Why You Have Gastroesophageal Reflux?

Most people are familiar with acid reflux and heartburn but less than what GERD is. GERD is a more advanced case of acid reflux and stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease or just esophageal reflux. With gastroesophageal reflux, just like in heartburn, the content of the stomach – stomach acid, bile, pepsin, ingested liquids and foods flow back up into the esophagus. This occurs when the LES valve, the valve between the stomach and esophagus, opens when it shouldn’t, and allows this content to go back into the esophagus

When stomach content pushes back into the esophagus, called reflux, damage to the esophagus tissue occurs causing inflammation, esophagitis, or gastroesophageal reflux disease. The progression of gastroesophageal reflux can turn into Barrett’s esophagus, a precancerous condition. And, this can eventually change into esophageal cancer, if nothing is done to treat this condition

Many clinical studies now show that excessive use of drugs that are aimed at acid reflux or heartburn increase your chances of forming gastroesophageal cancer; this includes the use of over the counter drugstore remedies.

While it is thought that excessive acid is the cause of esophageal reflux, the main cause is a weak Lower Esophageal Sphincter, LES. And what causes a weak LES valve. A weak LES valve is caused by the health or non-health of the stomach.

But, it is the stomach acid that creates the symptoms of heartburn or acid reflux. So doctors and pharmaceutical companies targeted their medicines toward the reduction of this acid. This does not cure the cause of gastroesophageal reflux, but will prevent strong acid from burning the esophagus tissue.

The use of drugs to deal with esophageal reflux is not always the best way to deal with this condition. In some case, it is necessary to reduce the strength of the acid that flows into the esophagus to prevent continual attack on the esophagus tissue. Most drugs are designed to inhibit or block the production of stomach acid making it weaker and less evasive. But this blocking comes with a price. The price is a major imbalance your stomach function.

Your stomach will not work like it should when its acid production is blocked. For one thing, bad bacteria and other pathogens are not completely destroyed with weak acid. These pathogens can get passed your stomach and end up in your colon or enter your body holding up in various organs caused illness. Certain vitamins and minerals will not be processed correctly when stomach acid gets weaker. And, many other stomach functions will be affected and this will lead to diseases far worse than simple acid reflux.

The cure for reflux lies in lifestyle and diet. The food you consume, the amount you over eat, what you drink and when you drink it, and other lifestyle factors contribute to the health and activities you will have in your stomach. This activity can result in excess acid being excreted by your stomach lining and affecting the strength of your LES. Or, excess gas can be created by the improper decomposition of food you eat, causing excess gas, which put excess pressure on the LES causing it to open.

Then again acid may not be the issue. Some people can experience alkaline reflux damage in the esophagus. The alkaline liquid can be sucked up from the small intestine where alkaline liquid flourishes when excreted by the gallbladder and the pancreas.

The only way to really handle gastroesophageal reflux is to use natural methods – natural diet, natural remedies, natural relaxation, and lifestyle. Drugs are so harmful in treating acid reflux that they should only be used in serious conditions and for a short time. But as with so many other drugs, doctors prescribe these acid blocking drugs and keep their patients on these drugs longer than necessary.