Magnetic Beads Create New Hope to GERD Sufferers

It is estimated that more than 20 million Americans suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Medications such as Zantac, Prilosec, etc may offer short-term relief for some sufferers of this disease. These medications decrease the acid production, but do not prevent the actual reflux in most patients.

GERD results from a weak muscle in the lower esophagus (the tube through which food passes from the mouth to the stomach). When this muscle functions properly, it acts as a protective valve between the esophagus and the stomach. It will allow food and liquid to pass, but will prevent the reflux or back flow of acidic stomach contents. In patients with GERD, the valve is weak or nonfunctional so acid can flow back into the esophagus causing damage. This damage to the esophagus can lead to more serious conditions such as esophagitis and Barrett's esophagus.

There may be new hope for GERD suffers from magnetic beads. Several medical centers around the United States and in Europe are evaluating a non-medical alternative that would prevent the reflux. The device is a flexible band made of magnetic beads called the LINX Reflux Management System. The device is placed during a 20-30 minute laparoscopic surgical procedure. The beads are made of permanent rare earth magnets encased in titanium. Each band is sized to fit the individual patient. The band “stretches” to allow food to pass, but prevents the reflux of acid.

The LINX™ device should not affect airport security, but all patients will be provided an implant card to have available in the event an issue arises.

To Learn More About The Unique 5-Step Holistic Acid Reflux Cure System Visit: Acid Reflux Treatment - Click Here

Source
Torax Medical, Inc
Ohio State University Medical Center
UC San Diego Medical Center

7 Secrets of Heartburn Acid Reflux Diet

Here are the 7 simple rules for diets -  a move towards a holistic, all-natural GERD treatment:

1. Reduce meal size. Mega meals put too much stress on the digestive system, more stomach acid is fabricated and an existing acid reflux condition can be degraded. Eat 5-6 smaller meals per day rather than 2-3 big meals.

2. Give your stomach a better possibility to work in the 2-3 hour window after a light meal, rather than the 5-6 hours for a heavy one. This is much better planning for the last meal of the day, to avoid lying down when acid can still flow back along your esophageal passage. So eat your last meal of the day as a light one and go for a short walk if you can, to aid digestion.

3. Don't gobble food. Gobbling means intake or air, pressure in the stomach and bloating which all goes to force back open the esophageal sphincter, with the resulting reflux of stomach acid.

4. Make way for herbal tea instead of coffee as well as reducing intake of high-fat or spicy meals, peppermint, citrus juices, soda and alcohol, coffee and caffeine, chocolate and any food with a large amount of tomato. Don't eat food that irritates the inside of your digestive tract, which in turn can cause your esophageal sphincter to malfunction and relax at the wrong moment.

5. Studies done in Sweden provide data to show that acid reflux danger can be halved via a high fiber diet and that high-fiber diets are useful for clearing out toxic matter and optimizing digestion.

6. Cut down on dairy produce, especially milk. Milk makes for more acid, mucus and allergies, all factors that stimulate Candida overgrowth and further digestive problems contributing to GERD.

7. Cut down on calories. Obesity and excess weight also act to force open the lower esophageal sphincter the wrong way.

Book Review: Eating for Acid Reflux: A Handbook and Cookbook for Those with Heartburn

The right plan based on the diet guidelines just mentioned will cut down on the chance of GERD and at the same time makes you healthier and fitter.

A heartburn diet plan is the 1st part of a complete natural and holistic program to stop acid reflux. It is the only way to permanently stop this problem. Diet plans are just one part of the treatment, like heartburn is just one piece of the acid heartburn puzzle. All the pieces need to be included in the solution in order to really effectively solve the problem.

Jeff Martin is a medical researcher, certified nutritionist, health consultant and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, "Heartburn No More- Open The Door To an Acid Reflux Free Life". Jeff has written dozens of holistic health articles and has been featured in ezines and print magazines, as well as on hundreds of websites worldwide.

To Learn More About Jeff Martin's Unique 5-Step Holistic Acid Reflux Cure System Visit: Acid Reflux Treatment - Click Here

Video: Treatment For Heartburn and GERD

This video will share with you more about over-the-counter and prescription medication to manage heartburn and GERD.

Video: Treatment For Heartburn and GERD

Medications
For occasional cases of mild heartburn, "over the counter" medicines may work for you .

Antacids help to neutralize stomach acid and can provide quick relief.

H-2 Receptor Blockers - These medications are a stronger type of antacid. If you have GERD, they can help to reduce or eliminate symptoms, as well as heal an inflamed esophagus. H-2 receptor blockers can actually reduce the production of acid in your stomach. They are available in over-the-counter and prescription strength for GERD. They don't act as quickly as regular antacids, but they do last longer.

Proton Pump Inhibitors - These medications can block acid production completely and allow time for a damaged esophagus to heal. This medication was only available by prescription, but is now also available in an over-the-counter strength.

These, like all medications, can cause some side effects, so talk to your doctor about which option is best for you.

Surgery
If have a severe case of GERD, your doctor may recommend surgery. The most common procedure is called fundoplication surgery, which applies pressure to the LES valve and reduces reflux. In many cases this can be done without large incisions by performing a laparoscopic operation.

It's important to know that the symptoms of heartburn can mimic other more serious problems, including heart attacks. So, if your symptoms seem like more than just reflux, or if you’re losing weight or having trouble swallowing or breathing, you should discuss it with your doctor.

Medicine and surgery are not the only ways to get rid of your heartburn problem. If you prefer trying a more holistic and natural therapy, you can check out Jeff Martin's holistic approach to Heartburn No More.

Video: Preventing GERD

For the past 2 weeks, you have learnt from videos what heartburn and GERD are and a true life story about how a simple heartburn problem could become a life-threatening GERD case.

Today, you will learn from this video what are the various ways to prevent heartburn symptoms and GERD.

Video: Prevent GERD


If you are interested to learn more about heartburn remedies, you can check out this blog:-

How To Remedy Heartburn

Severe Heartburn Means Cancer

Heartburn can be both extremely both painful and fatiguing. Generally, people suffer from some degree of heartburn. Medical data indicates that most people get occasional heartburn at some time in their life. However many of these heartburn episodes go away by themselves or with the help of a minimum of medication. Severe heartburn is a sign of a more advanced illness known to medical personnel as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Here, conventional medicine is often weak in providing any positive benefit for severe Heartburn cases.

What is the real, underlying problem?

The weakening or the instability of the muscle separating the esophagus from the stomach means that stomach juices including acid reflux back into the esophagus. Ulceration of the esophagus is then the result because of the acid corrosion caused by the acidic stomach matter. The root of the problem is therefore typically the sphincter or one-way muscular valve that should block off the stomach from the esophagus. In severe cases, there may even be a pre-cancer condition known to doctors as Barrett's esophagus, and which necessitates immediate medical attention.

Other factors of Heartburn
People with asthma can make the situation even worse. This is because if the backward reflux of acid contents reaches the upper part of the esophagus, then the result may be fits of wheezing, hoarseness and drive coughing.

===>>> News: The Connection Between Asthma and Heartburn GERD

Which kind of people are more at risk of contracting heartburn?
There are several medical conditions that will bump up the risk of serious heartburn. Risk factors include hernias and diabetes as well as incorrect eating, such as too much fast food. Diseases of the auto immune system such as Raynaud Phenomenon, sceloderma and the CREST syndrome can all negatively impact this condition.

Right Heartburn Remedy
Because they do not take into consideration the long term causes, and may even have serious side effects when they are taken, modern medicines may even worsen the situation. And as most medications prescribed by physicians target only the symptoms of heartburn, they only really have a role to play in short term relief.

Heartburn sufferers are advised to limit or avoid intake of food that is fatty, high in caffeine, high in alcohol content, in chocolate, mint or sherbet, as well as eating less of the acid-type foods such as tomatoes, oranges, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. Recent investigations have suggested that a correct diet, a healthy lifestyle and a holistic program which may include herbs and vitamins supplements are what is required to permanently cure severe GERD-related heartburn.

Jeff Martin is a medical researcher, certified nutritionist, health consultant and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, "Heartburn No More- Open The Door To an Acid Reflux Free Life". Jeff has written dozens of holistic health articles and has been featured in ezines and print magazines, as well as on hundreds of websites worldwide.

To Learn More About Jeff Martin´s Unique 5-Step Holistic Acid Reflux Cure System Visit: Heartburn and Acid Reflux

True Story About A Patient Overcoming GERD problem

Many people like Beth (which you can watch the video below) thought that their heartburn problem was a simple case and did not really bother about it.

When the symptoms got worse, they started to find something is serious about it.

Click this video to learn more about it: True Life Story: GERD

Heartburn and GERD video summary

What Are Heartburn and GERD?

Hosted by Dr. Roshini Raj, Gastroenterology


When you eat a meal, your stomach processes the food you eat. It does this, in part, by using the acid it produces called hydrochloric acid. Your stomach has a special lining that protects you from it, but other organs do not. You also have a muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter valve, or LES valve, which generally acts like a one way door that allows food into the stomach.

When the LES valve is not working properly, acid can travel up into the esophagus. This is called "reflux." This acid burns and irritates the esophagus, causing the pain we call heartburn.

If heartburn occurs more than a couple of times a week, or in the middle of the night, then you may have a more serious condition called GERD, or Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease. If left untreated, GERD can lead to esophageal cancer.


Symptoms of GERD
The most common symptom of GERD is frequent heartburn: this is a burning pain in your chest, which can also be felt sometimes in the throat. It often occurs at night or when lying down and may be accompanied by a sour taste in your mouth.

Other symptoms include:

• Difficulty swallowing
• Coughing, wheezing, hoarseness or sore throat
• Regurgitation, or a sensation of food or liquid backing up from your stomach into your throat.

===>>>  Heartburn Symptoms - How Initial Diagnosis is Critical to Your Health

Treating Heartburn and GERD

Lifestyle Changes

- Control Your Weight.
Excess pounds put pressure on your abdomen, pushing your stomach up and causing acid to back up into your esophagus.

- Eat Smaller Meals.
Overfilling the stomach increases pressure on that LES valve at the top of your stomach, forcing it open and letting acid into the esophagus.

- Loosen Your Belt.
Clothing that fits too tightly around your waist also puts pressure on your LES valve.

- Keep Track Of ‘Food Triggers.’ You might know that fried and spicy foods can trigger heartburn. But so can chocolate, peppermint, garlic, and onion. Alcohol and caffeine are also heartburn triggers. Figure out what you’re specific triggers are.

- Stay Upright After Eating. It’s a good idea to wait three to four hours after eating before going to bed.

- Raise The Head Of Your Bed. An elevation of about six to nine inches puts gravity to work for you. Use a wooden or cement block under the head of your bed, or a foam wedge under the head of your mattress. Don’t use pillows since they will only raise your head and not your midsection.

- Stop Smoking. Smoking decreases your saliva, and saliva helps protect your esophagus by neutralizing the acid. Smoking also increases your risk of esophageal cancer.


Home Remedies
A lot of people use home remedies like drinking baking soda in water, soda, or milk to help heartburn. These may give you temporary relief, but usually end up making it worse by adding more pressure to the stomach and causing acid reflux.


Medications
For occasional cases of mild heartburn, "over the counter" remedies may work best.

- Antacids. These neutralize stomach acid and can provide quick relief.

- H-2 Receptor Blockers. These medications are a stronger type of antacid. If you have GERD, they can help to reduce or eliminate symptoms, as well as heal an inflamed esophagus. H-2 receptor blockers can actually reduce the production of acid in your stomach. They are available in over-the-counter and prescription strength for GERD. They don't act as quickly as regular antacids, but they do last longer.

- Proton Pump Inhibitors. These medications can block acid production completely and allow time for a damaged esophagus to heal. This medication was only available by prescription, but is now also available in an over-the-counter strength.

These, like all medications, can cause some side effects, so talk to your doctor about which option is best for you.


Surgery
If have a severe case of GERD, your doctor may recommend surgery. The most common procedure is called fundoplication surgery, which applies pressure to the LES valve and reduces reflux. In many cases this can be done without large incisions by performing a laparoscopic operation.

It's important to know that the symptoms of heartburn can mimic other more serious problems, including heart attacks. So, if your symptoms seem like more than just reflux, or if you’re losing weight or having trouble swallowing or breathing, you should discuss it with your doctor.


HealthiNation offers health information for educational purposes only; this information is not meant as medical advice. Always consult your doctor about your specific health condition.

What Are Heartburn and GERD?

If you get a burning feeling in your stomach following a meal, you may have heartburn or GERD. Many people are still quite ignorant about heartburn and GERD. This great video can teach you what these are and why it's critical you know the difference.
 

What are Heartburn and GERD?

Tomorrow, we will put up the summary of the video. Meantime, enjoy the video.

How Can Apple Cider Vinegar Can Treat Acid Reflux Problem?

We know that vinegar is acidic and cause more problems to people who have heartburn acid reflux problem. However there is only one vinegar not only the heartburn sufferers can take and it is actually a natural acid reflux remedy which you can east all symptoms during the day.

WOW! That is Apple Cider Vinegar!

Read more about The Connection Between Vinegar and Heartburn...

Apple Cider Vinegar is vinegar made from crushed and aged apples known as cider. When unfiltered, Apple Cider Vinegar has a brownish-yellow color. Unfiltered cider vinegar, also known as organic apple cider vinegar, contains what is known as the “mother of vinegar” or simply the “mother”. The mother looks like stringy floating globs in the liquid, and is where all of the healing properties of Apple Cider Vinegar reside.

Apple Cider Vinegar contains minerals, as well as trace elements including magnesium, chlorine phosphorous, sulfur, sodium, calcium, potassium, iron, copper, fluorine and silicon. Due of all of its beneficial ingredients, Apple Cider Vinegar is a natural fighter of bacteria, which often makes it a beneficial vinegar acid reflux treatment choice.

How can Apple Cider Vinegar benefit acid reflux sufferers? You may be confused as to how a type of vinegar could be beneficial for treating acid reflux symptoms such as heartburn. After all, doesn’t vinegar have a high acid content? Wouldn’t cider vinegar just exacerbate the problem? Surprisingly, for most acid reflux sufferers, Apple Cider Vinegar helps to relieve the burning sensation and nausea caused by reflux without adding to it.

Why?

Many people with digestive problems like acid reflux, experience problems not because they have too much acid, but because they have too little. Apple Cider Vinegar mimics the acid level of the stomach, which aids in the proper digestion of food, and can help aid the stomach in digesting.

Therefore, in some cases, vinegar acid reflux remedies for heartburn work more effectively than antacids, because although antacids will cure heartburn, they are designed to diminish acid within the system. Thus, antacids will not treat the actual cause if acid reflux is the result of too little stomach acid, and instead can make reflux more frequent.

How should you take apple cider vinegar? Apple Cider Vinegar is available in many forms including liquid, tablet and capsule. However, when using Apple Cider Vinegar as a natural treatment, the only form you should obtain is the organic liquid that contains the “mother” enzyme.

When taking Apple Cider Vinegar, you will first want to shake it well before you ingest it to disperse the mother throughout the liquid. To start, try taking one tablespoon of cider vinegar before each meal. You will likely find the taste of the Apple Cider Vinegar to be quite potent. It is an acquired taste, and you should grow more accustomed to the flavor after the first few vinegar acid reflux treatments.

Nevertheless, should you find it too repellant, there are a few other ways you can take Apple Cider Vinegar such as:
- Mix a tablespoon in a fat free salad dressing or light mayonnaise and eat it with your meal
- Sprinkle a tablespoon on salad or vegetables
- Mix a tablespoon in an 8 oz. glass of water and add a bit of honey to sweeten the drink.
- Make a tea out of ACV by adding a tablespoon of the cider vinegar to hot water and slowly sipping it.

Although it is best to ingest apple cider vinegar prior to each meal, you can also take a tablespoon when your stomach is upset or heartburn acts up.

After taking apple cider vinegar for a few days, many acid reflux sufferers find that their symptoms improve, and continue to improve with treatment in the months that follow. However, in addition, you should be aware that Apple Cider Vinegar has a few mild side effects including stomach upset. Furthermore, Apple Cider Vinegar may worsen heartburn in some individuals. It is also known to thin the blood and should be avoided by anyone taking blood thinning medications such as anti-coagulants.

===> Testimonials of Old Folk Remedy: Apple CiderVinegar

Always remember that you should speak to your doctor first before starting any treatment, including vinegar acid reflux treatment, and keep in mind that natural treatment should not replace any medication or treatment advice that has been prescribed by your doctor without prior consultation.

To Learn More about it...

Click Here : Stop Acid Reflux NOW!

Chew Your Food Slowly Helps To Prevent Heartburn

Heartburn may feel like your heart is on fire, but what’s “burning” is actually your esophagus. Acid reflux, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), occurs when the stomach acids enter the esophagus, causing pain and burning sensations. Left untreated, GERD can lead to serious medical consequences, including narrowing of the esophagus, bleeding, or even a condition called Barrett’s esophagus, which increases your risk of developing esophageal cancer.

Read more about Heartburn Can Cause Cancer

In fact, the experts have found a simple way to prevent GERD in the first place: Eat more slowly. Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston did a case study by feeding 690-calorie meals to 10 healthy volunteers, instructing them to finish the meal in either five or 30 minutes on alternating days. Participants were monitored for 2 hours after finishing their meals. Those who took 30 minutes to eat experienced fewer episodes of acid reflux or GERD compared to subject who finished eating in five minutes.

People need to slow down many areas of their lives, especially mealtime. Besides aiding your digestion, eating your meals slowly can help your waistline too, by giving your stomach a chance to communicate to your brain that it’s full. Time yourself, just to see how long it takes you to eat an average meal. Try to take a full 20-30 minutes (you might have to build up to this slowly) to finish your food. If you are experiencing heartburn or discomfort after meals on a regular basis, see your doctor, before GERD causes irreversible damage.

Besides learning to eat slowly, knowing what type of food to avoid is equally important.

Read more about What Types Of Heartburn Food To Avoid...

Natural Heartburn Cures

Heartburn is one of the most common and painful ailments that mankind ever suffer. In fact, the drug companies come up with many different prescriptions and medicines very often to help to you combat your heartburn. As you know that taking too much drugs is not good for your health ultimately. You know that heartburn do not happen overnight, hence you can try some other natural heartburn remedies to help you.

Here are some natural cures for heartburn acid reflux, there are a few in particular that you will want to consider.

Orange Peel ExtractOne of the best natural cures for acid reflux is orange peel extract. It has been studied in several clinical trials, and in all of these studies, it proved as being successful in the relieving of acid reflux and heartburn. Scientists believe that orange peel extract helps by moving food through to the stomach effectively and efficiently, and food doesn't stay in the esophagus longer than necessary, lessening the chances for heartburn to develop.

Herbal RemediesThere are various different herbal remedies that can be used for acid reflux. These herbs include chamomile, meadowsweet, slippery elm, cancer bush, fennel, catnip, angelica root gentian root, ginger root, and other botanicals. Modern herbalists have found that a combination of several of these herbs can be even more effective, and so you should take some time and try out a few different combinations in order to see what works best for you.

Proper DietThis is one of the most obvious, and easiest natural cures for acid reflux. Simply by eating fruits, vegetables, and an otherwise healthy and nutritious diet, you will be able to relieve any existing acid reflux problems that you have, as well as prevent any problems with this disease in the future.

As everyone is different, it is not necessarily that all the natural heartburn remedies will work for one person. You need to try out more different things. If you are interested, you can check here:

Doctors renew focus on worst acid reflux cases

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Chronic heartburn is a daily acid bath for the esophagus, and complications from it are on the rise. With the new government figures, it show a worrisome rise in esophagus disorders from severe acid reflux.

To make things worse, esophageal cancer is continuing increase as the nation's fastest-growing malignancy.

More doctors are trying to zap away the worst damage, beaming radiofrequency energy down the throat to burn off precancerous cells.

Heartburn sometimes is a temporary problem, but it also can signal gastrointestinal reflux disease, or GERD, where a loose valve allows stomach acid to regularly back up into the delicate esophagus. Millions have GERD, which is on the rise along with expanding waistlines. For most people, acid-suppressing medications are the answer.

But severe reflux over many years can cause serious problems for a fraction of people. The lining of the esophagus erodes until it bleeds, narrows to make swallowing difficult or, worse, starts to repair itself with more acid-resistant intestinal cells that happen to be more cancer-prone. That last condition is called Barrett's esophagus, and sufferers are 30 times more likely than the average person to go on to develop esophageal cancer.

[Source - Associated Press]

Natural Heartburn Cure: Fighting heartburn, naturally

Television commercials have trained our minds to believe that taking antacids for our heartburn is a normal part of our life.

However, simple diet and lifestyle modifications can help prevent you from joining the 25 percent to 35 percent of Americans who suffer from frequent, severe heartburn, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This condition can have serious consequences if left untreated, including an increased risk for esophageal cancer.

Frequently, medications are the first method of treatment for GERD. Unfortunately, some of these medications have side effects, such as impaired absorption of nutrients including calcium, vitamin B12 and iron. You may be able to avoid medication and its side effects by taking these easy steps to make prevention your first line of defense against heartburn:

# Avoid wearing tight-fitting clothes like neckties and tight waistbands. This will give your system room to move.

# Do not eat within three hours of bedtime. Avoid bending over or lying down immediately after meals. Gravity can help aid digestion.

# Avoid acidic, spicy foods, or any foods that you know trigger your heartburn. Consider skipping the nachos during the game.

# Avoid large, high-fat meals. Fat slows digestion, and slow digestion contributes to heartburn.

# Limit alcohol, caffeine and nicotine. These substances relax the esophagus and may allow acid to creep back from the stomach.

# Increase regular intake of "bitters" such as dandelion and mustard greens to stimulate digestion.

# Always consult your health care practitioner if your symptoms continue or become severe.

[Source: Laura Hunter, BS, dietetic intern and Debra Boutin, MS, RD, assistant professor in the School of Nutrition and Exercise Science at Bastyr University
Nonprofit, accredited Bastyr University (bastyr.edu) offers multiple degrees in the natural health sciences, and clinical training at Bastyr Center for Natural Health (bastyrcenter.org), the region's largest natural medicine clinic]

Surgery may cure heartburn

This is an interesting article that I got it from The Detroit News:

Dear Dr. Donohue: I have been suffering from GERD for 19 years. Stomach acid stays in my throat. I have tried all kinds of medicines, but they make things worse. I have had acid tests with a tube in my throat that indicated an acid rise when I step out of bed. Why on an empty stomach? My sphincter muscle doesn't work. I had a procedure called EndoCinch; it didn't work. I spoke to a surgeon about laparoscopic surgery. Do you feel surgery would benefit me?

L.T.

Dear L.T.: You'd be hard-pressed to find a single person who hasn't had at least one episode of GERD -- gastroesophageal reflux disease, or heartburn, in common language. It's often felt on an empty stomach. Food initially neutralizes stomach acid, but some foods do increase acid production shortly after they hit the stomach.

GERD is like Old Faithful, except instead of water, it is a geyser of stomach acid, which shoots up into the esophagus because of a lax sphincter (SFINK-tur) muscle. The sphincter, if working, would shut and prevent the upward spurt of acid. Sometimes, as in your case, stomach acid can rise as high as the throat and mouth to cause hoarseness, cough or an awful taste sensation.

Have you tried the non-medicine approaches that can sometimes control GERD? Chocolate, peppermint, spearmint, coffee (including decaf), other caffeine-containing foods and drinks, citrus fruits, tomato products, high-fat foods, garlic, onions and spicy foods often make it worse. Six-inch blocks under the bedposts at the head of the bed keep stomach acid in the stomach during sleep. Weight loss, if needed, is another way to stop stomach acid from spurting up. Small meals, slowly chewed, help. Smoking and alcohol aggravate GERD.

If nothing works, surgery is a definite option. The Nissan fundoplication is successful 90 percent of the time. It can be done with a scope. The upper part of the stomach is wrapped around the lower esophagus to create a barrier to acid reflux. A number of procedures, like your EndoCinch, can be done through a gastroscope -- a scope passed into the esophagus through the mouth. The long-term results of these procedures aren't as well-known.

The booklet on GERD, heartburn and hiatal hernia discusses these topics in depth. Readers can order a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue -- No. 501, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Can. with the recipient's printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.

Write to Dr. Paul Donohue at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.

Learn about the Foods Heartburn Sufferers MUST Avoid

What acid reflux foodstuffs must I avoid?

It is a perplexing question for many heartburn sufferers. Making changes in your diet and lifestyle have been shown to be natural components of any long-term holistic acid treatment and they cannot be dissociated either. A preference for healthy foods and selective nutrition to ban certain foods and eat more of others can show long-term health benefits to acid reflux sufferers.

The reduction of the consumption of unsuitable foods and the adoption of new diet habits in particular to aid digestion for heartburn sufferers could create a very positive effect on your current heartburn conditions.

The kind of food we eat determines how we can maintain the delicate and natural equilibrium inside our bodies. Certain dietary customs and nutritional habits have been shown to contribute indirectly or directly to the degradation of a heartburn condition.

These kinds of foods are:

Drinks with caffeine content like coffee. They cause increase acidity, so stop consuming large cups of coffee. Where possible, halve your cup of coffee to give two separate drinks and drink less coffee before going to sleep. Do not go over two cups of coffee per day and reduce even further if you can.

Alcohol can also be at the same time a relaxant for the LES muscle and an irritant for the stomach, causing an increase in acidity and reflux.

Foods high in fat content have a longer digestion time and take more effort for your body to get rid of them. They increase the risk of acid refluxing into your esophagus and are among the worst delinquents for triggering acid reflux symptoms. The exceptions are fish and fish oil omega-3 fatty acids. These are actually strong anti-inflammatory substances.

If you are addicted to chocolate, go for dark, organic types in preference to others limiting your consumption to two or three little two or three times in any week. Containing large quantities of caffeine and fat, chocolate can also lead to heightened acidity and degraded digestion, and thus should not be consumed.

Before going to sleep, make sure that you do not drink milk or consume any products based on milk containing a lot of calcium.

Leave aside food with strong mint. The same goes for herbal tea that is mint-based. Acid reflux symptoms can be aggravated still more by peppermint and spearmint amongst others.

The esophageal sphincter is also liable to open in response to cruciferous vegetables (such as spinach, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli) and foods high in acid (tomatoes and oranges, to take two examples) leading to further acid reflux.

So finally, which acid reflux food has to be taken out of your nutrition? It doesn't matter what your current level of acid reflux level is; when you make the choice of an improved quality of life, you can make the choice to terminate heartburn permanently, with a holistic solution. You can move to eliminate acid reflux and put your well-being and quality of life on a different level, by making these modifications in your diet and having the right motivation to revamp your lifestyle.

The keys to solving the problem will be yours. To learn more, click here to find out in more details and steps to prevent your heartburn symptoms.

News: New Incisionless Surgery Offers Hope to Heartburn Sufferers

A new cutting-edge simple operation can give hope to the millions of people are suffering from acid reflux or heartburn.

Recently, the surgeons at the Ohio State University Medical Center have performed the first incisionless procedure on first 2 patients that leaves no outside scarring. There is very minimal post-operative pain and at the same time, it reduces the patients' recovery time significantly.

This procedure makes use of a device known as EsophyX which was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration.The mechanism is relatively new in the United States and it has been proven safe and effective in patients treated throughout Europe for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), also known as heartburn or acid reflux.

The incisionless surgery allows reconstruction of the one-way valve at the top of the stomach, when the valve is defective. The new tubular device is introduced to the body totally through the mouth, and is then advanced down the esophagus into the stomach. During the procedure, the operation is viewed through a small fiberoptic camera located within the tubular surgical tools.

Patients are normally stay overnight in the hospital. After the procedure, the patients reported to be symptom free.

[Source: Fox News]

Is heartburn surgery remedy overused medical treatment?

In the latest Nov issue of Consumer Reports magazine, there is a list 10 overused tests and treatments. Heartburn surgery is one of them.

HEARTBURN SURGERY.
Doctors surgically tighten a sphincter muscle that blocks stomach acid from backing up into the esophagus. But research shows the operation, which costs $14,600 or more, provides no better long-term relief than taking a proton-pump-inhibitor drug such as omeprazole (Prilosec OTC), which costs less than $1 a day.

Are we really overused surgery as our remedy for heartburn? Actually there are many natural remedies for heartburn as long as you bother to research more about it.

Heartburn Symptoms

Most people will find that heartburn symptoms are relatively common and they treat it like part of their normal lifestyle. Regardless whether it is mild or serious, it should not be treated lightly. These heartburn symptoms do not happen suddenly. They are due to over a period of time and they serves as a warning from your digestive system.

It is important to learn what are the symptoms of heartburn so that you can help yourself when you are experiencing it.

Common symptoms of heartburn are acid indigestion, acid reflux, acid regurgitation, non-cardiac chest pain, and sour stomach. This symptoms are also described as a burning sensation in the throat or the chest. Some people say that experience pain in their lower chest. While others feel heat or warmth sensation on their upper abdomen.

Most people experience chest pain, pain in the upper abdomen, excessive burping and bloating at the stomach, difficulty swallowing or sometimes, a burning sensation on the top of the throat.

For some people, heartburn symptoms can last for 2 hours or more. Others may experience difficulty in sleeping due to the heartburn symptoms. Some would wake up during the night and have difficulty falling asleep again. As the result of lack of sleep and suffering from heartburn, these people also feel the negative impact on their work the next day.

Another symptom which often goes unnoticed is a dry cough or frequent throat clearing.

Causes for Heartburn

The burning pain at the chest has become more commonly associated with heartburn acid reflux. It has become a big problem to many people. This is often have to with our lifestyle & diet.

The two main causes of heartburn is diet and lifestyle.

1) a) Diet- Food

Any food that is acidic, spicy and fried are common triggers for heartburn. Eating large portions of food can cause your stomach to generate large amounts of acid juices. As the result, this can help to increase your digestive juices to escape into the esophagus and cause you to have heartburn. Food like tomatoes, citrus fruits, peppers, fatty foods, fried food could be the causes of your heartburn problem.

As each individual is different and in order to clearly identify which food actually can trigger your heartburn, it is important to keep a food diary to track what kind of food do you eat every day. Thus, from the journal, you can detect what foods can cause it.

b) Diet - Beverages

Your daily beverages can also be the causes of the heartburn. Beverages like alcholic, citrus juices, carbonated drinks and sodas and caffeinated drinks are common causes of heartburn. They help to increase the acidity in your stomach and can cause irritation to the esophagus.

2. Lifestyle

Stress level High stress can cause your stomach to generate more acidic juices and causing you to have a heartburn.

Smoking encourages the production of digestive juice which induces relaxation of the sphicter. These are great conditions for heartburn to happen.

It is never a good idea to sleep immediately after a meal. By doing so, you are setting the condition for the digestive juices to escape to the esophagus.

How to tell that you are suffering from Heartburn?

How to you really tell that you are suffering from heartburn?

Is it when a heartburn become more than just an occasional problem that caused you to reach for nexium or zantac? Has it become too often?

What you can do is to ask yourself these questions?

1. Do you frequently have this uncomfortable feeling behind your breastbone that seems to move upward from the stomach?

2. Do you often have a burning sensation in the back of your throat?

3. Do you frequently have a bitter acid taste your mouth?

4. Do you get acid indigestion or heartburn problem at least 2 times a week and often have to use medicine for relief?

5. Do you experience these above problems after meals frequently and require to use medicine get relief?

If you answered yes to two or more questions, you might have heartburn. It is time for you to see your doctor or a gastrointestinal specialist to determine how serious your problem is.