Cure for Acid Reflux – Acid Reflux Diet and Acid Reflux Remedies

Posts Tagged ‘Acid Reflux Disease in Children’

Many are not aware that Acid Reflux can also happen to children. Acid Reflux or Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is an occurrence that the food we ate will eventually go back from the stomach to the esophagus.

Cathy is an example. She noticed that her 11 year-old-child is coughing periodically, day time and night time. She consulted the doctor. The doctor’s diagnosis is that the child is suffering on an allergy that’s why the child is experiencing short dry coughs. But after some tests, it was found that it was not an allergy. Cathy suspected that his son’s asthma is related to Acid Reflux.

Medical tests and experiments have found that Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) which is a disease that pushes the gastric juice and the food that was eaten back to the esophagus which eventually reaches the throat not only happens on adults but also on children. This disease can be hardly noticed on children.

Because a baby’s digestive system is not yet fully developed, symptoms of GERD are sometimes seen. This occurrence should stop when the baby reaches one. On some children, coughing and being sick are normal signs of growing up. But sometimes, it is also a sign that the child is already suffering from Acid Reflux.

If the baby seems like finding it hard to eat and swallow and showing noticeable weight-loss, maybe the baby is already experiencing GERD.

There are some tips to prevent an infant to suffer on this disease. Always remember that when feeding them, make sure that the baby is in an upright position so that the milk he/she is drinking will not go back to his/her esophagus. Another one is that after feeding the child, don’t lie him/her down immediately. Let the baby to be in an upright position for about half an hour. Also, help the baby to burp after and while feeding so that the air on his/her stomach will go out.

For children age 3 and up, don’t let them always intake carbonated drinks, coffee and tea. Carbonated drinks contains carbon dioxide which when reached the stomach, the child may experience stomachache. It also adds pressure inside the stomach that pushes up back to the esophagus. This could lead to Acid Reflux. They should also avoid foods with high acid content like citrus fruits. Fatty and fried foods are also big no’s on children. Chocolates and spicy foods also trigger GERD. By ignoring these foods, risk of having GERD will be lessened. After their meals, don’t let them bend because it also increases the pressure inside the stomach.

Like on the case of adults, children should also undergo proper and healthy diet. Small amount of meals on several times a day is a big help. Also, raising the head on the bed using a pillow for about 30 degrees will lessen the risk.

Prevacid, proton inhibitors and H2 blocking agents are medicines that are usually taken by patients with Acid Reflux. These can be bought on drug stores. These medications are mostly effective.

In extreme cases, medicines just won’t work. The doctor will then recommend undergoing a surgery. If still this option didn’t work, there’s the Esophageal Reflux Surgery. This surgery is done repeatedly as the child gets older.

When the child is showing signs of difficulty in breathing, vomiting yellowish or greenish materials with streak of blood which looks like coffee grounds, it is strongly recommended to send your child to a doctor for immediate medical attention.

This disease shouldn’t be ignored. When not treated immediately, the disease will be more painful and worse, create other complications.