Heartburn/gerd - How To Avoid Heartburn/gerd

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Heartburn/gerd - How To Avoid Heartburn/gerd

Friday, May 16th, 2008 by www Subscribe To My Feed

So what is heartburn/GERD? In a nutshell, the two are a little different with heartburn affecting people in less severe ways than GERD. Heartburn is a condition which you’ll experience occasionally although there are those with frequent and chronic heartburn who do suffer it more regularly.

Heartburn/GERD is also known as gastroesophagel reflux disease and a more serious condition. When someone reaches this stage then they’ve got something thinking to do particularly if they haven’t sought medical assistance. A word of warning - by trying to go it alone and refusing to seek some medical help means Heartburn/GERD could even develop into a more serious condition, sometimes life threatening.

Avoiding Heartburn/GERD

There are some things you can do or be aware of to cut down the incidence of heartburn/GERD. For instance, avoid eating late at night. This is a point which is continually pushed home by experts yet people don’t seem to be getting the message.

One of the reasons for this is the refusal to make any lifestyle changes. Many are reluctant to compromise their current lifestyle habits and instead, will deal with heartburn when it affects them. This is not a sensible choice because making changes to one’s lifestyle is getting on the right track to eliminating Heartburn/GERD from their lives.

Laying down after a meal is another mistake. In fact, this relates to eating late at night which could even be as early as 7-8pm. Once a person has eaten, the general thing is to sit or lay in front of the TV but if you’re a heartburn/GERD sufferer then this is inviting another attack.

Another cause is diet which again relates to lifestyle. A diet high in fatty foods, dairy products, spicy foods, tomatoes products, and caffeine and citrus is a leading cause of frequent heartburn and GERD. Into days food the general eating habits contribute as well. Many people consume fast foods on the go and drink large amounts of caffeine and carbonated drinks.

Heartburn/GERD Diagnosis And Symptoms

Symptoms are recurrent heartburn, pain or discomfort with acid when lying down, frequently waking up with heartburn at night, coughing or choking feeling, difficulty swallowing, sour taste or stomach acid coming up in the mouth and throwing up blood. These symptoms require that you see your health care specialist for diagnosis and treatment.

If your doctor suspects that you may be suffering from heartburn/GERD they may recommend several different types of tests. A barium x-ray is a somewhat uncomfortable procedure that could help determine if there is heartburn/GERD as well as a test called the endoscopy where a lighted tube is inserted down the throat to examine the esophagus and stomach.

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