What is Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)?
It is very common to experience a burning sensation in the chest and a lot of burping, a couple of hours after having a heavy meal. It is also accompanied by an acidic taste in the mouth, bloating, heartburn, flatulence, nausea etc. If you experience this very frequently, you might be having acid reflux disease.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is one of the major causes of acid reflux. Certain habits, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, our ever-increasing dependence on packaged foods, using acid inducing ingredients in cooking - all of these have contributed to this widespread prevalence of acidity and acid reflux. Moreover, stress due to a busy work schedule and lack of physical activity may also contribute to excessive acidity, which may lead to acid reflux.
Untreated acid reflux may lead to some major health issues, like gastric ulcer, irritable bowel syndrome and mal-absorption (impaired absorption of essential nutrients by the intestine).
The stomach normally produces acids which aid in digestion. Acid reflux is a condition in which the food content, mixed with acid, flows back from the stomach and enters the food pipe (oesophagus), manifesting as a heartburn in the chest or in the region between the breasts and the abdomen. Lifestyle habits, such as consuming oily and spicy foods frequently, smoking and stress- all contribute to acid reflux.
