Prevent and Control Acid Reflux Naturally – When Acid Reflux Is Not Acid (Are You Secretly Suffering This?)
Gastroesophageal reflux diseases usually become problematic because of the stomach acid that flows out of your stomach into your esophagus, throat, and mouth, damaging the tissue located there.
Millions of people suffer this disease and the traditional medical system has no solution other than very dangerous medications.
But a new study in the journal Laryngology has just discovered that your acid-reflux may actually not be all that it seems.
In fact, it may be non-acid reflux, which is a whole new ballgame.
Scientists from the Sixth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital in Beijing wondered whether non-acid reflux was actually more common than acid reflux, especially considering how many people still experience symptoms after being placed on acid suppression medication.
After all, if acid suppression drugs remove only the acid but not the reflux, then it treats only the most harmful symptom and leaves the cause untreated.
Between January 2014 and April 2019, they recruited 344 patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux diseases. They were also given 24-hour intraluminal impedance tests, which included a detection of the number of times stomach contents came back up, the pH of the regurgitated contents, and symptoms such as swallowing, coughing, throat clearing, belching, burning, and so forth.
They then counted their subject’s weekly number of acidic and alkaline reflux events to see which occurred more often.
They found that non-acid reflux events accounted for 74.1 percent of all reflux events, and that the participants displayed and reported the same symptoms, whether or not the reflux was acidic.
This means that non-acid reflux is actually a bigger problem than acid reflux in these diseases.
While it may be true that regurgitated acidic contents can cause greater harm to the lining of the esophagus and throat, non-acidic contents still contain bile and enzymes that can irritate these tissues.
Pepsin, a substance that breaks down proteins in the stomach, is the most common ingredient in non-acid reflux. It is biologically inactive when it is in an alkaline environment, but it is still not normal to find it in the esophagus and throat.
Non-acid reflux often happens in the same way acid reflux does: the valve between your esophagus and stomach does not close properly and lets stomach contents through.
But there is another way in which it can happen. If the valve between your small intestine and stomach lets your small intestine’s contents into your stomach, and the valve between your stomach and esophagus let’s stomach contents through into your esophagus, then you can have a reflux of bile into your throat.
Bile is produced in your small intestine to break down the fat you eat. It is alkaline, and it can burn your throat if it ends up there.
Prevent and Control Acid Reflux Naturally – Is Acid Reflux a By-product of Stress?
Acid reflux, or Gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD), is a condition in which the gastric acids released by our body are regurgitated upward, toward the esophagus. Most common symptoms of acid reflux are: heartburn and chest pain.
If you frequently experience the symptoms of acid reflux, it is important that you take adequate steps to control this condition. Acid reflux is not a health condition you would want to ignore, because if left unaddressed, it can lead to complete erosion of esophagus, or the wind pipe, as it is commonly called.
For long, the causes of this condition have been debated and researched. Most researches do agree that depression is a big contributor to acid reflux. Researchers have also been trying for long to find a connection between anxiety and GERD, or acid reflux, as it is most commonly known.
Finally, a breakthrough has come from the University of Alabama that has revealed a direct correlation between anxiety and acid reflux; this means more the stress levels, greater the chances of developing acid reflux. This also means, if you regularly experience acid reflux, the symptoms will be more pronounced when you under stress.
The findings were based on the tests conducted by the University of Alabama in which a test group was asked to play a complex computer game in which they were required to solve difficult mathematical problems. As the stress or anxiety levels in individuals grew, so did the symptoms of acid reflux.
How does this finding help in controlling acid reflux? Well… these findings give us a valuable insight on the nature of acid reflux, and equipped with this knowledge we stand a better chance of controlling this health hazard.
To begin with, identify the moments of your daily life that are stressful. You also need to introspect if these moments are avoidable. For instance, if you take a certain shorter route to office which is often packed with traffic; perhaps you can explore other options to see if alternatives are available.
The reality of modern life is that certain amount of stress is unavoidable. However, with awareness, you can incorporate positive behavioral, and lifestyle changes to manage stress better.
Eat light food before your daily ‘stressful’ moments. In fact, a balanced diet and regular exercise can help you immensely in handling stress. If you lead a particularly hectic life, then Yoga or other relaxation techniques may help you bring the stress levels down.
Acid reflux can very often be controlled through natural means. To learn more on how to help prevent and control acid reflux naturally, read our Blue Heron Health Guide to Acid Reflux.
Prevent and Control Acid Reflux Naturally – Treat Acid Reflux Before Condition Becomes Chronic
Why do we tend to be careless with certain health conditions?
The answer probably lies in the lack of awareness about certain health problems, rather than lack of concerns for one’s own health.
One health condition that most people face, but remain casual about, is acid reflux.
While most individuals know about acid reflux and can recognize its symptoms, they often fail to understand that when it comes to acid reflux, seeking only immediate relief is not productive in the long run.
If left untreated, acid reflux can inflict irreparable harm to your esophagus, digestive system, and throat.
To treat any health condition, you need to be aware of its symptoms so that you are able to identify the condition as soon as its symptoms begin to show.
The following are the common symptoms of acid reflux:
- Pain or burning sensation in chest
- Regurgitation of gastric acid
- Problem in swallowing food
- Vomiting
The following are the severe symptoms of acid reflux:
- Chronic pain
- Sore throat and relentless coughing
- Respiratory problems
Why it is necessary to treat acid reflux
This health condition occurs when the valve in your esophagus stays open, as a result of which gastric acid regurgitates. If not treated properly, the symptoms become more severe over time. What starts as a burning sensation or pain in the chest could develop into chronic acid reflux, causing irreparable damage to your digestive system.
Chronic acid reflux is a condition that is also referred as “erosive esophagitis”. The condition occurs due to the erosion of the tissues that line the esophagus. This not only leads to severe pain- in fact, some patients equate the pain of heartburn with that of a heart attack- but may also lead to the complete erosion of the esophagus. Some patients with chronic acid reflux require surgery to repair any bodily damage.
Help prevent and control acid reflux naturally
Acid reflux can often be easily controlled and prevented by using natural remedies.
Some of the common tips that assist you in controlling and preventing acid reflux are:
- Consume substantial amounts of water each day
- Avoid eating before bedtime
- Eat healthy and natural foods
- Avoid and control stress
- Exercise regularly
To learn how to prevent and control acid reflux naturally, watch this video – How To Stop Acid Reflux | How To Treat Acid Reflux
Natural remedies for acid reflux are most often safe and permanent. If you suffer from acid reflux and want to learn how to improve your condition, read our Blue Heron Health Guide to Heal Acid Reflux.
This post is from Scott Davis’ Acid Reflux Solution. This program helps you to cure your heartburn and acid reflux by using natural remedies to quickly heal your stomach without dangerous medicine or risky surgeries. It can also help you to remove some disorders of acid reflux such as constipation or IBS.
To find out more about the program, go to Prevent and Control Acid Reflux Naturally
