Acid Reflux: Symptoms, risk factors, treatment and more

Do you ever experience an uncomfortable burning sensation in your chest, mostly after having your meals which usually gets worse at night?

Well, that’s a common condition called Acid Reflux also known as Heartburn. Now just because it has ‘heart’ in its name does not mean that it’s anywhere related to the heart, so you can cool down! But not so cool that you completely ignore this condition.

So let’s have a quick look into what is Acid Reflux?

It’s a digestive disease that happens when some of the acidic content from the stomach moves up into the esophagus causing irritation in the food pipe. And if this condition happens with you more than twice a week, then you might be diagnosed with the condition called Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

This is a very common condition that can happen to a person of any age, even infants also show symptoms of GERD.

Some people might just treat this condition by changing their lifestyle or eating patterns while some need to get proper medication and even surgery in few cases.

Symptoms of Acid Reflux:

Burning Sensation, mostly after eating that might get worse when a person lies down or bends over.

Chest Pain

Nausea

Bloating

Sore or bitter taste at the back of your throat, also called Regurgitation.

You might also face:

Chronic cough

Asthma

Facing trouble swallowing

Trouble in sleep

Risk factors

There are certain conditions or lifestyle behaviours that can always increase the chances of getting Acid Reflux. Some of them include:

And only if, the suggested lifestyle changes or these medications don’t work, or if you’ve developed complications for GERD, you’re asked to get surgery.

Conclusion

Acid Reflux or heartburn is a common condition that can be experienced by any person at any point in time. Instead of taking too much stress about it or ignoring it completely, you need to take general steps to manage it before it hurts you too much.

By changing lifestyle patterns, i.e., by eating healthy, taking proper sleep, drinking enough amount of water every day, you can find a solution to it.

And if you experience heartburn more than twice a week, then don’t wait to see a doctor, as the right treatment at the right time can help you save the extra trouble in the future.