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Do you know that persistent and chronic coughing is linked to gerd?

Coughing Linked To Gerd:Many people who suffer from a persistent cough contribute it to chest ailments due to smoking, obesity, or a leftover cold. Yet recent studies show that many of these people may have acid reflux/heartburn or GERD (gastroesophogal reflux disease). But how do you know if you have this sort of ailment, or if it is indeed something that will fall by the wayside?

Prior to the last few years, the assumption by researchers was that coughing and asthmatic wheezing induced acid reflux. Yet recent studies clearly show that while in some small instances, coughing can cause a bout of acid reflux, it is indeed the reverse that is true. The opening up of the esophagus, the lower esophageal sphincter to be more precise, and the resultant stomach acids rising in the throat can and does contribute to asthmatic wheezing and coughing.

One study written in Gut magazine online clearly shows that the correlation between coughing and acid reflux is not coincidental. Nor is the previously held assumption regarding the reversal cause and effect true either. In this study, researchers monitored gastrointestinal activity and coughing in order to ascertain which came first. Over half of all the respondents either coughed or wheezed in that time frame, and the researchers measured the gastrointestinal activity at the same time as the coughing or wheezing bout.

In over half of the cases, the acid reflux episode occurred prior to the coughing, leading the researchers to conclude that previous assumptions regarding acid reflux were not true, and that the correlation between asthma and acid reflux were stronger than had been previously believed.

G.I. Motility online also contains a recent (2006) article that makes similar claims based on the scientific research of their contributors. GERD is cited there as being the second highest in terms of causal factors for chronic coughing demonstrating that between 40-70%25 of all cases of chronic coughing, GERD was the major causal factor.

These findings resulted in their recommendation that those who suffer from chronic cough would benefit from seeking natural remedies for GERD in addition to looking into other factors. Particularly, they suggest that in cases in which the reasons for the coughing are not ever-present, or remain a mystery to you or your physician.

But what does that mean for us? Well, when we suffer some sort of abnormality in our health, we generally want to fix it. That generally means that we need to get to the root of the issue. For GERD sufferers or those who think they may have GERD, adopting an acid reflux friendly diet may just put an end to the persistent coughing.
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Lack of sleep associated with acid reflux as a result of constant strain can lead to premature aging
Many people suffer daily from the effects of acid reflux, to one degree or another. Unfortunately, the constant strain of this condition on the body can lead to premature aging.

The reflux of stomach gas and fluids during the night, even on a modest level, inhibit proper sleep patterns. It is a known fact that sleep is the most important factor affecting the aging process. If you do not get enough quality sleep at the rim level, you face each day with low energy, which can be described as a form of chronic fatigue. This syndrome will eventually drag you down and make you feel and look older than you should. It may even shorten your life. Many people are not even aware that they suffer from this condition.

Acid reflux or gerd (gastroesophageal reflux disease) occurs when the LES (lower esophageal sphincter) relaxes and allows gas and fluids from the stomach to move upward into the esophagus. The LES is a ringed muscle at the bottom of the esophagus. It opens in order to allow food to enter the stomach, and then closes in order to keep the digestive fluids where they belong. It is when this muscle is too relaxed or damaged, that the contents of the stomach can escape up into the esophagus thereby causing acid reflux.

The medical community would have us to believe that drugs are the only answer to the problem of gerd. Of course this is not true. Antacids are, at best, a temporary fix and are loaded with harmful ingredients such as sodium and aluminum. PPI drugs (proton pump inhibitors) like Nexium and Prilosec should only be used for eight weeks, at most. It says so right on the label. Furthermore, these drugs only mask and hide the symptoms and they have hundreds of harmful side effects.

The acid reflux condition can be the result of poor eating habits or even the aging process itself. We all know that certain foods can trigger indigestion; tomato sauce, raw garlic and onions, chocolate, coffee and alcohol. The ingestion of these foods can make you acidic in nature, resulting in acid reflux. Yet most of us can’t resist one or more of these items on a daily basis. Besides eliminating “trigger” foods from our diets, there are many natural herbs and supplements that can be helpful in staving off this malady.

Chronic indigestion can also be caused by a lack of hydrochloric acid. Some people produce insufficient amounts of stomach acid as they grow older. Besides the proper digestion of food, hydrochloric acid is necessary to keep harmful bacteria, which are found in the digestive track, in check. Without this defense, infections can develop which make the acid reflux condition even worse. This particular condition can be improved with hydrochloric acid supplements, or even ingesting small amounts of apple cider vinegar. Although these conditions are different in nature, they both cause acid reflux and can result in premature aging.

Other things that should be considered in dealing with this condition are:

* Smoking cessation (Smoking creates an acidic body)
* Loosing weight
* Eating small portions of food throughout the day
* Chewing food well and eating slowly
* Eating at least three hours before retiring

There are many subtle changes in lifestyle which can remove the threat of the acid reflux condition. By eliminating this unnecessary and harmful strain on the body, one can live a more healthy life. Getting better quality sleep will increase your chances of retaining life-force, which means living a longer and more youthful existence.

? 2006 Wind Publishing

For more information on how to heal acid reflux the natural way, go to: http://www.refluxgoneforever.com

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Do you know that there are natural remedies to acid reflux that are as effective as antacids

Acid Reflux Natural Remedy Over The Use Of Antacids:You may not realize that that it is possible to use a natural remedy for acid reflux. After all, the conventional method of treating acid reflux is with the use of antacids. Naturopathic practitioners say that a natural remedy for acid reflux can be used to help strengthen your digestive system; thereby curing you of your symptoms.

For many diseases and illnesses, natural remedies are now preferred by many as the treatment of choice. This is because synthetic medicines produce various side effects; whereas natural remedies result in little or none.

There are various research studies showing that there are side effects to the many drugs for acid reflux. According to the studies, some antacids interfere with vitamin and calcium absorption of the body. In some instances, antacids affect digestive activities by stopping stomach secretions. These actions may relieve the sufferers for the time being but would not really cure the problem.

The effects of the said medications can differ from one person to another. You may have a totally different response as compared to another acid reflux sufferer. There are some medications that can relieve heartburns effectively for some people but may not have the desired effect on others. If you do not know that it is possible to use an acid reflux natural remedy, you may feel compelled to try several brands of antacids in the market just to find the one that works.

However, using an acid reflux natural remedy can be a better, effective and healthier choice. In fact, the fewer medications you consume in one day, the less the chance of exposing yourself to toxins.

Antacid products contain aluminum hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate, magnesium hydroxide, aluminum phosphate, or a combination of these substances to neutralize stomach acid. Scientifically, these ingredients are known to inhibit effects on the functions of the human body. However, you may not be aware that for instance when these substances are absorbed into your body, there are other harmful implications.

Naturopathic practitioners believe that your body has a natural coping mechanism to sustain itself and this fact is ignored by the use of antacids. When hydrochloric acid is neutralized, the stomach which has an automatic response mechanism, may be stimulated to produce even more acid to compensate for what have been lost. An acid reflux rebound is common when the stomach produces more acids to replenish what have been neutralized.

Naturopathic practitioners recommend using herbal remedies to help target and strengthen your digestive system. An acid reflux natural remedy can also be in the form of herbal teas for help in relieving nausea and heartburn symptoms. Your naturopathic doctor may additionally recommend alternative therapies such as acupuncture and massage for greater digestive support and strength.
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Learn more about acid reflux.How this can affects you.What treatment options are available that really works?

What is acid reflux and how is it treated?:The stomach is the organ that digest the food you eat. The digestion process uses acids to decompose the food into proteins and aminoacids. These acids are very strong, but the inner stomach walls are protected by a membrane that keeps the acids from destroying it.

Before the food reaches the stomach it passes through the esophagus which is linked to the stomach. The esophagus does not have a special protective membrane, so if the acid inside the stomach gets into the esophagus then it burns its walls. This is known as heartburn, and it happens to almost anyone from time to time - it’s when you fell a light burning sensation in your chest.

But some people experience the heartburn sensation a few times a week. This is because in some cases the small valve that separates the stomach from the esophagus, (and that should only allow things to get from the esophagus into the stomach and not backwards) doesn’t work properly. This condition is called the acid reflux disease. If it is not treated in time it can lead to serious complications because the esophagus gets more and more eroded. Fortunately this condition can be cured, but the treatment depends on how far the disease has advanced.

The first symptom you experience when you have acid reflux is of course heartburn. Then you will find that the food you just ate starts to come back into your mouth. This is called regurgitation. After some time, depending on the patient, the pain in the chest, or heartburn, will be more and more severe. Many patients also reported having difficulties in swallowing food. Finally, if the patient does nothing to treat him/herself, the stomachal acids will reach the mouth and lungs and cause asthma and they will corrode the teeth.
It is important to treat this disease as soon as you discover it, because leaving it untreated will only make you feel worse.

Once discovered, acid reflux can be treated with medication or with surgery in some rare cases. Your doctor will prescribe you medication that will lower the quantity of acid you have inside your stomach, medication that will prevent your stomach from filling up so things inside it don’t come out, and anti-acids, generally used in stomachal diseases.
A change in the diet is also recommended to those suffering from acid reflux.

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above consult your local doctor for an accurate diagnosis and more information about acid reflux and its treatment.
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If you have occasional heartburn does not means that you have gerd
GERD - Acid Reflux Disease:
The Disease
The term GERD is a acronym for gastroesophageal reflux disease and is a very glorified term for heartburn. Frequent, persistent heartburn is the primary symptom associated with acid reflux disease or GERD. With GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), stomach acid flows back into the esophagus, the tube leading from the throat to the stomach. If you suffer from persistent heartburn two or more days a week, you may have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Though heartburn is the most common of the acid reflux disease symptoms, other signs may also manifest themselves.
For these individuals, acid reflux disease, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), may be at the heart of their burn. Prevacid is a prescription drug that helps GERD-sufferers prevent the acid that causes heartburn pain associated with acid reflux disease.
Pain
Besides the discomfort of heartburn, reflux results in symptoms of oesophageal inflammation, such as odynophagia (pain on swallowing) and dysphagia (difficult swallowing). Remarkably, the frequency of severe heartburn seems to decline with age, possibly due to a decrease in esophageal pain perception and atrophic gastritis. Although elderly patients may have fewer complaints of heartburn, their disease is usually more severe and has more complications. The burning, pressure, or pain of heartburn can last as long as 2 hours and is often worse after eating; and, can include very unpleasant symptoms, such as heartburn, chest pain, trouble swallowing, hoarseness, throat irritation and bad breath. However, some people with GERD may not experience heartburn, but instead feel a pain in the chest, hoarseness, or problems swallowing. The feeling of heartburn my be similar to heart pain, but in actuality a heartburn has nothing whatsoever to do with the heart. Never assume that chest pain is heartburn or ingestion. GERD Symptoms Heartburn is described as a burning pain in the stomach that rises up towards the chest or towards the neck. A positive Bernstein test is considered if the patient experiences heartburn or chest pain. The acid perfusion test may have its utility more in explaining reflux as the cause of atypical chest pain. Potentially dangerous confusion can arise when someone neglects their heart pain believing it to be heartburn.
Gerd
Only 2 to 3 percent of acid reflux events reach the conscious level and are perceived by patients with GERD. Abnormalities that make it dysfunctional promote acid reflux and the constellation of GERD problems. Many people, including pregnant women, suffer from heartburn or acid indigestion caused by GERD. Most cases of acid reflux respond to lifestyle changes and prescription medication. Anyone experiencing heartburn twice a week or more may have GERD. Occasional heartburn is common but does not necessarily mean one has GERD.
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When you feel that you have a burning sensation in the stomach means that powerful stomach acid is eating away your esophagus

Acid Reflux - The Silent Killer?:You may not be familiar with the term acid reflux even though you’ve probably suffered from it countless times during your life. Acid reflux is also known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD for short) or even more commonly it’s referred to as heartburn. Why are there so many names for such a, seemingly, harmless condition? The correct clinical term for heartburn is GERD although anyone trying to explain that they have severe indigestion will find it far easier to stay they have heartburn instead of trying to blurt out gastroesophageal reflux disease. The acid reflux title is a description of what actually occurs in the stomach during heartburn so as you can see it’s far more complicated than you previously thought.

So what exactly is acid reflux? GERD is when your stomach has produced too much acid in its attempt to digest food held there. This extra acid and other fluids then move back up your into your esophagus (the tube connecting your stomach and your throat)and begin to cause both pain and damage in this area. That burning sensation you feel in your chest is the direct result of very powerful stomach acid eating away at the tissue in your esophagus. If this happens every once in a while your body can cope with the damage. If, however, this is a daily occurence then the damage can become permanent and even life threating. Yes life threatening.

Most people pass heartburn off as a temporary problem that they can “cure” by taking a fistful of antacids and avoiding spicy food for 24 hours. This simply isn’t so. Acid reflux/heartburn can have far more serious implications than simply being uncomfortable. In the most extreme cases acid reflux can lead to the development of a type of cancer which, if left untreated, can be fatal. That’s the most surprising fact for most people - they never, ever assume that something like acid reflux might potentially kill them.

This type of cancer starts off as a condition known as Barrett’s Esophagus (also known as intestinal metaplasia). During prolonged bouts of acid reflux (over a period of years) tissue in the esophagus gets replaced with tissues that are normally only found in the stomach and intestine. This abnormal tissue growth can then lead to a type of cancer developing which is known as esophageal adenocarcinoma. The most worrying aspect of this cancer is that normally it’s not detected until the patient is in their 60’s and at that stage it’s normally too late to treat the cancer.

Should you rush off to your doctor to have a full medical because you get heartburn once in a while? No and the purpose of this article is not to cause a panic. If, however, you find yourself suffering from acid reflux almost every day then it is a recognized medical condition and there are prescription treatments available. Don’t leave your health to chance for the sake of a quick trip to the family doctor for their advice and guidance on the matter.
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