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Thursday, August 30, 2007

Acid Reflux Treatment In Pregnancy Makes A Difference

By Ben Franklin

Acid reflux treatment in pregnancy can be a little tricky. Balancing cures, diet and exercise with what's good for both avoiding reflux and sticking to doctor's orders for the baby's sake can be tough.

Let's face it, sleeping can be difficult enough during pregnancy and the third trimester's the worst. Unfortunately, this is generally when acid reflux tends to rear its ugly head.
That's right. That awful burning feeling in the back of the throat, discomfort that feels like fire and a general sick feeling that makes sleeping almost impossible.
To deal with reflux in pregnancy, it's a good idea to understand first why it is so common. There are a lot of reasons acid reflux and pregnancy go hand-in-hand along with the typical heartburn many experience right out of the gate.

First off, pregnancy hormones can simply wreak havoc on the body and then there's the simple fact that the wonder of life that is your baby can, and does, press on organs in ways a first-time mother could never imagine. Sleeping can be hard enough without acid reflux, but it's an unfortunate side effect that can hamper the last few weeks.

So, what's a mom-to-be to do?
The first thing is to relax. While acid reflux is a nightmare, keep in mind that unless it's a medical condition that was present before the pregnancy, it will likely go away as soon as the baby is born. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.
When trying to treat reflux in pregnancy, remember pregnant women cannot or should not take a lot of the medications that are suggested for acid reflux under normal conditions. Thus, some pre-emptive strikes to avoid the condition are in order.
Here are some things that can help a pregnant woman avoid horrible bouts of acid reflux and things to do to relieve the symptoms if they start:

How to avoid an attack:
* Stay away from foods that can cause reflux. This means just say no to chocolate! Sorry. It also means steering clear of acidic foods such as juices and fruits, tomatoes, vinegar and fried and fatty foods.
* Since you're pregnant and should already be staying clear of caffeine this hopefully won't be an issue, but if you've been having a few sodas or coffees a day, cut that out of your diet right away.
*Limit food intake. Don't overeat.
*Don't eat right before bed.
*Drink tons of water. This is not only good for helping stave off an acid reflux attack, it's also good for you and the baby.
*Elevate yourself when you sleep. Acid reflux involves a "backflow" of stomach contents into the esophagus, stop it before it starts by careful placement of pillows.

Even the best-laid plans don't always work for a woman nearing term. If acid reflux strikes, check with your doctor about what you can take. Some find that pregnancy-friendly Tums help, others find getting up, walking around for a little bit followed up by some water does the trick.

Don't get discouraged and just do your best to relax and let the symptoms pass. Remember, acid reflux in pregnancy tends to go away completely after the baby's birth. Think of it as a little bump in the road on the way to something fantastic and you'll do fine!

Sunday, August 26, 2007

What You Can Do to Lessen the Effects of Infant Acid Reflux

By Arturo Ronzon

Infant acid reflux is usually more devastating to the parents than it is to the child suffering with the condition. Sure, they will spit up a lot and cry, but they won’t remember any of that. You on the other hand will never forget the frustration and despair you experienced when your baby was suffering with infant acid reflux.

There are some things you can do to help lessen the effects and manage the symptoms of infant acid reflux. The best thing you can do is have patience and know that the condition will not last forever and it will not harm your child in any lasting way.

Your baby should begin to outgrow infant acid reflux at about six months of age. It is thought that because the baby is spending more time sitting upright rather than lying down, and this is said that in itself, will help prevent spit ups. After you have fed your baby, you can try keeping her in an upright position and quiet. Once the baby has finished her bottle and burped, sit her in your lap with her head nestled on your chest. Stay this way for at least thirty minutes after she has finished eating.

Another step you can take to reduce the symptoms of infant acid reflux is to offer smaller meals more frequently. When your baby suffers with infant acid reflux, you should feed the child twice as often and feed only half as much. Your baby will be able to digest smaller amounts of formula quicker, thus eliminating extra acid production.

A great way to avoid the more severe symptoms of infant acid reflux is to breast feed your baby and be careful of the food you are eating as it can pass into the milk that feeds your baby. Continue breast feeding as long as it is feasible to you, as feeding a baby with infant acid reflux formula can only worsen the symptoms. Breast milk contains digestion aiding enzymes that can minimize the effects of infant acid reflux.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Acid Reflux In Babies

By Francisco Lakay

Acid reflux in infants is generally diagnosed by the following symptoms: heartburn, gas, vomiting, coughing and abdominal pains. However, because babies are not able to speak for themselves, it is important to monitor your baby very closely for visible signs, e.g. does your baby starts crying after passing gas? The good news is that most babies outgrow acid reflux, but it has been reported in older children too. As soon as it is diagnosed, it can be easily treated successfully.

Common problems associated with acid reflux in babies include colic, recurrent gagging, breathing problems, poor growth and wheezing.

Preventive measures to alleviate acid reflux in babies are:
(1) keep baby upright for 30 minutes after a feed,
(2) changing the feeding schedule,
(3) thicken bottle feedings with cereal, and
(4)elevate the head of baby's bed.
Acid reflux in infants can also be treated with antacids (e.g. Maalox), acid blockers (e.g. Prevacid), and acid suppressors (e.g. Zantac). It should be taken into consideration that babies differ from one another and one case might also differ from another. Therefore, it is always advisable to take your baby to the doctor for an assessment of his/her condition and not to treat your baby at home, based on information gathered from an internet source only.

Remember treatment will also be age-related and based on severity. On the flip-side, most infants suffer from acid reflux during the first 3 months of age and it normally disappears between 12 and 18 months of age.
Useful resources:

Recognize the Symptoms of Acid Reflux In Babies

By Kerry Ng

It's very frustrating to be a parent or a caregiver whose baby is upset and crying if you don't know what is wrong. Your infant doesn't have a way to communicate yet, so crying is the main sign of hunger or discomfort. Learning about all the various issues that the average baby or toddler may suffer from can help. The more you know, the more you can do to help your child to feel better. One subject that many parents and caregivers do not know much about is how to recognize the symptoms of acid reflux in babies.

Yes, even tiny infants can suffer from acid reflux. In fact, it’s quite common, as the digestive symptom in infants is not yet fully developed. They also have no capacity yet to tell when they are full, nor to communicate this to their parents. What this means is that babies cannot always keep the foods and liquids they’ve been fed inside their stomachs. In addition, most infants spend a majority of their time lying down which, as any adult sufferer of acid reflux will tell you, only exacerbates the symptoms of acid reflux. In babies this is no different, so if your child seems to be suffering from acid reflux-related discomfort, try putting him or her in a seat or carrier that allows an upright position for a larger portion of the day.

It is very important to recognize the symptoms of acid reflux in babies, as failing to deal with it can lead to failure to thrive, due to the baby not getting enough nutrition. Allowing the esophagus to be continually exposed to the stomach acids can also lead to tissue damage or even scarring and potentially to breathing problems later in life.
But it can be hard to tell the difference between normal infant vomiting & grumpiness and the more serious symptoms of acid reflux in babies. It’s perfectly normal for babies to cough up their food, due to the same immaturity of the digestive system that causes the symptoms of acid reflux in babies in the first place. And since they cannot yet communicate, they are unable to convey just why they may be feeling uncomfortable or even in pain. If your infant’s vomiting seems to be happening after every meal, or if he or she is also having breathing troubles, you should consider that these might be symptoms of acid reflux, and see your pediatrician.

Treatment of the symptoms of acid reflux in babies may range from simply feeding your baby different foods and adjusting his or her sleeping conditions to prescription medications. Whatever treatment your doctor prescribes, be sure to follow instructions carefully, as symptoms of acid reflux in babies can quickly lead to more serious conditions.

Kerry Ng is a successful Webmaster and publisher of The Acid Reflux Blog. Click here for more helpful information about Acid Reflux: http://theacidrefluxblog.com/acid-reflux-and-chest-pain
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kerry_Ng

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Causes and Treatments for Acid Reflux Disease

By Bhikoo Rajesh

Have you ever experienced heartburn? You know what I am talking about. The painful burning sensation in the chest and throat, and the bitter taste in the mouth. It will usually creep up after a really large meal, or when you eat certain foods that are spicy or acidic. Most of us have been there, and many of us have found relief through over the counter antacids or other types of heartburn medication. It comes, it goes and we forget about it. However, there are a number of people who cannot forget about it. That is because their heartburn symptoms keep recurring, multiple times a week, and sometimes almost every day. These symptoms can become so severe and painful that regular medications cannot eliminate the problem. If you know heartburn like I am describing, you may have acid reflux disease.

Acid reflux disease is basically frequent, painful heartburn that often does not respond effectively to the standard, over the counter medication choices. If you find that your heartburn is occurring twice a week or more, it is probably time to talk to your doctor about the possibility of acid reflux disease. Once your doctor confirms this diagnosis, he can check for any damage that might have been done to your esophagus from the condition, and he can put you on an effective treatment program that consists of lifestyle modifications as well as medications to treat your symptoms and control your disease.

Acid Reflux Disease Treatments
Part of the treatment for acid reflux disease involves looking at the possible causes of the condition and doing what you can to eliminate them. For example, obesity raises your risk of acid reflux disease, due to the excessive pressure that is placed on the digestive system. By losing weight, you can do much to reduce or even eliminate your painful symptoms. Smoking can be a contributing cause and irritant for this condition as well, so kicking the habit may be another effective treatment option. You can also avoid the foods that you know will contribute to the symptoms of your acid reflux disease. This can include spicy foods, tomatoes, citrus fruits, onions and garlic, and alcoholic beverages. There are other foods that might be specific to your condition. By eliminating these foods from your diet, you can also effectively treat your acid reflux disease.

Medication is yet another treatment option, and can consist of over the counter choices as well as prescriptions for the harder to treat symptoms. The good news is that there are many things that you can do to relieve your painful acid reflux disease symptoms. Talk to your doctor today about the best treatment choices for you.

More information about Natural Acid reflux cure. Our site http://www.aciddiseaserefluxinfo.com is a comprehensive resource to help infant acid reflux sufferers with proper acid reflux cure.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bhikoo_Rajesh

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Does Your Baby Have Acid Reflux?

By Tom Houser

In today’s world, extra care is needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Numerous ailments pop up all the time. Infants do not have the ability to fight toxic substances and diseases with the regularity that adults manage.

Given the vulnerability of infants, it becomes extremely important for today’s parents to go that extra step to protect their children. Research on infant health care becomes imperative. One must know the various possible ailments in infants and study the early symptoms that would sound alerts to parents.

Acid reflux symptoms in infants are a common complaint to look for in today’s society. The nature of the complaint, the symptoms and the impact of the same in infants has to be known in depth to take the necessary precautionary steps.

The medical term used by doctors for acid reflux symptoms in infants is ‘Gastro esophageal Reflux’. It describes the condition where the food consumed and the stomach acid flow back into the esophagus. A set of muscles below the esophagus called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) opens and closes to give way for food to enter the stomach. After meals, the LES opens to release the gas.

Some of the stomach contents are released back to the esophagus and the mouth in some instances. Parents will often see the baby spitting up, or throwing up when this happens. GER can occur at any time even other than during or just after a feeding. Acid reflux can even occur when babies cough or cry.

Acid reflux symptoms in infants occur usually in the first three months. Normally, no medical treatment is required for this complaint and the symptoms automatically disappear between 12 to 18 months of age. However if symptoms persist, then the complaint is to be perceived as serious and treatment is required.

Acid Reflux Symptoms in Infants
The common symptoms found in Acid Reflux are as follows:
• Frequent Spitting or vomiting
• Irritability or discomfort while feeding
• Reduced or no food consumption
• Constant or sudden crying
• Infants bending or rather arching their backs while feeding
• Burps accompanied by spitting
• Frequent hiccups and coughing
• Reduced sleeping hours
• Bad breath

Apart from the above not-so-serious symptoms there are other serious symptoms that have to be observed and treated medically. These are as follows:
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Sore throats occurring frequently
• Loss of weight or very less weight gain
• Breathing problems such as asthma, wheezing, bronchitis and pneumonia
• Ear or sinus infections
• Small spells of breathlessness
• Voice turning hoarse
• Excessive drooling

The above are less common symptoms that occur in a few infants. The above distinction between common and uncommon symptoms must be known in depth by parents to know when exactly the child needs medical attention.

Thus, parents with extra care can identify and solve the acid reflux symptoms in infants!
Thomas D. Houserhttp://www.acidcurereflux.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_Houser

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Is Infant Acid Reflux Harmful To Your Baby?

By Lee Dobbins

Infant acid reflux can be quite common in newborn babies and, while it may be disconcerting for the parents, it usually isn’t anything you have to worry too much over. Called a gastroesophageal reflux or baby acid reflux or even baby GERD, this usually happens when the infants digestive system hasn’t had time to fully develop and the lower esophageal sphincter, which sits between the stomach and the esophagus hasn’t developed enough to do the job right. This can be quite common with premature babies but can also happen in those that were carried full term.

Typically symptoms of acid reflux is noticed during the babies feeding time but it can happen at other times too. If your baby has bad breath, regurgitates frequently after meals, has recurrent coughing, spits up more than a typical baby would and is generally really fussy it might be because of acid reflux.

Acid reflux can cause the same discomfort in infants that it does in adults and, as you can imagine, can make your baby very uncomfortable. Luckily it is usually not very serious and tends to go away on it’s own usually by the time the baby is 1 to 1 /2 years old. However, one serious problem that can come up is that your baby might start to associate the unpleasant sensations of acid reflux with eating and may start to not want to eat.

If you think your baby has infant acid reflux you will want to take him to the pediatrician who can diagnose this based on a physical exam as well as evaluation of the symptoms. Although acid reflux in babies is usually not serious, it is important that you get your baby to the doctor to be diagnoses because some serious respiratory problems could develop from food being inadvertently taken into the lungs. In addition, serious acid reflux may cause damage to the esophagus just as in adults.

If your baby does have infant acid reflux, there are a few things you can do to minimize the symptoms. Try feeding the baby more frequently through out the day, but with smaller doses in each feeding. Also, you’ll want to frequently interrupt the feeding and hold he baby upright or burp him. Try keeping the baby upright for a while after the feeding as well. In some cases your doctor may recommend medication but usually acid reflux problems can be treated simply by changing the way you position your baby while you fed him.

Get the latest on acid reflux disease by visiting http://www.acidrefluxillness.com - a website that offers information and articles on acid reflux symptoms and treatments including information on infant acid reflux.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_Dobbins