A Guide to Treating Acid Reflux
Acid reflux occurs when there is a backflow of stomach acid into the esophagus, and it generally occurs because the lower esophageal sphincter relaxes too much, allowing the stomach juices to be able to make their way back up into the esophagus. Anyone can suffer from acid reflux, even infants, and so it is really an ailment that needs to be taken into the utmost serious consideration by everyone.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is the first step, before any method of treating acid reflux can be introduced. A detailed history taking is truly vital to a proper diagnosis, and so your doctor may include barium swallow X-rays, esophageal manometry, 24 hour esophageal pH monitoring and Esophagogastroduodenoscopy, which is something that is generally done when the patient does not seem as though they would respond well to other forms of treatment.
Treatment
There are various options that are available when it comes to treating acid reflux the first and most commonly prescribed which is to change your diet. This is because certain foods are considered as being able to aggravate acid reflux, such as coffee, alcohol, and fatty or sweet foods, for instance.
In the treating of acid reflux however you not only should change your diet but as well begin to include more exercise and physical activity into your daily routine, because this will also help to relieve the pain that is caused by your acid reflux problem.
Also when treating acid reflux, there is the option of positional therapy, which means elevating your head and sleeping on your left side at night. This position is thought to be helpful in keeping the acid from making its way up the esophagus and into the throat, and so you can at least be more comfortable while you sleep.
Another common method of treating acid reflux involves drug treatment, and there are a number of different drugs that are registered for the treatment of acid reflux, and they are among the most often prescribed forms of medication in most Western countries, because of the commonness of acid reflux among the general public.
If at any point in time you feel yourself experiencing any of the signs or symptoms of acid reflux, you want to make sure that you get yourself in to see a doctor first thing, so that they can make a proper diagnosis and, if you do in fact have acid reflux, they can determine the proper type of treatment for you.