Recent statistics from the US Department of Health and Human Services shows that over seven million people suffer from severe acid reflux in the U.S. alone. Approximately, more than 15 million Americans suffer from chronic acid reflux disease.

The probability of acid reflux is higher in people over the age of forty, but it can affect anyone, even infants. Acid reflux affects people of every age, socioeconomic class and race.

In simple way, acid reflux occurs when stomach acid splashes up through the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) into the esophagus and throat. This acid reflux could be caused by many things including diet, alcohol consumption, smoking, hiatal hernia, stress and even pregnancy. If the refluxed acid reached the esophagus, it will cause a painful burning sensation in the chest and, or throat. Other symptoms include difficulty in swallowing (dysphagia), hoarseness, asthma and dental erosion.

If it is not treated, the condition could evolve into something worse and life threatening and could also result to precursor cancer. On the effort to prevent the more serious consequences of acid reflux, people are resorting more and more to prescription drugs.

There are three classifications of drugs which {treat|cure} an acid reflux. The first of these are antacids, which neutralize the acid in your stomach and is only temporary. They are loaded with harmful substances such as sodium and aluminum. The next group of drugs is called H2 Blockers. They reduce the amount of acid that the stomach produces and provide longer lasting relief than antacids. Finally there are the PPI drugs (proton pump inhibitors), which shut off the proton pumps in the stomach that manufacture hydrochloric acid.

PPI drugs must be used only for eight weeks, at most. It says so right on the package. Doctors certainly know this but allow if not encourage most patients to continue consuming these drugs on a permanent basis.

PPI drugs actually shut down the pumps that secretes the stomach acid necessary to digest and assimilate food. In our physical anatomy, this is a very vital function. Another point of concern is that stomach acid keeps very dangerous bacteria, which live in the stomach and intestines, in check.

There are, unfortunately, no studies conducted yet that can explain the long term effect of these drugs. Actually, we do know that there are many harmful side effects of them. They include: allergic reaction, back and chest pain, fatigue, fever, flu-like disorder, hypertension, constipation, GI hemorrhage, vomiting, tinnitus, anemia, vitamin B12 deficiency, weight gain, arthritis, fibromyalgia syndrome, anorexia, depression, dizziness, impotence, insomnia, migraine, visual field defect, menstrual disorder, asthma aggravated, pharyngitis, acne, taste loss, fungal infection and Barrett’s esophagus just to mention a few!

The medical community would have us believe that drugs are the only answer to the problem of acid reflux. Doctors are not taught nutrition or natural healing techniques in med school. The result is, they depend on prescription drugs for acid reflux cure. They unfortunately know nothing about how to cure the condition itself.

Since all of us now realize that there are natural healing for acid reflux, then stop taking drugs and do a little study on natural acid reflux cure. Free yourself from the drugs and have a healthy life.

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