Important Facts About Acid Reflux

Education is one of the most effective things you can do when it comes to preventing the effects of a disease on your health. Did you know that acid reflux is a problem for at least 35% of all overweight people, plus many others who are not overweight?

In this article, we'll look at some of the fact about acid reflux, which can help you minimize its effects on your life if you're suffering from it.

Over sixty million Americans are affected by heartburn due to acid reflux on a monthly basis. That's roughly twenty percent of the whole population! And approximately twenty five million (1/12 of the population) experience it every day.

Acid reflux isn't only a problem with the digestive system, it can also affect your mental health. Roughly 80% of the people who deal with it experience the symptoms during the night, and about 75% of those people wake up as a result.

These nighttime attacks can lead to other problems during the day, such as an increased risk of having an accident while driving, a lack of concentration and increased irritability.

While heartburn is technically incurable, there are things that you can do to help offset the chance of you getting this disease. If you worry that you are at risk for an acid reflux condition, it is important to review the types of foods that you are eating and change your habits to lessen the number of acid-creating foods you ingest.

Drinking alcohol and smoking can also both contribute to acid reflux. Smoking will increase the acid production in your stomach, which can make the acid reflux even more damaging to your esophagus.

Also, nicotine is known to relax the lower esophageal sphincter muscle, which, when operating incorrectly, is one of the leading causes of an acid reflux condition. Alcohol performs much of the same process on the lower esophageal sphincter, causing it to relax and allowing reflux to creep into the esophagus.