Acid Reflux
What is Acid Reflux?
Acid reflux is a condition where gastric juices containing acid travel back from the stomach into the esophagus (gullet or swallowing tube).
Symptoms of acid reflux include:
- • Heartburn (a burning feeling rising from the stomach or lower chest up towards the neck).
- • Regurgitation (bringing food back up into the mouth).
- • Chest pain.
- • Difficulty in swallowing (dysphagia).
- • Hoarseness, dental erosion and asthma (because acidic juices can make their way into the throat, mouth and air passages of the lungs).
How do you get Acid Reflux?
Some people experience this problem regularly and have a condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD.
- • The food in the stomach is partially digested by stomach acid and enzymes, which are special chemicals that help to break down food so the body can use it.
- • Normally, the partially digested acidic content in the stomach is delivered by the stomach muscle into the small intestine (bowel) for further digestion.
- • In patients with acid reflux, stomach acid content travels backwards into the esophagus, causing inflammation and damage.
- • Factors contributing to acid reflux include fatty foods, cigarettes, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, obesity, pregnancy and delayed stomach emptying.
- • Obesity and pregnancy increase pressures within the abdomen (body trunk), pushing the stomach contents back into the esophagus.
- Some patients have stomachs that empty their contents into the intestines very slowly.
- • A stomach full of food and acid is more prone to reflux, especially when the patient lies down (supine)..
