Introduction

Acid reflux is a burning sensation or a painful feeling in the center of the chest in the vicinity of the heart. Acid reflux is a disorder where the acidic juices of the stomach flow back (therefore reflux) into the esophagus. Acid reflux or the GERD is a condition wherein stomach acids go back to the esophagus because of the improper functioning of the lower esophageal sphincter. Acid reflux disease is also known as “GERD”.

Types

There are two main types of acid relux:
Supine acid reflux
Upright acid reflux

Supine acid reflux occurs when a person is sleeping and upright acid reflux takes place when a person is awake.

Symptoms

Symptoms may vary from typical adult symptoms. Symptoms of acid reflux include:Heartburn (a burning feeling rising from the stomach or lower chest up towards the neck). SymptomsSymptoms of acid reflux include heartburn (a burning feeling rising from the stomach or lower chest up towards the neck), regurgitation (food or fluid coming up into the mouth), chest pain, difficulty in swallowing (dysphagia), hoarseness, dental diseases and asthma. Symptoms of Acid Reflux in BabiesRefusal of the baby to eatIrritability while being fedConstant cryingFrequent regurgitation of ingested milkFrequent hiccups and coughingInability of the infant to sleep at night due to irritability and hungerSudden and stiff arching of the back while feedingIn infant acid reflux, there is often poor weight gain or weight loss of the infantDrooling from the corners of the mouthThe baby feels pain when the stomach is touched or compressed.

Treatments

Three classes of treatments exist for GERD.
1: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials suggests alginic acid may be the most effective of non-prescription treatments with a number needed to treat of four.
2: Clinical trials which compare GERD treatments head-to-head provide physicians with critical information.
3: Proton pump inhibitors are highly effective treatments for heartburn due to acid reflux disease (also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD).