Acid reflux disease is becoming very common these days. It is spreading at an alarming rate and even infants are susceptible to it. The problem arises when people are unaware of its symptoms and therefore cannot detect its presence. It is a disease in which the esophagus becomes irritated or swollen because of acid backing up from the stomach. Esophagus also known as the food pipe travels from throat to the stomach. When a person intake food it travels down the esophagus all the way to stomach where it is treated by acids for breakdown. Amongst the acids most important is Hydrochloric acid which helps primarily in digestion of food.
There are many symptoms which have to be carefully noticed before the disease gets serious. Heartburn or a burning pain near the chest region is most common symptom. Any person suffering from acid reflux disease will consistently face this problem. The pain generally begins in the upper abdomen region but spreads fast into the neck. The pain gets even worse after a meal and lasts for about 2 hrs. The person should avoid bending or lying down as this could aggravate the pain and make it more unbearable. Some other symptoms include having dry cough, lasting for a long time, bitter taste even after having a meal, wheezing, hoarseness etc. Even infants are not spared and there are reports of continuous vomiting, coughing and sometimes respiratory problems, and leading to children being diagnosed of acid reflux disease.
Treating acid reflux is not difficult and can be done even at home – unless you need acid reflux surgery or similar treatments. The treatment includes modifying your daily routine and diet. Use of alcohol and cigarettes should be reduced as they aggravate the problems. Having an acid reflux friendly diet can cure the disease easily without heavy medication. The thought of saying goodbye to your favourite food may seem hard initially, but the outcome will prove that your decision was correct. The intake of fatty foods should be kept minimal as they tend to stay in the stomach for a longer period thus producing more acid to digest them. Chocolates and caffeine drinks should be avoided as again they lead to producing of acids in greater quantity. Large meals should give way for small meals and eating at proper intervals.
Before you start changing your diet, you should always consult your doctor. It’s difficult to say how bad your disease is without proper examination, so you may risk making things worse if you do not consult your doctor in case you worry about being affected by acid reflux.
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