The Lowdown On Acid Reflux Disease
If food causes more pain and discomfort than pleasure, acid reflux disease could be the problem.
It’s a fairly common condition according to Dr. Richard Seitz of Fremont.
“The majority of people suffer from heartburn. Most suffer occasionally and for a few it’s more persistent,” Seitz said.
He also said 15 to 20 percent of the population suffers with fairly significant acid reflux, while 10 percent suffer daily.
Acid reflux can lead to irritation of the esophagus which can be mild to moderate to severe depending on the symptoms. The condition can be caused by various things which weaken the sphincter muscle between the esophagus and the stomach. When the sphincter is weakened, it is unable to keep the stomach acid from flowing back into the esophagus.
Weight gain or obesity are offenders that cause pressure on the abdomen and force the food up through the sphincter. Chocolate, coffee, caffeine, alcohol and tobacco also weaken or lessen the pressure of the sphincter and that makes it easier to get acid reflux.
“If you’re able to make some lifestyle changes, you may not need to be on medication permanently. Sometimes losing weight will correct it, and also avoiding fatty foods, or spicy foods, chocolate and caffeine,” Seitz said.
He said some sufferers do well by also elevating the head of their bed four to six inches because there’s no gravity to keep reflux down when people lie flat. If changes can be made, sometimes it will eliminate the need for any further treatment.
Seitz said mild symptoms usually respond well to over-the-counter drugs such as Zantac, Pepcid or Prilosec. Moderate to severe symptoms need prescription medication of which the most common are Previcid or Nexium.
“We use those in varying dosages depending on how severe the reflux is and most patients get by with one pill once or twice a day,” Seitz said.
(info by Carolyn Gibbs from http://www.fremontneb.com/articles/2005/07/15/news/news6.txt)