| Some people know Acid Reflux as Gerd, Gord or | | | | oesophagus! This is especially so when lying down or |
| Heartburn. The pain which comes with these is very | | | | bending down. |
| difficult to cope with. | | | | One thing is obvious, weight loss is essential for |
| The full name used by the medical profession in the | | | | sufferers of acid reflux to alleviate the pain. Easier said |
| US is gastro esophageal reflux disease and in the UK | | | | than done! |
| gastro oesophageal reflux disease. Gerd or gord is the | | | | Unfortunately the esophageal problems aren't the |
| cause of heartburn which is common amongst all | | | | whole story for many pain sufferers, fluid from the |
| people and causes upper abdominal pain and | | | | stomach can also rise to the mouth. This can be acid |
| discomfort. | | | | brash where the fluid contains both acid and bile and is |
| The pain in the throat which is such a feature of acid | | | | really sour or bitter or your mouth may fill with excess |
| reflux comes from the stomach acid and pepsin which | | | | saliva and this is known as water brash. You may also |
| is forced up the esophagus. The lining of the | | | | experience pains in the middle of the chest and find it |
| esophagus has no protection against the acid and is | | | | very hard to and painful to swallow even well chewed |
| irritated and can become ulcerated and even digested | | | | food. |
| by the acid and pepsin. Symptoms can be varied and | | | | Going to the Medic may not bring the help you crave, |
| can be mild or very bad, in the latter this can cause | | | | as the things which are prescribed are often antacids, |
| bleeding and sometimes perforation of the esophageal | | | | acid suppressants or anti digestion remedies. |
| wall. Gerd is very common and becoming even more | | | | In medical circles the DeMeester scale is used to |
| so - mainly due to the increase in obesity and the | | | | assess the severity of acid reflux. If a high score is |
| increased pace of life. Go back 100 years and your | | | | seen your Doctor will arrange for a Barium meal |
| ancestors probably wouldn't have recognised the | | | | followed by an xray, or an edoscopy could be the |
| disease. | | | | best decision. |
| Sufferers of acid reflux are often overweight and | | | | Acid reflux pain is a complicated subject and can't be |
| have a characteristic pear shape which indicates too | | | | dealt with in just one article, further articles will try to go |
| much fat tissue in the abdominal cavity. The more fat, | | | | into more detail. But until these appear reduce your |
| the more the organs are compressed. When the | | | | pace of life, eat less and at set times in order to lose |
| pressure in the stomach builds up, it can only go up the | | | | weight. |