Archive for the 'Digestive System' Category

Acid Reflux May Be Caused by Immune System Reaction

From the research made by Utah Southwestern Medical Center has concluded that GERD may not as simple as we think. Inflammation is created by cytokines immune system cells and these same are believed to be the major cause of the damage done to the esophageal that causes heart burn. The damage recurring due to the acid digestive juices that burn esophagus is believed to be the major reason for Acid reflux, or gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD).

“Currently we treat GERD by giving medications to prevent the stomach from making acid,” said Dr. Rhonda Souza, lead author of the study which appears in this month’s issue of the journal Gastroenterology. “But if GERD is really an immune-mediated injury, maybe we should create medications that would prevent these cytokines from attracting inflammatory cells to the esophagus and starting the injury in the first place.”

Through an operation the scientists connected the duodenum to esophagus in rats. This is to make way for the stomach acid to flow freely and to enter the esophagus. Thus they created GERD in the rats. By doing this the expectation of the scientists is that the esophagi will develop immediately, but in reality it took several weeks to develop. The scientists also researched on rats in the published paper.

“That doesn’t make sense if GERD is really the result of an acid burn, as we all were taught in medical school,” explained Dr. Souza. “Chemical injuries develop immediately. If you spill battery acid on your hand, you don’t have to wait a month to see the damage.”

Three days after the operation, there was absolutely no damage to surface cells of the esophagus. However, when scientists looked more closely, they found inflammatory cells in deeper layers of the esophagus. The inflammatory cells took three weeks to rise to the surface layer of the esophagus – and that’s when the surface damage began to appear.

This will happen once the disease starts to progress. The excess acid will cause damage further to the tissue which has been already damaged by chronic inflammation. Actually it does seems that the tissue damage associated with GERD could not have been happened due to acid. But it could have caused through an inflammatory reaction that is started by the acid.

How the acid reflux symptoms have been linked to stress is very well explained in the study. Stress plays as a major reason for most people who suffer from acid reflux this has been proved in a survey. From other research it has been learned that function of immune system is affected by stress. If a person is experiencing high stress then he has a good chance of getting affected by allergy and asthma.

This study may also explain why modern medical treatments do not work very well for acid reflux – and why natural health solutions have been much more successful. Natural health solutions for GERD focus on lifestyle factors such as dietary choices and stress reduction. Like stress, certain foods can affect the function of the immune system and fan the flames of inflammation.

Cure Acid Reflux Naturally to learn more about dietary choices and other lifestyle factors that can make GERD disappear. By focusing on diet, stress reduction, and other lifestyle choices, one former GERD sufferer was able to completely heal his acid reflux. His symptoms are gone for good.

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Aerophagia Swallowing Air

Weve all burped or belched from time to time. Its a normal part of bodily functions and simply means there is gas in the stomach. Babies must be “burped” while very young because they cant do it themselves and suckling milk (whether from a bottle or a breast) causes them to swallow air.

Aerophagia is a condition caused by swallowing too much air while eating or drinking thus creating excessive belching or excessive burping. It can also cause bloating or an uncomfortable feeling in the abdomen which is pressure created by that excess air.

Those who chew gum, drink carbonated beverages such as colas, smoke, or eat too fast can run the risk of developing aerophagia. There are also some dangers involved in excess air in the stomach, such as gastric distension which can inflate the diaphragm. This can create a rupture of the esophagus due to gastric insufflations, and possibly cause aspiration of contents of the stomach into the lungs.

Aerophagia can become a side effect that may be dangerous in the case of NIV or noninvasive ventilation which is used commonly to treat respiratory problems, in cases involving cardiovascular critical care, or when general anesthetic is used during surgery. These instances will normally be monitored by professionals who will treat as necessary.

Many times this excess air (also called gas) can be odorous (smelly), causing a belch to smell offensive to others nearby. This is caused by the stomach gases that come up with that air bubble or burp. The stomach is a sea of gaseous matter because there are acids in there digesting the foods we have eaten. When this gas bubble passes through the intestines and out the rectum it often has an offensive odor and may be difficult to hide effectively. Most people produce from one to three pints of gas per day, passing that gas an average of fourteen times each day. The gas is made of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen, methane, and hydrogen. These are basically odorless vapors but the offensive odor comes from bacteria found in the large intestine that release sulfur in small amounts as the gas passes through. However, excessive belching or excessive burping may be signs of trouble in your digestive system.

The majority of swallowed air caused by aerophagia contains carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and oxygen leaves the stomach by way of burping or belching and is released through the mouth while smaller amounts of it move down through the small intestine and much of this is absorbed, then it moves on to the large intestine, and out through the rectum. This excess air picks up gases along the way that can create odors.

While the majority of cases of aerophagia are considered to be normal or natural in nature, some instances can be attributed to deliberately swallowing large amounts of air. Children have found it a fun game to swallow air and deliberately produce large and noisy belching noises which while they are entertaining to their friends may be considered offensive to many adults such as their teachers and parents. In this instance their excessive burping or excessive belching is merely a game.

Digestive Disorders and Problems Symptoms and Causes

Digestive problems manifest themselves as constipation and diarrhea. Of course, there are the usual problems such as stomach aches and heartburn. Something is wrong when these symptoms occur and they need to be addressed.

Symptoms include bloating, belching, flatulence, indigestion, heartburn, gastritis, diarrhea, colitis, diverticulitis, irritable bowel syndrome and constipation due to factors such as improper dietary intake, illnesses, stress, infections and sensitivity to certain food.

One of the digestive benefits of yoga is that it restricts the blood flow to certain parts of the body while holding some poses. Once these poses are released, this area of the body is then flooded with blood and thus, oxygen. Oxygen has healing properties and is necessary for proper function of the digestive organs.

Digestive disorders can be difficult to diagnose because they come from a variety of different sources such as food allergies, medication, stress, hormone changes, low fiber intake, infections, parasites, and lactose intolerance. Any disturbance to the intestinal bacterial balance or the ratio of good bacteria to bad bacteria can make the digestive system malfunction.

Gastritis is an inflammation of the stomach lining. It may be caused by eating spoiled food, by bacteria, viruses, by certain chemicals, as well as by stress and lifestyle factors. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea and cramps. Gastritis may be acute or chronic. People who suffer from chronic gastritis should look into dietary changes, stress management and removal of alcohol, cigarettes and spices.

Yoga for digestive disorders is a set of exercises; your yoga instructor will teach you. These ‘asana require to be done exactly as taught by the instructor so that you can get complete relief from your problems, the instructor will teach you how long you require to remain in a certain position, the breathing during this position and the way to bring yourself to normal position.

There are many digestive system diseases and disorders. Some are very common and easily treated, while some are more serious, difficult to diagnose and difficult to treat. There are some nervous disorders that affect the digestive tract. These are sometimes classified as symptoms or related conditions and sometimes as possible causes of digestive system diseases and disorders, because in some cases it is unclear which came first, the digestive disorder or the nervous disorder.

Nutritional supplementation and dietary adequacy are the key factors that are responsible in controlling the gastrointestinal or digestive health. Natural supplements provide the body with particular nutrients that the digestive system of a person is lacking and requires. In other words, they provide replenishment to the body, sometimes eliminating the symptoms.