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.
Factors
that contribute to acid reflux
formation.
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Treatment
of Acid Reflux.
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 treat 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.