Can Belly Fat Cause Acid Reflux? Truth is, belly fat is a common cause of acid reflux. It’s a problem because the fat accumulates in the stomach and intestines, making them hard to evacuate. This can make you feel sick, bloated, and have trouble sleeping. The Solution: Treatment with medication or surgery can help relieve the symptoms of acid reflux.
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What is acid reflux?
The American College of Gastroenterology says that over 60 million Americans experience heartburn at least once a month, and at least 15 million as often as daily.
GERD is most common in Western countries, affecting an estimated 20 to 30 percentTrusted Source of the population.
Acid reflux is a problem caused by excess stomach acid. It can be a real inconvenience and it can cause a lot of pain. Sometimes, people have to go through surgery to remove the obstruction from their oesophagus called an abscess.
This operation is usually done in hospitals because there are many other medical problems that need to be treated before Surgery for Acid Reflux becomes an option.
The stomach creates this acid when it breaks down food. This can make you feel sick, bloated, and have trouble sleeping. Treatment with medication or surgery can help relieve the symptoms of acid reflux.
How does belly fat cause acid reflux
The most effective lifestyle interventions to reduce GERD symptoms are losing weight and, if symptoms occur during sleep, elevation of the head of the bed. New research shows that weight-loss can improve GERD symptoms. In a recent study published in the journal Obesity in 2012, the majority of individuals who were overweight or affected by obesity who enrolled in a structured weight-loss program including dietary, physical activity and behavioural changes, experienced complete resolution of their GERD symptoms.
The relationship between weight-loss and resolution of symptoms was dependent on the amount of weight lost, such that the more weight subjects lost, the greater improvement they saw in symptoms. Whereas women saw improvement in GERD symptoms after losing 5 to 10 percent of their weight, men experienced improvement after losing 10 percent of their weight.
In another study published in the journal Gastroenterology in 2010, weight-loss through restriction of calories and increased physical activity also demonstrated a significant improvement in participants’ symptoms of GERD. Most importantly, follow-up at 6, 12 and 18 months showed decreases in abdominal fatness and symptoms of heartburn and acid reflux.
Reduced GERD symptoms means lower acid levels in the esophagus. Thus, another benefit to losing weight is that patients may be able to eliminate or reduce their over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription GERD medications
Belly fat can cause acid reflux because it accumulates in the stomach and intestines. This is due to the fact that when these areas get too full, they start to produce a high level of acids (endocrine disrupting chemicals). The combination of these factors can lead to problems with digestion, including making food come up hard and preventing it from going down smoothly. In addition, belly fat makes you more likely to develop heartburn or other gastric issues.
The symptoms of acid reflux
The symptoms of acid reflux can vary, but they all involve feeling sick, and having trouble sleeping. The most common symptom is bloating. Other symptoms include;
Other symptoms of GERD include;
- dry, persistent cough
- wheezing
- asthma and recurrent pneumonia
- nausea
- vomiting
- throat problems, such as soreness, hoarseness, or laryngitis (voice box inflammation)
- difficulty or pain when swallowing
- chest or upper abdominal pain
- dental erosion
- bad breath
Surgery can be done in a few different ways. Some surgeons use a procedure called laparotomy; this is a type of surgery that uses a tube to enter the stomach and remove the fat.
The treatment of acid reflux
There are a variety of treatments that can be used to treat acid reflux. The most common ones include medications such as proton pump inhibitors and over-the-counter remedies like ginger or garlic, which help reduce the amount of stomach acids that enter the large intestine.
Other treatments include surgery, which may be needed if there is severe damage to the large intestine caused by acid reflux.
Some people use medication to stop the stomach from producing acid. Others use surgery to remove the fat from the stomach and intestines. Both treatments can help relieve the symptoms of acid reflux.
Who is at risk for acid reflux
There is no one specific group of people who are at risk for acid reflux. The greatest danger from this condition lies in the fact that anyone can develop it, regardless of age, weight, or health status. Acid reflux Symptoms: – repeated heartburn and burping
However, the following people are more likely to experience acid reflux;
Those with a history of stomach cancer
Those with an eating disorder such as Anorexia nervosa
Those with a high stomach fat percentage.
What are the remedies for acid reflux
There are many remedies for acid reflux, but the most common are medication and surgery.
Ginger Tea has been used for centuries to manage different health problems, from reducing the symptoms of arthritis to treating conditions like cancer. Additionally, ginger may also be effective in preventing other diseases such as type 2 diabetes or stroke, by inhibiting the action of a receptor on the cell’s surface that helps to release sugar from cells
Surgery is the most common remedy for acid reflux, but it can be extremely effective in treating symptoms. Surgery is usually carried out on the stomach through a surgery known as Roux-en-Y gastrectomy or pyloric sleeve operation. The surgery involves cutting away part of the stomach and pushing food and gas down into the small intestine where they are burned off by an electric stove known as a septostomy.
This procedure has been shown to be very successful in treating people with acid reflux who have had it for years or have serious problems with their digestion Medications work by reducing the amount of stomach acids. Surgery can be done to remove the fat from the stomach and intestines, which then allows you to evacuate the gas more easily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a way to cure acid reflux?
Yes, and I am living proof of it!
The first thing you need to do is to determine if your reflux is caused by too much stomach acid, or too little. Here’s the kicker: the symptoms are identical, so a doctor that just asks about your symptoms has a 50% chance of giving the wrong diagnosis. You need an actual stomach acid level test done. That test can be done at specialty clinics that deal with GERD, or, you can use good old fashioned science, and do them at home.
To find out if you have too little stomach acid, try this (it is completely safe): when you wake up and before you eat/drink anything, mix 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda with a glass of water. Chug it down. Wait 5 minutes.
- If you do not burp within 5 minutes, you have too little stomach acid. The soda base will mix with what stomach acid you do have, and if there is enough, you will burp from the CO2 gas build up.
- If you are having a reflux attack, drink 3 tablespoons of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, and chase it with a mouthful of honey. If the reflux goes away within 2–3 minutes, you have too little stomach acid
Does drinking water reduce Acid reflux
Drinking water during the later stages of digestion can reduce acidity and GERD symptoms. Often, there are pockets of high acidity, between a pH or 1 and 2, just below the esophagus. By drinking tap or filtered water a little while after a meal, you can dilute the acid there, which can result in less heartburn. Don’t sleep on your right side. For some reason, this seems to prompt relaxation of the
Conclusion
There is much to know about acid reflux, but this article will give you a basic understanding of what it is, how it affects the body, and some of the symptoms. This information will help you to better understand the condition and how to treat it.
REFERENCES
Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/health/gerd
Niddk.nih.gov : https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/acid-reflux-ger-gerd-adults
Obesityaction : https://www.obesityaction.org/resources/obesity-heartburn-what-is-the-link/
Medical News Today : https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/146619#symptoms
