GERD (Acid Reflux)

What is GERD (acid reflux)?

"Gastroesophageal reflux disease, commonly referred to as GERD, or acid reflux, is a condition in which the liquid content of the stomach regurgitates (backs up, or refluxes) into the esophagus. The liquid can inflame and damage the lining of the esophagus although this occurs in a minority of patients. The regurgitated liquid usually contains acid and pepsin that are produced by the stomach. (Pepsin is an enzyme that begins the digestion of proteins in the stomach.) The refluxed liquid also may contain bile that has backed-up into the stomach from the duodenum. (The duodenum is the first part of the small intestine that attaches to the stomach.) Acid is believed to be the most injurious component of the refluxed liquid. Pepsin and bile also may injure the esophagus, but their role in the production of esophageal inflammation and damage (esophagitis) is not as clear as the role of acid.

GERD is a chronic condition. Once it begins, it usually is life-long. If there is injury to the lining of the esophagus (esophagitis), this also is a chronic condition. Moreover, after the esophagus has healed with treatment and treatment is stopped, the injury will return in most patients within a few months. Once treatment for GERD is begun, therefore, it usually will need to be continued indefinitely.

Actually, the reflux of the stomach's liquid contents into the esophagus occurs in most normal individuals. In fact, one study found that reflux occurs as frequently in normal individuals as in patients with GERD. In patients with GERD, however, the refluxed liquid contains acid more often, and the acid remains in the esophagus longer.

As is often the case, the body has ways (mechanisms) to protect itself from the harmful effects of reflux and acid. For example, most reflux occurs during the day when individuals are upright. In the upright position, the refluxed liquid is more likely to flow back down into the stomach due to the effect of gravity. In addition, while individuals are awake, they repeatedly swallow, whether or not there is reflux. Each swallow carries any refluxed liquid back into the stomach. Finally, the salivary glands in the mouth produce saliva, which contains bicarbonate. With each swallow, bicarbonate-containing saliva travels down the esophagus. The bicarbonate neutralizes the small amount of acid that remains in the esophagus after gravity and swallowing have removed most of the liquid.

Gravity, swallowing, and saliva are important protective mechanisms for the esophagus, but they are effective only when individuals are in the upright position. At night while sleeping, gravity is not in effect, swallowing stops, and the secretion of saliva is reduced. Therefore, reflux that occurs at night is more likely to result in acid remaining in the esophagus longer and causing greater damage to the esophagus.

Certain conditions make a person susceptible to GERD. For example, GERD can be a serious problem during pregnancy. The elevated hormone levels of pregnancy probably cause reflux by lowering the pressure in the lower esophageal sphincter (see below). At the same time, the growing fetus increases the pressure in the abdomen. Both of these effects would be expected to increase reflux. Also, patients with diseases that weaken the esophageal muscles (see below), such as scleroderma or mixed connective tissue diseases, are more prone to develop GERD. "
-Medicinenet.com

So..I have this problem. It causes me to get sick in the morning..I'll even often wakeup practically already puking. Not fun i tell ya...
It's said a lot more people suffer from this than we think. So i'm curious, if this is a problem for you what have you found to be good diet/routine. How does it affect you?
...So how about it?

The real question here is... why didn't acid reflux disease exist 20 years ago?

Say it with me: Once treatment for GERD is begun it usually will need to be continued indefinitely.

Eliminate alcohol, take a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar when you start to feel it (or two, it works), and for god's sake be careful before filling any prescriptions (read: drug company pocketbooks for the rest of your life).

Well it started back in early Febuary actually.. i was getting sick every few days consistently for about 3 weeks. it's then that i eliminated alcohol from my life. I've had maybe 6 beers....since Febuary and even then, they were with dinners.I was put on a trial by my doctorr called Pantaloc, it worked well for about 3 weeks and then i began to show symptoms again.. not as often.. but still frequent enough.

Acid Reflux DID exsist 20 years ago..who are you to argue otherwise? I'm sure the knowledge of what it actually was or how to treat it wasn't nearly as advanced as it is now as most things are now in medical science. It's like saying DNA didn't exsist until we figured out what it actually was....it still exsists..

I'm saying that the terminology is an invention of the pharmaceutical industry to put people on pills for the rest of their lives. Used to be people got indigestion. We should be devoting serious funds to finding the cause of this plague if it has indeed gotten so much worse in recent years.

I don't challenge that you are in pain. I should have been more clear. Sorry!

Agree'd. People still get indigestion though. This, is not indigestion. Waking up with vomit in your mouth for no apparent reason... is not indigestion. Personally, i'm not a doctor. The advancements in medical technology over the last decades have been out of this world though. Things like Polio,Tuberculosis and SmallPox (to name a few) pretty much don't exsist in the modern world anymore.

I guess sticking to old home remedies works for some...but some of us are genuinely sick and need to rely on the work of professionals.

BobBong try some vinegar one or 2 tp full,, for an hour and see what happins
they sayed I had it and the kids where messing with me and put vinegar in my coffee
and and when it had cooled I took a big glup and went out of my mind and it help come to find out I did not enough (acid) and a lot ov people are the same way.

My stomach physically creates excess stomach acid. mind explaining how drinking vinegar is going to help that?

umm... something about... either... vinegar disolves stomach acid, or acid reflux is strangely caused by not having enough acid...

i dont remember...

well the doc said to a lot people that they have to much or excess stomach acid,
that is not the case in a lot of people it is the reverse of that Not enoght acid in there body, So untill they try both ways the Don't Know... my doc. had me on pills that cost me 250.00 a month.

i get acid reflux from a poor dietary plan in affect on an every day bassis........my pysicain has also told me i have a preemphital hernia or something like dat.......it means a little part of your stoamach goes into your esophagaus and causes a fuckin horendus pain.......look into that too