GERD Risk Factors

July 11, 2008 | By JeffW. In Medicines and Remedies |

GERD Risk factors: What Dangers Do You Face With GERD? How Do They Affect You In Particular? Get The Facts In This Article.

Find out below what dangers may await you with this Disease

The common factor in GERD (gastro esophageal reflux disease) is the weakening of the lower esophageal sphincter muscle. The other common symptom linked with GERD is heartburn. Many further different factors may be involved. These include being asthmatic, overweight, diabetic, pregnant, tardy emptying of stomach contents, connective tissue disorders and hiatus hernias.

Here are some other elements increasing the danger levels

Gastro esophageal reflux disease can happen when this protrusion of the stomach is big enough to affect the lower esophageal sphincter muscle. This is the result of a hernia that may be hiatal or diaphragmatic in nature, where part of the stomach distends beyond its normal dimensions to invade the lower chest. Stomach juices flow back into the esophageal channel, resulting in serious heartburn.

As another consequence due to overweight, pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter causes it to malfunction and lets gastric acids reflux back to the esophagus, which engenders heartburn. GERD can therefore also come from being overweight. To avoid GERD, reduce any excess weight. Excess weight strains the stomach and the diaphragm that is in between the stomach and the abdomen.

Risk factors that come from lifestyle and diet plans

Any excesses in smoking, drinking or eating will put you at risk of GERD. Poor lifestyle and bad diet habits can also have a negative impact.

There are also indications that coughing excessively and breathing problems from asthma also put extra strain on the stomach and boost the risk of gastro esophageal reflux disease. Because of this, asthma is also indirectly involved because the medicaments that are prescribed to enlarge the air path also relax the muscle of the lower esophageal sphincter muscle. This is what provokes the flow of gastric fluids back to the esophagus.

The risk is further compounded by the fact that pregnancy boosts production of progesterone, a hormone that acts to relax several muscles, among them the muscle of the lower esophageal sphincter. Pregnancy also puts extra pressure on the stomach. Pregnant women therefore may be at considerably more risk from GERD.

Getting to the Heart of the Matter with GERD

This is where holistic solutions bring much better results, because they tackle the fundamental causes and truly allow GERD to be reversed or even eradicated. Although treatments exist for GERD using classical medicaments, the holistic remedies alone bring lasting results. Conventional drugs unfortunately only treat external manifestations of the disease, and do not resolve the fundamental underlying reasons.

Taking a holistic attitude is therefore crucial in order to treat all aspects involved. Gastro esophageal reflux disease is a complex phenomenon and the causes are also numerous, including genetically inherited characteristics, diet habits, lifestyle and even candida infections. This is why the holistic cures are so much more effective for eliminating GERD.

Jeff Martin is a certified nutritionist and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, Heartburn No More . For Further Information: GERD Risk Factors