Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and The Part Played by The Lower Esophageal Sphincter

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and the part played by the Lower Esophageal Sphincter

The condition known as Gastroesophageal reflux disease is where the acids in the stomach return back up into the esophagus. The acid when it refluxes back into the esophagus can irritate and in some cases actually damage the esophagus lining. The failure of the Lower Esophageal sphincter (LES as it is more commonly known) is the actual reason why the acidic contents of the stomach make their way back into the esophagus.

The esophagus is the actual tube which joins the throat to the stomach. The LES is a muscle where the esophagus tube actually joins with the stomach. This muscle opens and closes and when functioning correctly should prevent the gastroesophageal reflux disease from occurring.

As discussed above the LES should tighten once food has been eaten and stop it from refluxing back into the esophagus. However, there are a number of reason why this Lower Esophageal Sphincter does not work correctly. One of the ways is that when the LES tightens it is actually still too weak to seal the contents in the stomach. Another cause is due to abnormal movements or known as transient LES and this does not follow any pattern and can happen at any time. This condition occur for a few minutes, therefore, allowing the stomach acid to escape.

Another failure of the LES which results in gastroesophageal reflux disease is where it does not actually tighten which allows the acid to freely go back into the esophagus.

The failure in some instances of the LES is not the only reason for Gastroesophageal reflux disease. It can also be caused by foods that are high in oil, also drinking caffeine and alcoholic drinks as well as acidic foods.

If you are concerned about your Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease visit http://www.gerdsymptoms.info/ where you can learn about a Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and much more.

Acid Reflux Medicine
The muscle that prevents stomach acid from backing up and entering the esophagus and throat is the esophageal sphincter. Stomach acid that does backup into the throat is acid reflux. Some acid reflux medicines such as antihistamines, birth control pi...

Osteoporosis Medication Put On Alert No Brittle Bones About It
Do you know what is the function of your Osteoarthis Medication? Do you know what the side effects are? Please read this article before you take another pill. If you have answered yes or no to any of these questions, read on.When you receive a new pr...

Proton Pump Inhibitors - Drug
Type of DrugProton pump inhibitors (PPls); gastric (stomach) acid secretion inhibitors.How The Drug WorksPPls reduce gastric acid secretion significantly and for a prolonged period by blocking the final step of acid production by the stomach lining.U...

Green Tea - Weight Loss is Just One of Its Benefits
If you live in the Western Hemisphere, you may have just recently learned about the health benefits of Green Tea that the Chinese have known about for centuries. In China, green tea has been used to treat everything from headaches to depression. So...

The Baseball Minor Leagues - Part 1
The Minor Leagues of baseball are a professional league competing a level below the Major Leagues. They are operated as independent businesses, but the best known leagues are members of Minor League Baseball, the main organization that has agreement...

The Right Fibromyalgia Exercise Will Heal Your Pain-Guarantee Your Fibromyalgia Exercise Works
Fibromyalgia is a condition found in 2 percent of the United States population today. When you have fibromyalgia, you experience widespread pain in 11 of the 18 trigger points of your body.So why would someone even think of Fibromyalgia Exercise ? Th...

Introduction to Baseball
Baseball is a game that is played with nine players on each team. The objective of the game is to score more points (runs) than the other team. Runs are scored when a player advances from home plate to first base, on to second base, third base, and...

Baseball Is My Game
Baseball is the leading sport played in the United States. Let us explore a brief history of baseball. As per the records it was found that the first ever game of baseball was played in 1792 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. There was another referenc...

The Possible Causes That Bring On A Migraine
The cause of the pain has not definitely been pinpointed to any factor, but research has shown that blood vessels in some parts of the brain can go into a spasm. This would account for the aura. When the blood vessels dilate after this spasm, and t...

Latino Baseball Players - The Hall of Famers
When you think of Baseball, you may naturally think of Latino professional players. We know that baseball is a major sport played in almost every Latin American country next to futbol. Almost every Dominican kid wishes to be the next Pedro Martinez...