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Acid Reflux Symptoms
The pain of acid relfux is the result of the splashing up of fluids from the stomach into the esophagus. These stomach fluids are composed of hydrochloric acid (HCL), pepsin and occasionally bile from the liver. Stomach fluid helps break down the food we eat so that it can be digested. The hydrochloric acid in the stomach fluid helps prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying in the stomach and intestines.
Acid reflux symptoms include; heartburn, chest pain, regurgitation of hydrochloric acid and difficulty swallowing. Other problems can be a lack of sleep, nausea, labored breathing and abdominal pain.
Acid reflux can become a very serious life threatening matter. When left unchecked this condition can develop into Barrett’s Esophagus, which is a precursor to esophageal cancer.
The human body was designed to keep gastric acid in the stomach where it belongs. Its function is to sterilize and digest what we eat and drink. Stomach acid is mainly composed of hydrochloric acid which is a very powerful corrosive agent.
The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is a muscular valve at the bottom of the esophagus which allows ingested material to move into the stomach. It is designed to close and keep this material from coming back up. Most people who experience Gerd do so because the LES becomes relaxed and malfunctions, allowing acid to reflux.
Where the stomach has an acid proof lining, the LES does not, and is easily damaged by stomach acid. Why the world is being plagued by this phenomenon is quite a mystery, but it is estimated that over 300 million people worldwide suffer from the symptoms of this disorder. The medical community relies on pharmaceutical drugs to treat these symptoms. Unfortunately, most doctors have no knowledge of nutrition or alternative natural therapy. In most cases, their job is to treat symptoms, not to cure disease.
Common sense would dictate that Gerd has everything to do with what we eat and drink. It is, however, more complicated than that. It has a lot to do with how we eat and drink, as well. Most of us know that there are certain foods that we find difficult, as individuals, to digest.
Everyone is different.
At least 50 million Americans suffer from acid reflux at least once a month and half that number experience acid reflux every ay. Although hydrochloric acid also helps the body absorb vitamins and nutrients, it is very strong and corrosive. The stomach holds this powerful acid in check with a special protective lining. The esophagus, however, does not have this protection. It is when acid splashes up through the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) into the esophagus that we have the problems of acid reflux.
As food travels from the mouth down to the stomach, the LES opens and allows food to enter the stomach. Then it narrows and closes, and restricts the food from returning up into the esophagus. When the LES is not operating properly and opens when it should not, hydrochloric acid and other stomach fluids splash up into the esophagus. This causes the burning sensation of acid reflux, gerd, heartburn and indigestion.
Acid reflux can be a very dangerous condition. If left unchecked, acid reflux can develope into Barrett's Esophagus which it the precursor to esophageal cancer. The symptoms of acid reflux can be treated with drugs, hower they do not heal acid reflux. They only mask the symptoms of acid refux. Drugs that disable the acid pumps in the stomach actually impeede the proper digestion of food and allow dangerous bacteria to over populate the digestive track. Acid reflux can best be treated with natural cure and remedies.
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