At the entrance of the stomach is a sphincter. After food and water passes into the stomach through the esophagus, the sphincter usually closes shut to prevent the food from going back up. However, at times this sphincter may not shut properly, and the acidic contents of the stomach rise back up and enter the esophagus. This results in a burning sensation in the chest and is also known as acid reflux.
Acid reflux is a condition in which a person suffers from the backward flow of acids from the stomach into the esophagus. A person suffering from this condition is quite likely to suffer from acid reflux burping, during which sour liquid or regurgitated food, comes up, right to the back of the throat. This also causes a burning sensation in the chest, which in turn leads to heart burn.
There are many reasons that can cause acid reflux. A person’s lifestyle and diet more often than not play a huge role in causing acid reflux, or in extreme cases, gastroesophageal reflux disease. Consumption of certain medications can also cause constant acid reflux. Along with adults, acid reflux is also a common condition in children. In infants, acid reflux usually happens after feeding, though it is also common when the baby cries or strains him/herself. Acid reflux in a baby is normally considered healthy and usually fades away as the child grows up.
The stomach has muscles that help to pass the digested food into the small intestine. When our stomachs function normally, we are mostly unaware of the complexity of our digestive system. However, if the stomach muscles weaken for some reason, food passes into the small intestine at a slower pace than normal. This causes one to feel bloated even hours after eating a meal.
Additionally, acid reflux, smelly burps, and even vomiting can be signs of a serious medical condition called gastroparesis. In addition to other causes, experts also correlate the occurrence of gastroparesis with alcohol. Excessive alcohol consumption can damage the muscles of the stomach and cause uncomfortable changes within the body.
There are many things that can cause acid reflux. Let us take a brief look at a few of them:
Acid reflux is mostly harmless if it occurs occasionally. However, it is a matter of concern if it occurs regularly in both adults and infants. Please consult your physician to get an accurate picture of this medical condition. As mentioned earlier, more often than not a poor diet can cause acid reflux. A well balanced diet offers the body a variety of vitamins and minerals that it cannot produce on its own. Healthy diets include lots of fruit and vegetables, whole wheat grains and low fat dairy products in proper proportion. Regular exercise also helps keep the body healthy and strong. Giving up alcohol and nicotine can also help reduce symptoms of acid reflux.
There are a variety of home remedies that claim to prevent acid reflux.
Very little research has been conducted on the effectiveness of home remedies.
Some of the cures for smelly burps or burps that smell like rotten eggs could also include certain lifestyle and dietary changes. There are certain foods that evoke an adverse reaction in some people. Hence, it is important for an individual to identify such foods and avoid them.