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Acid Reflux Symptoms Are Now Affecting More Young People And Even PreteensWhat are Acid Reflux Symptoms and how they affect our human digestive system Also find on this page: Medical experts for years report a dramatic increase in Acid Reflux symptoms - Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) sufferers. It is a condition in which stomach acid rises out of the stomach into a lower part of esophagus. It occurs when the muscle located at the top of our stomach called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) doesn't open and close properly, allowing acid from our stomach to leak into esophagus. It frequently causes sore throats and can even damage tooth enamel. It can also cause acid to leak into our lungs and trigger wheezing, violent coughing and even lung problems. People suffering from acid reflux symptoms frequently experience heartburn several times a day. The acid reflux symptoms usually create: * Heartburn In some cases doctors see scarring of the esophagus with perforation into the chest, which in severe cases can be fatal. During last decades GERD is noted affecting digestive system of much younger part of our (US) population, and even teens and preteens. Many studies are showing an obvious link, explained by inadequate nutrition and exposure to harmful industrial toxins and chemical food additives. Other usual contributors to Acid Reflux Symptoms Another contributor to the problem — which may account, at least in part, for the increase in GERD — is frequent consumption of popular carbonated drinks. The carbonation increases the pressure within the stomach, forcing acid into the lower esophagus. Bacteria called H. pylori brings a multitude of complications to human digestive systrem's problems. Some researchers believe that this bacteria is responsible for the majority of peptic ulcers. However, there is some controversy regarding the role H. pylori actually plays. Several studies have shown that even after this bacterial infection is cured, GERD risk actually increases. This may be due to the fact that while H. pylori lowers levels of stomach acid, once cured the levels return to normal — and GERD returns when stomach acid is either normal or high. Also, H. pylori reduce stores of vitamin C in the stomach, lessening protection against free radicals in the stomach lining. In addition, many studies have shown that GERD and gastritis cause intensified free radical production in the stomach lining and esophagus. Another problem is inflammation in the lower part of the stomach (pyloric gastritis), which slows the emptying of stomach’s contents, again causing acid to back up into the esophagus. What can we do to avoid Acid Reflux Symptoms? When we don’t thoroughly chew and swallow large pieces, we force our stomach to expand, causing a special ring of muscle at the lower end of esophagus to relax. This allows the stomach acid to erupt into the lower esophagus. Normally, when food is entering the stomach from esophagus, this valve is closed. Our esophagus doesn’t have a layer of protective from stomach acid muscle and the refluxed acid can burn the tissue of it. If this happens often enough, it leads to heartburn, belching and a sensation of fullness — a condition doctors call dyspepsia. By the time we realize and pay attention to the above symptoms, a considerable damage can occur already. Over time this repeating injury can result in esophagus ulcer and even cancer, which has very high mortality. Eating several small meals a day, instead of usual three large meals a day can help our human digestive system to avoid acid reflux symptoms. Nutritional doctors often advise taking Peppermint - a powerful antispasmodic, which causes the muscles of the GI tract to relax. In general, this looks good, but eating a peppermint candy after each large meal will still ensure reflux into the esophagus — because it relaxes the muscle that keeps the lower end of the esophagus closed during digestion. Conventional medicine solutions In fact, acid-reducing medications — the most common treatment for this disorder — may in fact be harmful over the long run, causing usual for prescription drugs side effects. Doctors regularly prescribe popular prescription drugs such as * Prilosec These acid-suppressing drugs are called "proton-pump inhibitors" — or PPI's, because they lower the acid levels in the human digestive system. Prevacid alone accounts for nearly $13 billion in drug sales each year… …Prilosec rakes in a hefty $4 billion… According to the Chicago Trubune, August 16, 2007, PPIs raked in $13.6 billion in sales in 2006, second only to cholesterol-lowering drugs Statins, which raked in $21.6 billion. These numbers are unlikely get any lower since then. PPIs work by temporarily easing the acid reflux symptoms neutralizing the acid in stomach. Did the creators and promoters of these and other over-the-counter drugs describe to public what happens when the users lose such an important element of the human digestive system processing power? And even when these acid suppressors can relieve painful heartburn, scientists now know they're doing nothing to fix the underlying reflux problem any way. Also, a very common mistake people make is taking over-the-counter antacids such as Tums, Maalox or Rolaids for relief. This only makes things worse, since the calcium in these products actually stimulates stomach acid release. There is a rebound effect when too much buffer enters the stomach, and the result is an outpouring of stomach acid. Some of these antacids also contain dangerous to many sides of our health aluminum. Natural and modified lifestyle solutions Curcumin and Hesperidin are often used to reinforce mucus production in the lining of both stomach and esophagus, providing better protection against the acid reflux symptoms. Those of us with existing acid reflux should avoid late and midnight snacks and should sleep with the head of the bed elevated. Food triggers acid release. It is also probably best to avoid calcium supplements, since calcium stimulates acid release. Sleeping on the left side also reduces acid reflux, as this position helps to empty the stomach. Removing a usual for our population state of dehydration can also be optimizing the gastrointestinal tract and reducing acid reflux. So, drinking adequate amounts of water is very helpful.You can visit our dehydration symptoms page for more information. Our visitor contacted us using our Contact Us form asking a question regarding acid reflux in infants. We also have visitors concerned with gastric reflux in preteens. We researched the issue and to answer it used an advice from one of the best holistic doctors in our (USA) country - David Brownstein, M.D.. When a mother of a 1 year old boy suffering acid reflux symptoms was very concerned with boy’s pediatrician prescribing him Nexium with all its side effects, the doctor’s response was as follows: “You should feel uncomfortable about using an acid-blocking enzyme in a one year old. Acid blocking medications have a host of serious side effects, including osteoporosis and increasing the frequency and severity of C. difficile infections. My experience in treating children for acid reflux is that the first step is to search for the underlying cause. Many times this underlying cause is a food allergy, particularly a dairy allergy. My first suggestion would be to have your son evaluated for food allergies or to take him off dairy for six weeks. Dairy allergy is the most common cause of reflux in my practice. I am continually amazed at how many times reflux symptoms improve and even resolve by identifying and either eliminating or treating them. You can also treat allergies using NAET, an acupressure treatment…” We hope this advice helps every mother with similar acid reflux symptoms in preteens concerned with prescription medications side effects. If you are looking for more possible reasons for any digestive issues, you can visit our Probiotics and Enzymes Pages. 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