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Acid reflux

By Nickunj Malik - Oct 29,2014 - Last updated at Oct 29,2014

Last week I came across at least three people who suffered from a strange disease. It did not involve aches and pains, which is the good part. But it meant getting sour burps, uneasiness in the throat and vomiting a couple of hours after the consumption of dinner. These unfortunate symptoms assailed all of them and there was nothing much they could do about it. 

I mean there were preventive steps that they could undertake, before the episode. Like, not eating anything during supper. Or, having an apple at dinnertime. But in case they forgot these harsh measures and indulged in a hearty meal, the consequences were drastic. 

Since everything is described in its abbreviated version these days, the physicians diagnosed their ailment as AR. Quite different from ER, which is an American medical drama television series, involving a group of emergency room doctors, including George Clooney, who is now married to the stunning Amal Alamuddin and, therefore, not considered as attractive as he once was. But here I digress. 

Incidentally, AR, which is also called Acid Reflex, is one of the top health related Internet search queries. Here, the stomach acid flows back into the food pipe which causes pain in the lower chest area. GORD, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease is confirmed if you have acid reflux that persists more than twice a week. Other indicators of the condition include: dry, persistent cough, wheezing, nausea, asthma and recurrent pneumonia, vomiting, throat soreness or laryngitis, chest pain, difficulty in swallowing, dental erosion and bad breath. 

So, why are so many people suffering from AR? Most often, the cause is attributed to lifestyle factors like low physical exercise, high ingestion of table salt, obesity, smoking, low fibre diet and medications for asthma, antidepressants, sedatives and painkillers. Research suggests that there is no link between GORD and the intake of coffee, alcohol or tea though some individuals might report an association with certain foods and drinks. 

How does one overcome the problem? Other than avoiding dinner, that is? Well, changing your routine helps and so does staying up for at least three hours following the last meal of the day or night. Going to bed immediately after feasting is unadvisable.

This is what the specialists recommend but I have noticed something else. I’m not an expert so no one listens to me, but I offer my observations anyway. What I have seen is that people who have AR are very fast eaters. They tend to swallow food without chewing. If you watch them closely when they are eating, it can be quite scary because the morsels disappear from their mouths minus any mastication.

This gulping of foodstuff is the main culprit, I feel. If they ask me I would make them count till hundred with each bite so that the salivary glands could start the digestion process in the oral cavity itself, instead of being pushed into the oesophagus in an indigestible state. 

Lost in thought I stared at the pudding in front of me. I had not even picked up my desert spoon when I saw that my AR suffering friend had already gobbled up the sweet dish. 

“I should have not eaten that,” he confessed. 

“Why not?” I asked. 

“Or so late in the night,” he went on. 

“Or so fast,” I agreed. 

“I gorge on food?” he was curious. 

“Almost inhale it,” I said. 

“How do I stop that?” he burped. 

“Chomp one, chomp two…,” I coached. 

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