. About 90% of the food and acid that seep into the esophagus is pushed back into the stomach and the remaining 10% thereof is neutralized by saliva in the mouth.

Many cases of acid reflux are asymptomatic and may prove to be harmless. However, in some people, acid reflux can be a part of a bigger problem in the stomach or the esophagus. Doctors often lump acid reflux into a much larger and more general category, which they call Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERD.

GERD.com defines this category as "Any symptomatic clinical condition or change in tissue structure that results from the reflux of stomach or duodenal contents into the esophagus." Accordingly, GERD is caused by many factors, which includes decreased LES resting tone, delayed gastric emptying, transient LES relaxation, impaired tissue resistance and the decrease in the production of saliva.

A more typical cause of acid reflux is the person’s lifestyle. Acid reflux is closely associated with people who have unhealthy habits. Smoker and those who consume large meals mostly composed of fatty foods and caffeine often experience tightness in the throat coupled with burning sensations. In some instances, wearing tight clothing, lying down after a meal, or bending over after means also trigger acid reflux. Pregnant women also suffer from heartburns due to changes in their hormones.

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