Symptoms of Acid Reflux

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Prevention is better than cure of course! But when that does not happen, it is always better to look for symptoms and treatment for any ailment. How can one look for symptoms unless one knows about them? It is therefore absolutely necessary to know the symptoms for various diseases in humans. Symptoms of acid reflux are not too difficult to spot.

One of the common ailments seen from infants to adults is the Acid Reflux known medically as Gastro esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). This describes the condition wherein the liquid contents of the stomach back up into the esophagus. The liquid contents are the acid and pepsin produced by the stomach. Pepsin is an enzyme secreted to digest protein in the food. Acid is said to be more damaging of the two and when GERD occurs, there is danger of the esophagus lining getting damaged.

It is therefore important to know fully about the symptoms of acid reflux so that appropriate action is taken. Now that we know what Acid Reflux is, it is time to know other related things such as its causes as well as the symptoms.

Although there is no particular factor causing Acid Reflux, some reasons have been identified as probabilities such as:

• Hiatal Hernia causes Acid Reflux. This is a condition wherein the upper part of the stomach is on the diaphragm, the muscle wall that separates the stomach and the chest. The diaphragm also prevents the stomach acid from getting back to the esophagus. When hiatal hernia occurs, this is upset and acid reflux is caused.
• Use of Alcohol
• Pregnancy
• Smoking
• Excess weight 

Certain foods also cause Acid reflux. These are:

• Citrus fruits
• Chocolate
• Caffeine drinks
• Fatty food
• Fried items
• Garlic, Onions and mint flavors
• Tomato based food

Symptoms of Acid Reflux

The main symptoms of Acid Reflux is as follows:

Ø      Persistent heartburn

Ø      Acid regurgitation

Ø      Pain in the chest

Ø      Hoarseness in the voice

Ø      Pain in swallowing

Ø      Choking

Ø      Dry cough

Ø      Bad breath

In children too the following symptoms of Acid Reflux need to be noticed.

• Frequent Spitting or vomiting
• Irritability or discomfort while feeding
• Reduced or no food consumption
• Constant or sudden crying
• Infants bending or rather arching their backs while feeding
• Burps accompanied by spitting
• Frequent hiccups and coughing
• Reduced sleeping hours
• Bad breath

Knowing the symptoms, it is also important to know the impact that Acid Reflux can cause in one’s life. The discomfort that accompanies the symptoms affects normal life especially at one’s workplace. Apart from this, heartburn caused by the reflux can also prove to be very troublesome. In some cases, the lining of the esophagus gets damaged resulting in ulcers and difficulty in swallowing food. This is because the lining gets narrowed down with not enough space for the food to go through.

So, know the symptoms of Acid Reflux, detect them early and get them looked after.

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