Acid Reflux : Causes and Preventive measures || Health Fettle ||

Acid Reflux 

Toward stomach, at the end of the esophagus (food pipe), there is a muscular valve called LES (lower esophageal sphincter) which is normally, tonically contracted in healthy condition and relaxed only during swallowing. If LES does not close (many reasons for this) properly, then acid produced by stomach can reach up to esophagus which causes heartburn, waterbrash and regurgitation mainly, in some other cases there may be chest pain and dysphagia also.

Acid Reflux Causes and Preventive Measures

Acid Reflux is also known as Heartburn or Acid Indigestion or pyrosis. People often ask me as to what causes the acid reflux flare-ups. In fact, several factors are responsible for it. In this blog, let’s discuss how foods, as well as habits, can be responsible for it.

There are no fixed groups of foods that can always cause acid reflux to all the people. Although you would have problems of heartburn by taking some of these foods, it can even be caused by some foods that are not included in the list given below. By maintaining a diary of your diet as well as the symptoms, would help you to delineate your prime acid reflux triggers. Here is a list of foods that generally cause acid reflux:

• Tomato or its products (example: ketchup)
• Citrus fruits or juices
• Caffeine
• Black pepper
• Spicy foods
• Rich or high-fat foods
• Chocolate
• Peppermint
• Fatty dairy products
• Cream sauces

Acid Reflux: Causes and Preventive measures || Health Fettle ||

The three most common culprits in our house that are believed to cause acid burns are – citrus fruits (or juice), chocolate and tomato products. At first glance, the list may look short and innocuous, but is it not a fact that these are the common components for many recipes? So, reorganize your lunches and dinners or eat something before any impending party that has the potential to contribute to acid reflux.

Your lifestyle can also be a contributing factor for triggering acid refluxes. For this, you have to be better organized in some of the following issues:

• Obesity
• Smoking
• Alcohol consumption
• Wearing tight clothing
• Eating large meals
• Laying down too soon after eating
• Exercising or bending too soon after a meal
• Forgetting medications

Studies have established a link between the problem of overweight, especially around the waist-line and acid burn. Shedding some weight and having a low-fat diet would help to control acid burn.

The medicines for acid burns need to be taken continuously in their right doses to be effective. But many times, the patients either forget to take or take them in moderate doses due to their cost. If it is OTC medication, discuss the correct doses of it with your physician. He would make a thorough case study and prescribe the medicines which are most suitable for you.

Apart from the most common triggers, the following are some of the other acid reflux triggers that I have come up with:

• Teething
• Food Allergies
• Illnesses that cause sinus drainage
• Constipation

Although it may not seem so, constipation can also be a contributory factor for acid reflux. This is due to the extra pressure that has to be applied to the LES (lower esophageal sphincter). For people with constipation, the physician prescribed medicine for it and as a result, the acid reflux problem has subsided along with constipation to a great extent.

The acid reflux can also be due to other pathological condition. They include:

• Immature GI tract (infants)
• Gastroparesis or Delayed Gastric Emptying
• Hernia
• Gallbladder disease
• Certain medications

Of course, the list is not exhaustive and may not be applicable to every individual. Since uncontrolled heartburn can become a serious issue later, it is better to discuss it with your physician in detail.

Management

Acid reflux can be managed by the following steps :

• Loose weight.
• Avoidance of dietary items which you find worsen symptoms.
• Avoidance of late meals. Take your meals at least 2 hours before your bedtime.
• Giving up Smoking.
• Elevation of the bed head in those who experience nocturnal symptoms.
• Avoid tight clothing.
• Meet your doctor if taking any medicine, which can cause heartburn.