Acid Reflux is also referred to as Gastroesophageal reflux disease-GERD, 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 or Acid Reflux 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 Acid Reflux or GERD is begun, therefore, it usually will need to be continued indefinitely. The cause of Acid Reflux or GERD is complex. There probably are multiple causes, and different causes may be operative in different individuals or even in the same individual at various times. A small number of patients with GERD produce abnormally large amounts of acid, but this is uncommon and not a contributing factor in the vast majority of patients. The factors that contribute to causing GERD are the lower esophageal sphincter, hiatal hernias, esophageal contractions, and emptying of the stomach.

The symptoms of Acid Reflux or GERD are primarily heartburn, regurgitation, and nausea..Complicated Acid Reflux show symptoms like ulcers,strictures,Barretts esophagus,cough and asthma,inflammation of throat and larynx,inflammation and infection of lungs,fluid in the sinuses and middle ears. One of the simplest treatments for Acid Reflux/GERD is referred to as life-style changes, a combination of several changes in habit, particularly related to eating. Several changes in eating habits can be beneficial in treating GERD.

Reflux is worse following meals. This is probably because the stomach is distended with food at that time and acid and transient relaxations of the lower esophageal sphincter are more frequent. Therefore, smaller and earlier evening meals may reduce the amount of reflux for two reasons. First, the smaller meal results in lesser distention of the stomach. Second, by bedtime, a smaller and earlier meal is more likely to have emptied from the stomach than is a larger one. As a result, reflux is less likely to occur when patients with Acid Reflux or GERD lie down. Foods such as Chocolate,peppermint,alcohol and caffeinated drinks should be avoided.Fatty foods (which should be reduced and smoking (which should be stopped)also reduce the pressure in the sphincter and promote reflux.Foods that aggravate their symptoms should also be avoided like spicy or acid-containing foods such as citrus juices,carbonated beverages and tomato juice.

One novel approach to the treatment of GERD is chewing gum. Chewing gum stimulates the production of more bicarbonate-containing saliva and increases the rate of swallowing which in turn enhance in the neutralization. Despite the development of potent medications for the treatment of Acid Reflux or GERD, antacids remain a mainstay of treatment. Antacids neutralize the acid in the stomach so that there is no acid to reflux.The first medication developed for more effective and convenient treatment of acid-related diseases, including GERD, was a histamine antagonist. The another type of drug developed specifically for acid-related diseases, such as GERD, was a proton pump inhibitor (PPI).Pro-motility drugs work by stimulating the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract, including the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and/or colon also work for Acid Reflux or GERD.

Another treatment for Acid Reflux is Foam barriers which are tablets that are composed of an antacid and a foaming agent. The drugs described above usually are effective in treating the symptoms and complications of Acid Reflux or GERD. Nevertheless, sometimes they are not. For example, despite adequate suppression of acid and relief from heartburn, regurgitation, with its potential for complications in the lungs, may still occur. In such situations, surgery can effectively stop reflux. Very recently, endoscopic techniques for the treatment of GERD have been developed.