Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is a form of digestive disorder, which affects the lower oesophageal sphincters or the muscle ring present between the stomach and the food pipe. GERD incorporates the return of the contents of the stomach back to the oesophagus or food pipe. The functioning of the lower oesophageal sphincter is disrupted.

Causes

Hiatal hernia is a common cause of GERD. An unhealthy lifestyle and diet may also lead to GERD. Intake of an excess amount of chocolates, fried food, coffee or alcohol triggers the chance of a reflux. GERD also occurs in obese people and pregnant women.

Symptoms

Heartburn, also known as acid indigestion, is the primary symptom of GERD. The affected person may feel a burning chest pain which starts from behind the breastbone and reaches up to the throat. The feeling can be defined as food coming back to the throat with a bitter, acidic taste. The burning sensation may last as long as two hours.

Other symptoms include:

    Excess saliva secretion
    Chronic conditions of sore throat
    Laryngitis
    Gum inflammation
    Tooth cavities
    Unpleasant breath

In order to diagnose GERD, several tests may be conducted . They are:

    An X-Ray of the upper part of the digestive system.
    Endoscopy to examine the inner part of the oesophagus.
    Ambulatory acid test for monitoring the amount of acid within the oesophagus.
    An oesophageal impedance test to measure substance movement inside the oesophagus.

Treatment

    A person must make several changes to his daily lifestyle and diet plan for treatment of GERD.
    Food and beverages like chocolates, fatty food, coffee, alcohol and peppermint should be avoided in order to reduce the weakening of the lower oesophageal sphincter. Several food items irritate the damaged oesophageal lining and should also be avoided. They include citrus fruits, tomato and pepper.
    Smoking cigarettes results in weakening of the lower oesophageal sphincter and should be stopped to reduce GERD.
    One should elevate the head of the bed on which he or she sleeps on blocks measuring 6 inches. This reduces the heartburn as gravity minimizes stomach reflux to return to the oesophagus.
    Over the counter medicines can be used to cure GERD. Antacids are a good example and neutralize the acid in the oesophagus and stomach, reducing heartburn. Combining antacids with foaming agents is also effective. A foam barrier is formed over the stomach, preventing the occurrence of acid reflux.
    Medicines for reducing acid in the stomach are prescribed in cases of chronic GERD, which include H2 blockers by the likes of cimetidine, famotidine or nizatidine.

GERD is a digestive disorder, which causes disruption in digestion, as reflux from the stomach is returned to the oesophagus. Proper treatment measures should be taken.


Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

When you have pain in the stomach that is accompanied by nausea and vomiting, chances of you having chronic gastritis are high. This is an issue that specifically affects the stomach and is caused because the lining of the stomach gets inflamed and swollen and in some cases it may get damaged. The deterioration of the lining may be caused because of a bacterial infection and that would have to be treated with specialised medicines and treatment methods.During that time you may feel like there is something wrong with your digestive system and you may need to see a doctor for the constant pain that you have to go through as soon as you eat something.

Getting help
There may be times when you can no longer cope with the pain that may be occurring in your stomach. You may want to go to sleep or just sit still and do nothing; however, you cannot spend your entire life in that manner and you may have to consult an expert to get relief from the problem. One of the first steps in coping with chronic gastritis is to make sure that you make important lifestyle changes, such as eating healthy, choosing the right timings for eating, cutting down on alcohol and smoking and making sure that you choose a well-qualified and experienced doctor for getting the treatment.

Treatment
Apart from lifestyle changes, it is highly essential to follow a medication routine in order to beat the chronic gastritis completely. Doctors may suggest you take the medication according to the severity of the problem, but before that, you may be asked to go through a number of tests to confirm the problem. The tests may range from regular blood tests, stool tests, to endoscopy or even biopsy in some severe cases. After the testes are done, the doctors may be further sure about the the problem and that would be of great help in treating the issue with much more ease and expertise.

While it may be obvious to you that you suffer from chronic gastritis due to the constant pain in the stomach, it is also important to understand that the problem should not be taken lightly and that the right steps of the treatment should be taken in time before the problem gets worse.

Chronic Gastritis - How to Cope with it?

Constipation is something which not everyone is very open to talking. Everyone tries to avoid the topic as much as possible. They are happier discussing their sore throat or maybe a headache. Everyone likes to keep constipation to themselves. So here are some home remedies that can be used to help solve the problem of constipation.

Olive Oil
Just take one tablespoon of olive oil before eating anything else helps to solve the problem as it works best on an empty stomach. So in case, anyone forgets it, they can have it again once they have not eaten for a while. Mixing it will lemon juice is an option (not mandatory) as it helps lighten the flavour.

Fresh Lemon Juice
Drinking one cup of warm water with a lemon squeezed into it is a good way to get rid of constipation problems. It contains citric acid. It helps in removing the toxins and undigested materials. Once mixing it with warm water reduces the lemon flavour and also provides fluids to make sure things return to the way they should be. A doctor would also recommend the same thing.

Coffee
Well if the coffee was a solution, then most of the people would happily be sipping coffee throughout the day. However, overdoing anything is not okay. 1-2 cups of coffee are fine as coffee is diuretic or in simple terms, it increases the frequency at which a person will urinate. But more coffee does the complete opposite thing. As a result, even the water which was supposed to soften the stool ends being drawn out by excess coffee.

Baking Soda
When it comes to home remedies, baking soda is one of the best solutions. It is the cure to many problems. It s an incredible solution to constipation. Baking soda is a bicarbonate which means it will ensure that air comes out of the body one way or another, thus, relieving the pain from pressure. Just mix baking soda with a 1/4th cup of warm water, and it is ready to go. It works better if the concerned person can drink it as fast as he can.

Conclusion
Keeping all home remedies aside, it s crucial to consult a medical practitioner as the home remedies can only help us to a certain extent. Thus we mustn't depend on them completely. A medical practitioner, on the other hand, would be able to guide the patient in a proper and better way. So a timely visit never harms in any way.

Ayurvedic Herbs/Oil--

Seasamum Till for Kaf-vataj
Almond oil for Vat-prikriti
Kalaungi oil for DM and neurological rediculopathies caused by DM

Constipation - Home Remedies At Your Rescue!

Diabetes is a systemic disease that affects almost every part of your body. Of these, the digestive system is the most badly affected. While gastrointestinal disorders are commonly experienced by everyone, diabetics have a much higher risk of suffering from indigestion, food poisoning, gallstones and ulcers. Some of the most common gastrointestinal problems experienced by diabetics are:

Gastroparesis: High blood sugar levels can damage the vagus nerve that controls the emptying of the stomach. As a result fo this damage, the muscles of the stomach and intestines do not work optimally leading to a condition known as Gastroparesis. This is a condition where the stomach is not able to empty itself properly and the digestion process is slowed down. Gastroparesis can cause bloating, nausea, pain in the abdomen, heart burn and a loss of appetite. It can also cause undigested food in the stomach to harden and form lumps that block food from moving into the intestines. This disease cannot be cured but can be managed with medication and a special diet.
Ulcers: Stomach ulcers can be described as open sores that develop on the inner lining of the stomach, oesophagus and beginning of the small intestine. These ulcers form as a result of bacterial infections. Diabetes weakens a person s immune system thus reducing their ability to fight these infections and increasing the risk of developing ulcers. Diabetes also increases the risk of bleeding from these ulcers and secondary infections that may arise from it.
Yeast infections: Diabetics are extremely vulnerable to yeast infections. This is aggravated by fluctuation in blood sugar levels and can extend from the mouth to the oesophagus. Common symptoms of this type of yeast infection are pain in the throat and difficulty swallowing. It may also cause heartburn and intestinal bleeding if left untreated.
Celiac sprue: This condition creates gluten allergies and causes the inflammation and thinning of the small intestine s mucosa. In some cases, this condition may interfere with the absorption of food and lead to diarrhoea and weight loss.
Diabetic diarrhoea: Patients who have been suffering from diabetes for a few years may experience an increased urge to pass stools frequently. This is usually related to gastric problems in the colon which cause fluids to move at a faster than normal speed through the small bowel and colon. It may also be caused due to the secretion of fluids in the colon and improper absorption of food.

5 Common Gastric Problems Experienced By Diabetics!!

Food is one of the most common ways of getting an infection, and so the stomach is more prone to infections than other body parts. Whether it is eating raw or uncooked foods or unhygienic foods, the stomach bears the brunt of one s bad food practices. The only consoling factor is that it is equally easy to treat a stomach infection if some simple measures are adhered to. 

Read on to know some of the easiest and most effective ways to treat a stomach infection.

Drink it right: What you drink and how you drink makes a lot of difference to the way your stomach infection will respond. The vomiting, diarrhoea and sweating is robbing the body of a lot of fluids, and so replenishing this fluid along with minerals is very essential. Ensure you drink a lot of clear liquids like water, coconut water, clear soups, sports drinks, and other energy drinks. Electrolyte replacement can be added to improve their efficacy. Herbal teas like ginger tea and peppermint tea are highly recommended to soothe the stomach too. At the same time, avoid caffeine, strong black tea, alcohol, and chocolate as they are detrimental to the already affected stomach.
Eat right: Even on a regular basis, you are what you eat. So, when your stomach is already infected, eating right assumes a lot more importance. Go easy on the stomach and give it something easy to digest, yet of high nutritional value. Banana, rice, apple, and toast (abbreviated as BRAT) is very easy and packs in good nutrition for the recovering stomach. Avoid a lot of fibres, fatty foods, greasy foods, sugars, and dairy products which are hard for the stomach to digest. Eat small meals, but eat a lot more frequently than you otherwise would.
Rest well: With the body losing a lot of fluids and nutrition along with it, the body would naturally feel very tired and fatigued. Let the body run its course, and give it the rest it demands. In the next couple of days, once the virus has run its course, this will resolve.
Medications: Stomach infection is usually caused by a virus, and so antibiotics do not play a curative role here. However, if you have high fever or body aches, Tylenol or acetaminophen can be used sparingly. If diarrhoea or vomiting is severe, loperamide or promethazine can also be used. However, this should be substituted with sufficient rest and nutrition (solid and liquids).
If these are not helping and you are not able to keep the food down, visit the doctor. Sometimes, a day or two in the hospital may be required for complete cure and recovery.

Stomach Infection - Easy Tips To Help You Treat It!

With the super busy lifestyle that everybody is gravitating to, there is less and less time for everything, including cooking and eating. Thus, more and more processed foods are finding their way into our refrigerators, as they can just be picked up and eaten anytime hunger pangs are felt. And, we do not immediately realize that processed foods are devoid of all the essential ingredients. What we end up eating has less fiber, more salt, and more preservatives (generally not very safe for all), all leading to an unhealthy lifestyle.

Refined flour, white sugar, cheese, canned juices, frozen foods, cheese laden pizzas and breadsare all yummy, but not something that is readily accepted and digested by your stomach. Try eating pizza with loads of cheese for two days and experience the bloated feeling for yourself. Not to scare you, but imagine this; you would have to eat an entire medium pizza to get 2 g of fiber. Where as, your body requires about 25 to 40 g of fiber per day for regular health maintenance.

Biologically, our digestive system requires a lot of fiber, which adds to the roughage. This is very important as it helps in digestion and aid in cleansing the bowel later. The function of the large intestine is to remove water and essential ingredients when food passes through it. Junk food passes through quite quickly, thereby, leading to loss of water and ingredients. A lot of digestive issues are also related to lack of fiber in the food, like polyps, colon cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, high cholesterol, and obesity. 

Most of us are aware, but tend to ignore the fact that junk food is as the name suggests, junk. There is hardly anything of nutritious value in it. On the contrary, it contains lots of salt, fat and artificial chemicals, which though, make it very tasty, but has zero nutrition value. 

Try to eat only junk food for about a week regularly, and you will surely feel:

1. Bloated (a lot of gas due to indigestion)
2. Dehydrated (excessive salt needs more water, which we don't realize)
3. Constipated (lack of fiber leading to reduced bowel movement)
4. Weak and lousy (due to lack of nutrition)

This of course does not include the harmful effects on skin, hair, looks, etc. It does not mean you have to stop eating junk completely and eat only healthy food all the time. The human body is adaptive and can adjust to a lot of variations. It is not wise to try the example above (eating pizza for a week), however, binging on junk food once a week would definitely not hurt. Use your discretion as nobody knows your body as well as you do.

Constipation and Junk Food

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