9/26/2007

Gastric Reflux Diet


Gastric Reflux Diet - An Easy Turn Around by Gilbey Scott


Do you think you have gastric reflux? We read so much about heartburn and other conditions with related names, like gastric reflux, it is hard to understand exactly the condition and how best to treat it. One of the first things you can do, to determine if this is your problem, is to build a personal 3-step analysis. It's simple to do and will lead you to the right path for a cure.
Start by identifying these three things.

1) Symptoms - Being able to relate certain foods with reflux pain makes it easier to build a case. But what about gulping food down? And how many sodas do you drink a day? These are issues to be addressed, having pain consistently after eating is a symptom that something is wrong. Attacks of twice a week or more can mean damage of the stomach, esophagus or connecting sphincter. A sour taste, hoarse cough or uncomfortable stomach are other symptoms.

2) Frequency and the severity of your heartburn attacks - Medical guidelines consider attacks of twice a week or more to be an indication of a chronic condition. Strong symptoms related to gastric reflux will reinforce this conclusion.

3) Causes - Start jotting things down that might be causing this reflux and see if you can identify any patterns. These could be food related or other issues like eating habits or health issues. Obesity, stress, anxiety or eating disorders could also play a part. Identifying the cause is way to get to the root of the problem. If it is gastric reflux, the best person to find the cause is you.
Judging the information you gather from these steps will be the basis for you plan of action. Gastric reflux, by it name, is a disorder that affects the gastro-esophageal valve. And this is usually caused by stomach acid passing through the valve. After a while this causes damage to the valve and the esophagus.

What to do about this - Damage caused by this reflux action can be repaired. There are two ways to do this. One is to use a prescribed medication called a proton pump inhibitor. This pill is designed to block stomach acid and heal damaged tissue. Treatment may take six months to cure. Long treatment is not recommended.

The other option is to use a natural remedy like DLG. This a natural product made of licorice and has shown to be as effective as PPIs for treating gastric reflux. This too is not intended as a long term solution. A reflux condition such as this can become even more serious, if left untreated. A smart course of treatment would be to consult a medical professional.

The odds of succeeding with your gastric reflux diet will be much higher if you put it all down on paper. Even add a time table, if you like. Definitely make positive reinforcement a part of the plan. Gastric reflux - gastric juice that washes into the esophagus - can cause serious damage, even cancer.
I encourage you to start with a "can do" attitude, build a plan and get started as soon as possible.


About the Author
Learn how Heartburn Symptoms can often indicate other illnesses and how Heartburn Treatments can include Natural Remedies as well. Visit: http://www.smart-shape.com/pages/gastric-reflux-diet.php

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