Heartburn is one of
the most common symptoms experienced during
pregnancy.
According to various estimations, from 60% to 90% of all
pregnant women suffer from heartburn symptoms
at some stage of their pregnancy.
Heartburn and its underlying
related conditions can manifest in numerous ways,
including indigestion, a painful burning sensation
behind the breastbone and a sour taste in the back
of the throat during or after a meal.
Heartburn
occurs when various gastric juices (bile, digestive
enzymes and acids), leak up from the stomach onto the
lining of the esophagus. In a healthy organism, the
valve at the lower end of the esophagus (called LES –
lower esophageal sphincter) usually keeps the stomach
contents inside the stomach. When the LES’s muscle
does not work right, stomach acids and other corrosive
liquids flow backward into the esophagus. While
occasional heartburn is common and should not cause
special concerns, persistent heartburn can be a typical
symptom of a chronic disease called acid reflux, or GERD
(gastro-esophageal reflux
disease).
There are
numerous factors that contribute to acid reflux
formation. Those factors include, among
others:
1. Certain dietary choices
such as the excessive consumption of acid forming
foods (i. e. wine, eggs, liver etc.), Candida
aggravating foods, allergy causing foods and hard
to digest foods, such as meat and diary
products.
2. Stress and inadequate
sleep that suppress the immune system. When the
immune system is weakened it can lead to a variety
of health complications, including Candida
overgrowth, sluggish digestive system and toxic
overload. All of these can directly or indirectly
aggravate acid reflux.
3. Obesity
increases the pressure on the abdomen thus allowing more
stomach contents to leak into the esophagus.
Pregnancy
may also be one of GERD’s contributing factors. The link
between pregnancy and heartburn can be explained by the
fact that pregnancy
hormones have a relaxing effect on all smooth muscle
tissues, including the LES. Moreover, the enlarging
uterus may also exacerbate the problem by increasing the
pressure on the abdominal area thus causing more acids
to splash back into the esophagus. Finally, during
pregnancy, many women suffer from various
gastrointestinal problems, such as indigestion,
constipation and bloating. Sluggish digestive process
can indirectly aggravate your existing acid reflux
condition.
The
treatment of GERD using medicaments can be very
challenging especially during the pregnancy, since most
drugs are not recommended to pregnant women. Even the
drugs that are officially allowed to pregnant women are
not recommended because of the unavoidable side effects.
Did you
know that pregnant woman could achieve immediate relief
from their heartburn and completely cure their
underlying acid reflux condition by choosing the
holistic approach that tackles
the internal environment that contributes to GERD
symptoms in the first place? By choosing the natural
approach you can eliminate and prevent heartburn safely
and effectively
