Body Care
Let us help you live a better life through
improved health, hygiene, personal safety,
and physical fitness.
From time to time -- whether from fatigue,
stress, illiness, or aging, our body uses
to pain to signal us that it is having probems.
The four elements of our Body Care guide are:
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Health / Complaints /
Acid Reflux
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Acid reflux (medical name "GERD")
use to be called "heartburn" because
the pain -- a burning, itching, sharpness
-- is often felt in the center of the chest.
Other symptoms may include an acidic taste
in the back of the mouth, often after burping.
Acid reflux is pain that results from stomach
acids passing up the digestive track and
eating away at the lining of the esophagus.
Occasional acid reflux is only a minor discomfort,
but persistent reflux can lead to much more
serious medical conditions.
Treatment usually consists of:
- taking an acid neutralizer like Maalox ,
Mylanta, Tums or other anti-acid.
These products
generally use calcium to counteract
the acid.
- lifestyle and diet changes, such as avoiding
spicy and acidic (e.g., orange juice) foods
to reduce stomach acid, avoiding chocolate
and caffeinated coffee to prevent relaxation
of the muscles that keep the acid in the
stomach, wearing loose clothing to keep the
stomach from being compressed, and staying
upright for several hours after eating.
- prescription drugs, such as Nexium or Prilosec,
which chemically reduce the
amount of acid
the stomach creates
- surgery to repair the valve that keeps the
acid in the stomach
If you have persistent problems
with acid
reflux, consult your doctor for
the best
treatment for you. |
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