What Is Acid Reflux?

Acid reflux or heartburn occurs when stomach acid moves back up into the esophagus causing pain and a burning sensation in the chest. It also sometimes leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

You may ask, where does the pain come from? The stomach fluids help your body digest food and contain a powerful acid. But the esophagus has a sensitive lining which is irritated by this acid, thereby causing heartburn pain.

Millions of Americans are missing out on enjoying the things they love because of the pain of frequent acid reflux, especially after eating some of their favorite foods. They're plagued by that burning sensation in the chest and the bitter taste that it leaves in your mouth. It's important to understand why heartburn occurs, what triggers it, and then find the simple things that you can do to treat it, if you ever hope to have heartburn no more.

It's quite common to have frequent heartburn. Though eating large meals can be a trigger, some of the foods that may cause acid reflux are citrus, tomatoes, fried foods, spicy foods, also fatty meats, chocolate, alcohol and coffee. Maybe you've been avoiding some of these foods because you know they cause you to have heartburn.

Then, of course, lifestyle definitely comes into play, what with all the stress in our everyday lives. Smoking triggers acid reflux, along with being overweight, exercising on a full stomach, and lying down after meals.

It always helps to understand how acid reflux affects you, so here are a few of the common symptoms: 1) Burning pain starting in the chest and working its way up toward the throat. 2) A feeling that food is coming back up into your mouth. 3) Your mouth has a bitter taste at the back of your throat.

You may find that you need to take antacids at night for the acid reflux in order to get a good night's sleep. You may even prop your head up with several pillows to avoid that burning in the chest. And during the day, do you feel it's safer to avoid lying down after a meal so you won't trigger heartburn? It's after meals when the pain starts and it increases if you're lying down or bending over.

It's common to experience acid reflux only at night. If that's the case with you, then some basic and simple lifestyle adjustments can really help. First, you should never eat two to three hours before bedtime. Another thing that you can do is to elevate the head of your bed which puts you in an inclined position, helping to keep stomach acid from getting up into your throat. And last of all, do not sleep on your right side as studies have shown that this triggers heartburn more than lying on your back, stomach, or left side.

It helps if you try to understand why you get acid reflux and discover some of the triggers. Perhaps it's your morning glass of orange juice, or maybe it's your coffee that causes the burn. These are just two examples, but it's best if you learn the causes of heartburn and note what triggers your particular episodes. Sometimes it can be several factors, like every time you bend over, or if you wear a tight belt, or if you simply put pressure on the stomach.

If acid reflux gets progressively worse and remains frequent even with treatment, this may be an indication of a more serious problem called GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease.

The pain that you get during a heart attack is also felt in the chest but is different from acid reflux pain which doesn't travel to the shoulders, neck and arms. The burning in the chest comes after a meal and is often relieved by antacids. It also should be noted that heartburn is rarely accompanied by dizziness or lightheadedness.

Hopefully, you will be able to identify some of the symptoms of acid reflux and get relief for that burning pain that's experienced by millions of people.