acid reflux?

Question

what is acid reflux disease and how does it afeect a person?

Answer 1

Heartburn is the most common symptom of a condition called gastroesophageal reflux or acid reflux. A sphincter (specialized muscle), known as the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), is located at the end of the esophagus and opens during swallowing to allow food to pass into the stomach. The LES muscle then closes quickly to prevent the return (reflux) of food and stomach juices back into the esophagus.

However, the LES muscle does not always work perfectly. Gastroesophageal reflux occurs when the LES muscle either relaxes inappropriately or is weak. This allows stomach juices to back up, or reflux, into the esophagus, creating heartburn. When the acid contents from the stomach regularly back up into the esophagus, a chronic condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, occurs. Heartburn is sometimes called acid indigestion and usually occurs after meals. In addition to heartburn, symptoms of acid reflux may include persistent sore throat, hoarseness, chronic cough, asthma, heart-like chest pain and a feeling of a lump in the throat.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Acid reflux disease (GRD), is a backward or return flow of fluid of gastric or intestinal contents into the esophagus. Normally, the esophagus transports food from the pharynx to the stomach by coordinated contractions. Problems happen when the lower esophageal sphincter becomes weakened (it is like a little valve at the end of your esophagus that opens and closes when food enters your stomach). Once it doesn't open and close properly, it allows the stomach juices to enter the esophagus and irritate the lining. This causes what we know as heartburn and can damage the lining of your esophagus. It is important to get a doctor's help in treating this before the acid in your stomach scar the esophagus lining so bad, cellular changes can occur and cause esophageal cancer.

Answer 4

It's like acid comes up from the stomach into the throat and causes burning. Some people just feel it in the chest. But the acid is strong enough to damage the esophagus (food tube) and scar tissue can cause a stricture that makes swallowing difficult. Tums and Rolaids help, but after so many of them, Prilosec once a day controls it. If 20 mg Prilosec is not enough, doctor can prescribe 40 mg which insurance will pay for. It can be a forerunner of cancer, so it needs to be treated.

Answer 5

You should ask your doctor that and then come back and tell us because now you have us curious. I dream when I over eat (I no longer have acid reflux) so it seems reasonable to think that way.

Answer 6

It is like severe heartburn that doesn't respond to Tums, or other heartburn meds. It just keeps coming back. If not properly treated it can errode the esophagus and lead to esophageal cancer. This happened to my husband's uncle.