Acid reflux is a condition that occurs when incompletely digested foods pass from your stomach back through to your esophagus or throat. It commonly arises as part of a larger syndrome called gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. Typically, acid reflux symptoms result from the incomplete closure of the muscular sphincter that divides your stomach and esophagus.
The Basics
During normal digestion, your stomach initially acts as a storage center for food traveling from your mouth through your esophagus, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, or NDDIC. Stored food is then passed to the lower section of your stomach, where it mixes with stomach acid and other digestive juices that break down your food for absorption in your small intestine. However, in cases of acid reflux, partially digested food reverses course and passes back through a muscular ring called the lower esophageal sphincter, which sits between your stomach and esophagus and normally prevents food regurgitation.
Acid Reflux
The term acid reflux is sometimes used interchangeably with GERD, the NDDIC explains. However, technically speaking, acid reflux refers specifically to the passage of partially digested food and/or stomach acid back through your lower esophageal sphincter. If you experience acid reflux, you will frequently be able to taste this partially digested food or drink as it rises to the back of your throat. In some cases, regurgitated stomach acids may also cause significant pain and irritation in the lining of your esophagus, commonly known as acid indigestion or heartburn.
Common Factors
Doctors do not know precisely why acid reflux and GERD develop, the NDDIC reports. However, they have identified certain factors that may trigger or worsen associated symptoms, including smoking, obesity and pregnancy. Consumption of certain foods may also worsen your symptoms. Examples include garlic, onions, spicy or fatty food, citrus, fried foods, tomatoes and tomato-containing foods, chocolate, alcohol and caffeine. You also have a higher risk of developing acid reflux or other GERD symptoms if you have a hiatal hernia, a condition characterized by the partial intrusion of your upper stomach and esophageal sphincter above the muscular diaphragm, which normally separates your chest and abdomen.
Medication Factors
You can also develop reflux or other GERD symptoms if you use certain medications, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine's Medline Plus. Examples here include calcium channel blockers, bronchodilators, beta-blockers, tricyclic antidepressants, sedatives, anticholinergics and Parkinson's medications that affect your dopamine levels. If you experience reflux symptoms while using one of these medications, consult your doctor.
Treatment
Medline Plus lists potential treatments for acid reflux and GERD that include use of nonprescription antacids; proton pump inhibitor medications such as esomeprazole and omeprazole; promotility medications such as metoclopramide; and H2 agonist medications such as cimetidine and famotidine. You can also address your symptoms with measures such as avoiding irritating foods and drinks, eating smaller meals, avoiding smoking, reducing your stress and not lying down with a full stomach. In severe cases, you may also undergo anti-reflux surgeries such as the procedure called Nissen fundoplication.
References
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Your Digestive System and How It Works
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Heartburn, Gastroesophageal Reflux (GER) and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- Medline Plus - U.S. National Library of Medicine - National Institutes of Health: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
