One
of the principal acid reflux signs and
symptoms is persistent heartburn that is best
described as a burning sensation behind the breast
bone, usually occurring in the night. The
heartburn could be mild or severe, depending upon
the damage caused to the esophagus through acid
reflux.
However, it has got very little or nothing
to do with the heart but the esophagus which is a
tube that connects the throat with stomach.
Heartburn occurs when the lower esophageal
sphincter inappropriately opens up, allowing part
of the acidic stomach content to reflux back into
the esophagus, causing irritation to it. Since its
linings are not protected against the strong
stomach acid (hydrochloric acid) by heavy layer of
mucosa as in the stomach, it gets irritated,
giving rise to heartburn. However, severe,
unrelenting heartburn is a sign of Barrett’s
esophagus which is a pre-condition for esophageal
cancer.
Acid
reflux signs and symptoms
also include chest pain which is often confused
with heart pain, prompting the attending physician
to do an on the spot electrocardiograph of the
heart to eliminate cardiac disease condition. Once
this is done satisfactorily, heartburn can be
controlled with anti-acidic formulations that
neutralize the acid contents, as a result of which
the heartburn slowly subsides. Heartburn generally
occurs after eating a heavy meal as also soon
after lying down or when bending forward.
Gastroesophageal
reflux disease or GERD-related acid reflux signs
and symptoms also include production of excess
saliva in the mouth, causing unpleasant sensation
popularly known as Water Brash while the acid
reflux or the backflow of the acidic stomach
content causes a distinctive sour taste in the
mouth which is equally
disagreeable.
Amazingly
enough, the heartburn related symptoms become
absent in certain cases of gastroesophageal acid
reflux if hiatal hernia is involved. What happens
is that, since a part of the stomach comes out
through the diaphragm, the upper esophageal
sphincter remains closed all the time, so that no
acidic stomach content can reach the upper part of
the esophagus, thus inhibiting
heartburn.
Advanced
acid reflux signs and symptoms include difficulty
in swallowing, caused by the narrowing of the
esophagus while ear, nose and throat problems
persist in some cases, probably caused by acidic
stomach residue reaching the larynx. In extreme
case, the voice box may get affected, resulting in
‘whispery’ or hoarse voice. Associated
symptoms of acid reflux include laryngitis, sore
throat and sensation as if something is stuck in
the throat. Also, symptoms of asthma deteriorate
with the progress of GERD while damage to the air
passage is reported by many who have suffered long
with the disease condition.
Often
medical professionals make the mistake of treating
acid reflux signs and symptoms. What actually
needs to be done is find out what the contributing
factors of the disease are, and then treat them.
If this is done, the symptoms of the disease will
automatically go away. This is what the approach
of holistic remedies is. It treats the body as a
whole and tries to identify all the causes of the
disease and only then treats the conditions. This
approach is almost always more effective than
conventional remedies as it goes deeper into GERD,
which may be quite
complicated.
So
when there are acid reflux signs and
symptoms, turn to holistic remedies – they go
deep into the problem and provide efficient and
quick results.
