When your doctor is talking about GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), you will more commonly know it as acid reflux disease. This particular health problem is caused by the leaking of liquid formed in the stomach after food has been digested back up in to a person’s esophagus.
Should a person choose to avoid treating this condition it will normally lead to other health problems for them in the future. One of the main problems that they will have to deal with is that the esophagus lining over time becomes damaged and will become inflamed and sore.
The main reason for the lining becoming damaged is that the liquid, which has been regurgitated from the stomach, contains acid along with an enzyme known as pepsin. It is this enzyme that helps to break down the proteins in the food that you eat so your body is able to absorb them more easily and they therefore contain caustic properties. Although the pepsin’s can cause damage it is commonly believed that the main culprit for the discomfort and pain felt with acid reflux is the acid contained in the liquid that has been regurgitated.
Most people are likely to suffer from very mild forms of this kind of condition, which is commonly referred to heartburn, but for others the problem can be extremely severe. The problem for these people is that they will then need to learn how to deal and cope with the acid reflux for the rest of their lives. In some cases, it may well mean that they need to take some for of medication in order to help keep the problem under control constantly.
Some people find that the symptoms that are associated with this particular stomach condition are far more prevalent at night than they are during the day. The reason for this is that during the day when a person is stood up or sat down the regurgitated liquid can easily flow back down into their stomach. Plus when we are awake, we swallow regularly and this can further help to force the regurgitated liquid back down into the stomach.
Another reason for why certain people may suffer more from acid reflux at night rather than in the day is because the levels of saliva they are producing are reduced as they sleep. In the saliva, that your mouth produces is bicarbonate and this when it travels down the esophagus helps to neutralize any acids that are in it.
However, when you go to sleep at night the amount of saliva you produce is reduced because you stop swallowing as much. Also, the problem can be further exacerbated, as no longer is gravity helping your body to eliminate the regurgitated liquid from your esophagus back into the stomach. This then allows the acid inside the liquid to stay longer in the esophagus and which will then cause damage to its lining.
As we have previously mentioned any one could actually find themselves suffering from acid reflux disease. However, there are some people who are much more susceptible to suffering from this particular stomach complaint than others. For example, some pregnant women because of hormonal changes in their bodies find themselves suffering from this condition. Also, those people who are overweight or obese are also highly susceptible to suffer from this kind of stomach complaint.