Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

Acid Reflux Symptoms, Hard to Ignore and That’s Probably a Good Thing

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Acid reflux symptoms like heartburn and indigestion are common the world over but it might surprise you to know that they are not the only symptoms of acid reflux and even more surprising are the number of people who suffer regularly from acid reflux and have never even heard of it.

Another cause of misunderstanding about this common condition is that it affects adults in different ways than it does children and infants.

For an adult the sensation of a burning pain in the chest is the most common complaint.

Because of the location of the chest pain, in the area of the sternum, it has earned the nick name “heartburn” and is often linked to the generic term “indigestion”.

In reality the term “over digestion” would be more accurate because what is actually happening is the stomach’s digestive juice is flowing up beyond the cardia into the esophagus, where it definitely does not belong and essentially begins to digest the esophagus!

Needless to say the reaction of the esophagus this invasion of enzymes and acid manifests as an intense burning sensation, may cause coughing, hoarseness or laryngitis, swallowing difficulty and in some extreme cases identical symptoms to that of a heart attack.

A person suffering from acid reflux can often feel one or more of these symptoms to varying degrees.

For most people these symptoms are the result of simple things like overeating, eating spicy or fatty foods or simply lying down too soon after eating, consumption of alcohol or smoking. However, for some the symptoms are the result of a more serious condition called GERD gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD is caused by a malfunctioning lower esophageal sphincter (LES) at the bottom of the esophagus which seals off the stomach to keep digestive juices where they belong, in the stomach.

As with any other illness, symptoms are nature’s way of saying, “see your doctor”, to find out the actual cause of your acid reflux, whether it’s bad eating habits or GERD because either way it can lead to more serious conditions like Barrett’s Esophagus, esophageal ulcers and even esophageal cancer.

Acid reflux symptoms in children and infants, on the other hand, tend to be things like spitting up, vomiting, belching, coughing, choking, sore throat, noticeably bad breath or just general nausea, irritability and refusal to eat.

Children just as adults may demonstrate just one or a combination of several symptoms of acid reflux at the same time.

As many as thirty five percent of all babies born each year will develop symptoms of acid reflux to a greater or lesser degree however these symptoms will often disappear anywhere from a few months to a year after birth, usually around the time a baby begins to spend more time sitting upright for long periods, allowing their stomach to function normally in the upright position which is the ideal position for a human stomach to function. When a human is lying down the stomach is in a horizontal position, placing pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and causing digestive juices to leak into the esophagus resulting in painful consequences.

Even if the cause of symptoms seem obvious a doctor has a number of techniques available to investigate and determine the exact cause of the problem and as stated previously, it’s best to consult a doctor to be sure that you or your child are experiencing symptoms of acid reflux and to determine if the cause is something that will be relatively easy to resolve or if, in the case of GERD a more proactive approach is required.

Matt Quinn is a freelance blogger with interests in a wide range of topics on health and healthy lifestyle.
Find out more about coping with acid reflux your acid reflux symptoms by clicking on Acid Reflux Help now.

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