Acid reflux is a multi-factorial disease and its causes are
highly complex.
Acid reflux disease, also known as gastro-oesophageal reflux
disease (GERD), occurs due to the coexistence
of several medical and lifestyle conditions.
Physiological factors that trigger GERD include
lower oesophageal sphincter (LES) hypotonia (the gradual
weakening of the LES), along with the retrograde flow of
stomach contents into the oesophagus, and the level of
sensitivity of the oesophageal mucus to the reflux
content.
The food that you swallow travels down
your throat and is pushed by contractions of the
muscular oesophagus. In the area where the oesophagus
joins with the stomach, a valve-like mechanism, known as
lower oesophageal sphincter (LES), is located. The
closure of this muscle prevents the stomach acid from
moving back, or refluxing, into the oesophagus.
What Causes Acid Reflux?
LES
malfunction is the first factor that causes
and contributes to gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. In
a healthy individual, the LES relaxes only when food
passes from the oesophagus into the stomach. After the
food passes into the stomach, the valve closes, keeping
the stomach-content and the acid inside. However, when
the LES is weak and doesn't close properly, the acid can
splash up to your throat causing a painful burning
sensation, called heartburn.
There are several factors/conditions, which
can prevent the LES from being closed properly. These
factors/conditions include:
·
genetic weakness
·
obesity
·
excessive fat ingestion
·
sagging of the
muscles in the human body (including the LES) as a part
of the natural ageing process
·
smoking
·
consumption of alcohol and
drugs
·
faulty eating habits – such as having large
meals, bending forward after having a meal, and doing
heavy exercise immediately before/after having a
meal
·
consuming foods
that may contribute to acid reflux, which include orange
juice, lemons and lemonade, grapefruit juice, tomatoes
and tomato juice, French fries, sour cream, coffee, and
tea
·
pregnancy – the hormonal fluctuations during
pregnancy, coupled with the prescribed medicines and
increased pressure on abdomen, can trigger acid reflux
in pregnant women
·
asthma
·
inadequate generation of digestive juices in
the stomach
·
peptic ulcers
·
hiatus hernia – a condition where the upper
portion of the stomach juts into the chest through an
outlet in the diaphragm
·
over-production of stomach
acids
·
auto-intoxication mechanism of the
body
·
lack of sleep,
hyper-stress
·
overgrowth of the Candida albicans in the
body
Treatment of Acid Reflux
There are numerous approaches for treating
symptomatic acid reflux. However, popular
conventional treatments, based on prescribed
medication and over the counters, merely treat the
symptoms of chronic heartburn. These treatments might
not be effective enough to ensure a long-term prevention
of acid reflux. Not only do conventional treatments fail
to heal and protect the oesophagus adequately, long-term
use of prescription drugs and over the counters,
including certain antacids, can lead to a myriad of side
effects ranging in impact from uncomfortable to
dangerous.
To treat acid reflux effectively, you have to
treat the factors which are specific to you in causing
the disease. For example, if faulty eating habits are
causing acid-reflux in your body, it would be no good
taking medicines with harmful side-effects to tackle the
problem, unless you change your eating habits in the
first place. Since acid reflux tends to trace its roots
to a host of physical, medical and life-style factors,
the best way to attain a long-lasting relief is to go
for an all-natural holistic treatment, that works with
the natural functioning of the body, and addresses each
of the contributing causes. Holistic treatment DOES NOT
cause side-effects and deals with the problem, instead
of the symptom. It is the best way to restore your
healthy self by preventing the reflux mechanism
forever.
