Posts Tagged ‘Treatments’

Treatments for Gerd – 5 Ways to Reduce Symptoms of Gerd

Sunday, October 4th, 2009

For people who suffer with GERD, the painful symptoms can leave you restless at night trying to find relief.   If you have been fighting the heartburn symptoms by day or night, there are several treatments for GERD options available.   Listed are 5 treatments for GERD.   It is always best to start with the least invasive, because relief may be a few simple steps away. 1) Change The Way You SleepSimple lifestyle changes may offer relief.   Most GERD occurs at night, because when lying down the force of gravity does not help in pulling the reflux acid down.   The simplest way to do this is to elevate the body when sleeping.   There are two ways to accomplish this.   Simply elevating the head will not help, so you will need more than an extra pillow.    You can raise the head of the bed on blocks, or sleep with a wedge.   You may also experience relief when lying on the left side instead of the right. 2) Vary Your Eating HabitsSimple solutions are sometimes the best.   By varying your eating habits, you could see a reduction in your symptoms associated with GERD. Simply eating smaller meals may help alleviate symptoms, since the stomach will not be as distended.   Certain foods have a propensity to cause problems.   Some of these include chocolate, peppermint, alcohol, and caffeine.   Other things that may make it worse are spicy and acidic foods. Some believe that chewing gum may neutralize acid before it gets to the stomach.   While not completely agreed upon on how effective gum chewing is, it is worthy of a try to chew some after a meal. 3) Use AntacidsAntacids continue to be a primary course for treatments for GERD.   While the effects of antacids are not long lived, they work by neutralizing stomach acids.   Once neutralized, there are no acids to reflux.   The most effective way to take antacids is about one hour after a meal, or shortly before symptoms begin. Depending on whether the antacids are aluminum containing or magnesium containing, there is a chance that the taker will experience constipation or diarrhea.   This can be helped by alternating the types of antacids. 4) Take Over The Counter MedicinesMedicine has come out with new treatments for GERD as well.   Histamine antagonists such as Tagamet work by stimulating acid production in the stomach.   The histamines will bind to the receptors forcing the cells to produce acids.   This method works best 30 minutes before meals because, at this point, the H2 antagonist will be at peak production. Proton Pump Inhibitors are a new type of drug designed for acid related diseases.   Prilosec, the most well known brand, uses this by blocking the secretion of acids into the stomach.   This also works at protecting the esophagus from acids, allowing inflamed areas to heal. Both of these treatments for GERD started as prescription only, but are now available over the counter.     5) Surgery For more extreme cases, when GERD cannot be helped with over the counter treatments for GERD, the patient may have to consider surgery.   Surgery works by widening the esophagus.   This is done through laparoscopy surgery through the abdomen, and the results are very good at treating symptoms in up to 80% of patients.    Endoscopic treatment is a second option that can be performed without hospitalization.   The long-term results are still not well known. For those suffering from GERD, there is no reason to live with the pain and discomfort.   Starting with minor changes, and working to more aggressive treatments for GERD, there is relief in sight.   Work with your doctor to find the treatment right for you.

Acid Reflux Causes, Symptoms and Treatments for Acid Reflux

Friday, September 25th, 2009

RefluxAcid acid reflux, also known as "reflux esophagitis", is inflammation of the esophagus caused by regurgitation of stomach contents. Acid reflux is most often recognized by its symptom of "heartburn" which reportedly affects 1 in every 10 adults in the U.S. on a daily basis. When stomach acid leak into your esophagus is called acid reflux. Normally, the sphincter muscle at the junction between the esophagus and stomach, tightens up to stop backup acid and food from the stomach. Acid reflux occurs when the sphincter does not work very well, or when the stomach is very full (eg after a heavy meal). The causes of acid RefluxAnyone a large amount of acidic foods can have mild heartburn and temporary. This is especially true when lifting, bending, or take a nap after eating a meal high in fat, fatty foods. Persistent GERD, however, may be due to various conditions, including abnormal biologic or structural factors. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) occurs when stomach acid and juices back up, or reflux, into the esophagus, the muscular tube that connects the throat to the stomach. This occurs when the valve between the lower end of the esophagus and stomach (lower esophageal sphincter) does not close completely. Diet and lifestyle can also contribute to GERD. Certain foods and beverages, including chocolate, peppermint, fried or fatty foods and coffee or alcoholic beverages, may weaken the LES, causing reflux. Furthermore, studies have shown that smoking, obesity, pregnancy and asthma may also be associated with GERD. The symptoms of acid reflux acid RefluxSymptoms include heartburn (a burning feeling rising from the stomach or lower chest towards the neck), regurgitation (food or fluid coming to the mouth), chest pain, difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), hoarseness, dental disease and asthma. The main symptom of heartburn is a burning pain in the chest, under your breastbone. This pain may worsen when bending over, lying down or eating. They can also be more frequent or worse at night. The treatment of the treatments of acid reflux disease RefluxAcid are broken down into the lifestyle changes, over-the-Counter medicine acid reflux, acid reflux prescription medication, natural remedy for acid reflux and surgery acid reflux. If you have frequent and persistent heartburn, you may have GERD, leading to an inflamed esophagus. GERD usually requires prescription strength medication or medical treatment and sometimes surgery. Antacids. Antacids such as Maalox, Mylanta, Gelusil, Rolaids and Tums, neutralize stomach acid and can provide rapid relief. But antacids alone will not heal an inflamed esophagus damaged by stomach acid. Overuse of some antacids can cause side effects such as diarrhea or constipation. TreatmentsPatients of drugs with moderate to severe symptoms that do not respond to lifestyle measures or who are diagnosed at a late stage can start to more or less potent agents or in terms of complications at diagnosis. Experts say, however, about the best way to initiate drug therapy for GERD in most patients.

Top Four Acid Reflux Treatments

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

Acid reflux is a serious disease that can lead to some forms of cancer if left untreated. So if you see signs of acid reflux, such as coughing, heartburn, hoarseness, especially in the morning, finding difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath where food seems to be stuck in the throat, constant dry cough with unknown cause and bad breath, you should get an early diagnosis to prevent it from getting worse. But fortunately, there are various acid reflux treatments available, ranging from home remedies, changes in lifestyle, medications. Here are the best treatments for acid reflux may include: I. ChangesThese lifestyle include observing proper diet for acid reflux. This means you should eat that are safe for you, such as those with complex carbohydrates, fish, meat, baked goods, desserts and low-fat dairy products and vegetables such as broccoli. On the other hand, avoid fatty foods, which are rich in butter, cream, cheese and olive oil, tomato products, citrus, spices like onion and chili, caffeine and alcohol. Anything with these food groups should be avoided, thus preventing acid reflux. In addition to dietary changes, other things you can do are: 1. Stay away from things that trigger their condition as lying down after eating, wearing tight clothes and anything tight around the waist, eating large meals, smoking, eating two to three hours before bedtime and being stressed. 2. You must maintain a reasonable weight, because weight puts too much pressure in the stomach, and weakens the LES. 3. Keep a food diary to determine which food and drink had caused an attack of acid reflux. Keep it detailed. II. Medications for acid reflux acid refluxThere are drugs that act to inhibit acid production too, thus stopping acid reflux. These are a few: 1. Antacids were the first to be recommended by health professionals for acid reflux. Which serve to neutralize the acids in the body and promote their defense mechanisms by increasing the production of bicarbonate and mucous membranes. Taken first to relieve milder symptoms, are available without a prescription, without prescription. 2. Histamine blockers seem to dispose of the actions of histamine, a chemical that stimulates acid production in the digestive system. We buy over the counter without a prescription and are for those with frequent bouts of acid reflux, but still need to wait for thirty to ninety minutes of these drugs take effect, however, and the effect lasts only six to twenty hours. If you have severe acid reflux are recommended two doses a day. III. CiderApple apple cider has been used by many sufferers of acid reflux. Apart from acid reflux, which has been used to treat allergies, acne, sinus infections, flu, high cholesterol, candida, chronic fatigue, contact dermatitis, sore throat, gout and arthritis. To prepare, simply add two or more tablespoons apple cider vinegar to eight ounces water and drink three times a day. IV. Herbs for acid refluxThere certain herbs you can take to cure their disease. Examples of these are: 1. Ginger. Herbalists recommend taking 500 mg of ginger with a glass of water after a meal. You can also add ginger to the food, or take in capsule form. Is known to aid in proper digestion. 2. Peppermint, chamomile, ginger, licorice root and catnip can be taken as a tea after meals to help calm the stomach and to aid in proper digestion. 3. The aloe juice and honey to neutralize the acids in the body, like the drugs recommended by your doctor. There are other treatments in the form of acid reflux surgery, but if you want a safer alternative, stick to the practice of lifestyle changes healthy and natural resources. And to know the best natural treatment for acid reflux, go to my review of the book that helped thousands of patients with acid reflux natural cure his condition.