GERD Risk Factors that You Should Know About

by: JeffMartin
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Discover in this article what risks may lie in wait for you with this illness :

The common denominator in GERD (gastro esophageal reflux disease) is the loss of strength of the muscle of the lower esophageal sphincter. The other common factor concerning GERD is heartburn. Many further distinct factors may be encountered. These include breathing disorders such as asthma, excessive weight, diabetes, expecting a baby, stomach contents being retained for too long, connective tissue disorders and hernias that are hiatal.

Here are some other factors that contribute to the dangers:

GERD can come about when the stomach protrudes in such a way as to impinge on the lower esophageal sphincter muscle. In this case a portion of the stomach extends beyond normal boundaries to move into the lower chest, because of a hernia that may be hiatal or diaphragmatic in nature. Gastric contents flow back into the esophageal channel, and this leads to serious heartburn.

As another consequence due to overweight, pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter causes it to malfunction and lets gastric acids reflux back to the esophagus, which engenders heartburn. GERD can therefore also come from being overweight. To avoid GERD, reduce any excess weight. Excess weight strains the stomach and the diaphragm that is in between the stomach and the abdomen.

Risk factors from lifestyle and bad diet habits :

Any excesses in smoking, drinking or eating will put you at risk of GERD. Poor lifestyle and bad diet habits can also have a negative impact.

There are also indications that coughing excessively and breathing problems from asthma also put extra strain on the stomach and boost the risk of GERD. Because of this, asthma is also indirectly involved because the medicaments that are prescribed to enlarge the air path also relax the muscle of the lower esophageal sphincter muscle. This is what provokes the flow of gastric fluids back to the esophagus.

The danger grows greater still when pregnancy is a factor, as this boosts the production of progesterone, a hormone with laxative effect on several muscles, including that of the lower esophageal sphincter. The stomach is also under increased pressure during pregnancy. There may be considerably more danger of GERD for pregnant women therefore.

Getting to the Heart of the Matter with GERD:

This is where holistic solutions bring much better results, because they tackle the fundamental causes and truly allow GERD to be reversed or even eradicated. Although treatments exist for GERD using classical medicaments, the holistic remedies alone bring lasting results. Conventional drugs unfortunately only treat external manifestations of the disease, and do not resolve the fundamental underlying reasons.

Taking a holistic attitude is therefore crucial in order to treat all aspects involved. GERD is a complex phenomenon and the causes are also numerous, including genetically inherited characteristics, diet habits, lifestyle and even candida infections. This is why the holistic cures are so much more effective for eliminating GERD.

About the Author

Jeff Martin is a certified nutritionist and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, Heartburn No More . For Further Information: Acid Reflux   

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