What is Acid Reflux?
What is acid reflux? Is it the same thing as GERD? Is acid reflux or GERD dangerous? These are common questions asked by people who suffer from chronic heartburn. The answer is not as simple as one might think. Many people confuse acid reflux with gas. While both conditions can feel quite similar and both can be painful, the two have very different causes.
Gas in the digestive tract (stomach, esophagus, etc.) is caused by swallowing excess air. This can happen while eating, drinking, smoking, or even because of loose dentures. The gas from swallowed air is released through belching. It sometimes becomes trapped for a short time in the esophagus, which causes pain that is similar to heartburn.
Heartburn is caused by acid reflux or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). GERD is a more severe form of acid reflux. Everybody has acid reflux at some time in their life. Not everyone will contract the more serious GERD, however. Acid reflux is rarely dangerous or serious, but can turn into a more serious problem if ignored. GERD can cause some painful and serious health problems if left untreated, such as ulcers and breakdown of the esophagus, among other things.
What is acid reflux caused from? When we eat, our stomach produces enzymes and acid to break down the food for digestion. Sometimes these liquids in the stomach will back up into our esophagus, or reflux. This is acid reflux. Acid reflux is caused by a number of things, and each person who suffers from it might have a different cause. Some people’s stomachs are simply slow to empty. When the food is in the stomach for too long, the stomach continues to produce the liquids to digest it. Eventually there is more liquid than is needed and it begins to reflux into the esophagus.
The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is a muscle that surrounds the base of the esophagus where it connects to the stomach. The LES is normally closed in order to keep the contents of the stomach from getting into the esophagus, and opens when a person swallows something to let it into the stomach and then re-closes. In some people the LES does not function properly and does not close when it should, allowing the contents of the stomach to reflux.
It is thought that a hiatal hernia might contribute to acid reflux, although this has not yet been proven. A hiatal hernia is where the muscle of the stomach at the point where it connects to the esophagus, in the same place as the LES, weakens and expands, similar to a small balloon it blows up into the esophagus. This ‘balloon’ pushes the LES up higher into the esophagus. It is thought that when this happens the LES is unable to contract and hold down the contents of the stomach.
What is acid reflux? It is a common complication of the stomach and esophagus that causes uncomfortable heartburn. Acid reflux can usually be taken care of with an over-the-counter antacid.
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