Acid Pain Reflux Article

Acid Reflux, or Heartburn?

Many people mistakenly believe that acid reflux and heartburn are two different problems, but in actuality, they are one and the same. Heartburn is the most common symptom that is caused by acid reflux. People who suffer from heartburn may not know that they have acid reflux, blaming it on something they ate, but as a general rule, if they have heartburn more than once or twice a week, it will be diagnosed as acid reflux disease. If you fail to seek treatment for your acid reflux, it can lead to more severe problems, such as stomach ulcers, which can be painful, as well as lead to a more serious problem, bleeding, and erosion of the esophagus. You may also suffer from bad breath, no matter what you do, and may have a dry, hacking cough as well. If erosion is not treated, then you may build up scar tissue in your esophagus, which may make it difficult for you to swallow pills or food, causing choking.

Eating a healthy diet is crucial for everyone, but especially for those who suffer from avid reflux. You can still eat the foods that you like, but you need to balance out the unhealthy with the healthy. It is not easy to eat healthy, it is much faster to run through drive-thru, rather than take the time to prepare a healthy meal. You should try to eat smaller meals, and if you need to, eat more frequently, rather than eating three large meals a day. You shouldn’t eat and then immediately lie down, you should remain upright for at least two hours, to give your food time to digest, which will keep stomach acids from rising into your esophagus.

Acid reflux symptoms are usually worse at night, usually because people overeat for dinner, or they eat shortly before bed. You should try to eliminate symptom causing foods from your diet, or if not, at least eat them for lunch, rather than dinner, so you are not up all night suffering from your acid reflux symptoms. If you only suffer from occasional symptoms, you should be able to control them with a few dietary and habit changes, if you have them on a regular basis, you should let your primary care doctor know. He may be able to give you a prescription medication that can ease your symptoms, as well as prevent anymore damage to the lining of your esophagus or throat.

Often, people who suffer their first acid reflux attack mistakenly think that they are having a heart attack, that is how much pain they are in, especially if it occurs in the middle of the night. They rush off to the emergency room only to find out they are suffering from a major case of indigestion, and likely get sent home with some antacids and a follow-up appointment with their doctor. You will be told to eat a bland diet, exercise, and return if the condition worsens or lasts longer than two weeks.