Acid Reflux Disease, What It Is, Its Complications And Control

The Nature of Acid Reflux Disease

Acid reflux disease is commonly characterized by heartburn or a burning sensation in the chest which usually occurs after a meal or when lying down on your back.  The main organ of your body that is mainly involved here is the esophagus, specifically the LES or lower esophageal sphincter.  This is a specialized muscle located at the end of your esophagus.  This LES works like a gate that opens and allows you to swallow food and closes fast afterwards so food and stomach liquids will not flow back into your esophagus.  When LES or the lower esophageal sphincter relaxes or, for some reasons, becomes weak, it would not function properly as a gateway thus allowing food or stomach acids to regurgitate.  This becomes acid reflux disease or heartburn.

Doctors prefer to call acid reflux disease as gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD.  This occurs when your stomach acids regularly flows back up to your esophagus.  Acid reflux disease may also be known as acid indigestion as this is characterized by chest pain like you have a heart condition, sore throat, asthma for some, a feeling of lump in your throat, hoarseness of voice and occasional cough.  These discomforts might also come with bitter or acidic taste in the mouth.

There are a lot of factors involved in an acid reflux disease recurrence, namely the proper opening up and closing up of the LES muscle that is sufficient to prevent stomach liquids regurgitation.  This includes the amount and the acidity of stomach fluids that regurgitates back to the esophagus, the capacity of the stomach in emptying itself properly, the clearing capacity of the food pipe or esophagus, and other neutralizing factors such as saliva, drinking water, etc.  What you ate would also greatly determine the occurrence of an acid reflux disease as highly acidic foods, fatty foods, and alcoholic or carbonated beverages would also trigger a heartburn.  

COMPLICATIONS OF A LONG-TERM ACID REFLUX DISEASE

Serious complications may result in cases of long-term chronic acid reflux disease like esophagitis or the inflammation of your esophagus.  Esophagitis can develop into esophageal bleeding as the frequent contact of stomach acid to the esophagus creates ulcers.  Another complication is the constricting of the lower esophagus.  This narrowing or partial state of closure results to difficulty in swallowing.  One of the worst cases is the scenario where the cells of the tissue lining of LES.  This is called Barret’s esophagus and this has a high probability of developing to a case of cancer.

A person with Barret’s esophagus needs to be constantly monitored by undergoing biopsies and upper GI endoscopy.  Stomach acid that may overflow to the breathing tubes can also cause lung problems such as bronchitis and pneumonia.  Acid reflux disease may also complicate the voice box, and the throat causing them to inflame.

MEASURES TO CONTROL ACID REFLUX DISEASE

Stay up and don’t lie down or sleep within two to three hours after meal time or dinner, maintain an ideal weight, don’t smoke, don’t over eat, and avoid chocolates, alcoholic and carbonated drinks, fatty foods, mints and also avoid aspirin or acetaminophen.  These are some of the measures you have to observe to prevent occurrence of acid reflux disease.

 

 

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