Acid reflux is a condition that affects over 60 million Americans at least once a month and experienced as a result of eating particular food types or eating too much. It is a temporary phenomenon where the lower esophageal sphincter malfunctions by opening up allowing the stomach acid to travel up the esophagus. This in turn causes a painful sensation to be experienced in the upper chest or regurgitation of acid into the mouth.

You may sometimes come across the term gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD which is often another term for the same condition. However, acid reflux accurately reflects the problem which is the stomach reflux up into the esophagus, hence a more accurate term to describe the problem. This term has been in use for approximately the last 20 years. Before that, the condition was simply referred to as heartburn. However, heartburn is just one of the symptoms of acid reflux.

What happens to cause acid reflux? As mentioned it starts when the lower esophageal sphincter relaxes and pushes the stomach acid back up. It is well known that certain foods and beverages can bring about this esophageal relaxation. While we cannot exhaust the list of the foods responsible, some of them include chocolate, fatty foods, alcohol, and licorice among others. There are also medications like Diazepam and Sumitriptan are known to cause the lower esophageal sphincter to relax and cause acid reflux.

It can be difficult to diagnose if someone has acid reflux due to the wide range of symptoms that are experienced by people. An accurate diagnosis can only be done if someone is experiencing the classic acid reflux symptoms which are heartburn and regurgitation. When a diagnosis is made, physicians will still not do tests right away but will first prescribe over-the-counter drugs to see if the symptoms clear up.

Upon diagnosis, a physician will do one or more of the following tests: an x-rays test with barium swallow, an x-ray series on the upper gastrointestinal, an esophageal manometry, an upper endoscopy or a 24 hour PH probe. Some of these tests are expensive while others are invasive hence the over-the-counter prescriptions first.

It is common for physicians to recommend lifestyle changes upon an accurate diagnosis of GERD which may include losing weight for the overweight, avoiding high-fat foods, avoiding heavy meals and quitting smoking for smokers. If all else fails, a surgical procedure known as “Nissen fundoplication” is done and can provide permanent relief from having to take medications indefinitely.

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Acid Reflux Alternative Treatment: How To Treat Acid Reflux From Home The Easy Way