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What is acid reflux relief?

In medically oriented terms, antonyms of the word relief include pain, distress or damage. That links its meaning to both subjective and objective aspects. Subjective, denoting sensations experienced by the sufferer such as pain and objective, meaning physical findings detected by specialists which are either functional distress or organic damage. Actually relief is related to control measures and it quantitatively signifies removal of an unpleasant existence or reduction of its magnitude. The definition of relief, therefore encompasses alleviation of pain, relaxation of distress and healing of damage. Acid reflux on the other hand has two sides; the subjective side (symptoms) which reflects the symptom of heartburn and the objective side (signs) that reflects the functional and/or organic signs of esophageal changes. Acid reflux relief is therefore a broad term that covers all the measures used to control symptoms and signs of acid reflux disease. Normally, the lower esophageal sphincter remains closed except during swallowing. This prevents the passage of food and acid from the stomach into the esophagus. If the lower esophageal sphincter becomes weakened or relaxed, stomach acid may back up into the esophagus. Frequent acid reflux can irritate and inflame the lining of the esophagus, causing symptoms and signs of acid reflux. A better understanding of relief would thus entail knowledge of some aspects of normal structure and function, so that changes in the disease and its control could be easily considered. Actually acid reflux relief involves both preventive and curative measures, and in addition to treatment; orientation with the causes, symptoms and complications of acid reflux are essential for proper management. Acid reflux relief includes: dietary changes,lifestyle modifications, specific medications and surgical operations.Basic knowledge of the underlying causes and progression of acid reflux and answering frequently asked questions about its relief; add to the depth of understanding.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Acid Reflux Relief logoWhat relieves symptoms of acid reflux?

Short term relief of acid reflux symptoms is easy. The problem is that the disease relapses, and many sufferers will require long term management.
There are general considerations that should be applied. These include: reducing acid, enhancing esophageal clearance and correcting anatomical or physiological defects.
Antacids are used for short term relieve only. H2 blockers are also effective. Proton pump inhibitors have become the mainstay in acid reflux treatment. They could be used effectively for continuous therapy in complicated cases.
Enhancing clearance and promoting mucosal defense could be attempted by such drugs as: Prokinetics, Alginates, Antacids and Mucosal protectants. These trials are practically not convincing.
Correcting anatomical or physiological defects as Hiatal Henia and lower esophageal sphincter incompetence should be considered following diagnosis of these problems. The commonly used operation is Fundoplication. The hernia is reduced, the normal position of the sphincter is restored and consequently lower esophageal sphincter competence is reinforced. However, some complications may follow this operation such as difficulty in swallowing and inability to belch or vomit. The results would be much better with good selection of patients.

Related posts:
How to achieve acid reflux relief without any medication?
The role of Proton Pump Inhibitors in acid reflux relief
Achieving acid reflux relief with surgery

Posted by SSS at 7:58 AM

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