By: Arthur Cooper
Submitted: 2011-06-06 15:23:53 | Word Count: 664
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is something that develops over time. It is also referred to as acid reflux disease. This is what happens when your digestive system is altered causing acid to move from the stomach to the esophagus and throat. The digestive system involves several parts of your body. This means that all parts have to be functioning properly to allow digestion to run smoothly. If there is one element of the digestive process that isn’t working, this can cause serious health problems. When you eat, the food is chewed in the mouth, swallowed at the throat, transitioned through the esophagus and passed through lower esophageal sphincter (LES).
The LES is a very crucial part of the digestive process. It acts as the passage to the stomach. When food reaches the end of the esophagus, the LES opens to let it pass. After the food goes through, the LES closes again. If the LES doesn’t close quickly or tightly enough, the food may have the opportunity to come out of the stomach and get back into the esophagus. Along with the food is gastric acid which can be extremely damaging and painful when in the esophagus or throat.
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Passage through the LES permits food to enter the stomach for the next phases of digestion. In the stomach, food particles are further fragmented with the help of gastric acid. After the food has been broken down significantly, it moves to the large and small intestines so that nutrients that are useful for the body can be extracted and the waste can transition to the rectum.
Treating GERD doesn’t have to include prescriptions or surgical operations. You can do things at home to decrease symptoms and prevent it from occurring regularly. Certain lifestyle changes may be necessary to handle this problem.
* Don’t eat meals before going to bed. Allow at least a few hours.
* Try not to lie down after a meal. This keeps gastric acids in place.
* Eat smaller portions. Heavy meals increase acid production.
* Quit smoking. This weakens the LES.
* Cut down on alcohol consumption. This can further irritate the esophagus and throat.
* Monitor foods that trigger acid reflux. Remove these foods from your diet and replace with healthy options.
* Cut out fatty, greasy foods from your diet because they increase acid production.
* Drink a lot of water, ginger tea and aloe juice. This reduces acid reflux symptoms.
* Eating fennel seed and ginger root is also a great for GERD.
The best way to manage your GERD is to figure out what might be causing it. This can be done through logging your eating and lifestyle habits to find out what may be leading to your GERD. After you find out what may be causing the disease, you can address it naturally. For more information on home remedies and cures for GERD, review the Reflux Remedy Report or visit www.refluxremedy.com today.
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