Acid Reflux Hitting More Americans Than Ever, Food Habits Blamed

Thanks to the gluttony and the consequent food habits prevailing in the US sixty per cent of Americans are hit by acid reflux, and the figure is rising.

Experts are calling for appropriate changes in the diet.

Actually the 60 per cent figure relates to those who suffer episodic bouts only occasionally, but 25 per cent deal with the problem on a weekly basis.

The prevalence of the condition in North America is increasing by about 5% a year, according to a 2007 study in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

A report in January from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found that more than 95,000 people in the U.S. were hospitalized with acid reflux as a primary diagnosis in 2005, up 4.5% from 1998.

But the number of people hospitalized with reflux as either a primary or secondary diagnosis reached 3 million in 2005 - an increase of 216% from 1998.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease, GERD or acid reflux, occurs when the small ring of muscle at the bottom of the esophagus weakens and allows stomach acid and food to back up, or reflux, into the esophagus after a meal.

Common symptoms include heartburn, difficulty swallowing, an acidic taste in the mouth and nausea or vomiting.

The increase in obesity is speculated to be one cause of its growing prevalence.

 Excess fat in the abdominal area pushes on the stomach's contents; stomach fat causes distention and relaxes the lower esophagus; and fat-laden foods slow down the stomach's emptying process.

Other factors include Americans' notoriously poor nutritional habits and a heightened awareness of the condition induced by pharmaceutical advertising. 

We are always adding additional articles so please call in again soon to www.acidreflux-and-gerd.com.