Babies who are suffering from acid reflux disease (also known as babies GERD) can be treated with certain medications. These medications must be prescribed by a medical doctor. Acid reflux in babies rely on the use of medication to relieve their baby’s distress.

Cause of Acid Reflux in Babies

If a baby suffers from acid reflux, it means that acid and other stomach contents repeatedly flow back up into the esophagus. A valve called the LES opens during normal digestion to allow food to pass into the stomach. It then closes once the food is inside the stomach so that food and stomach acid cannot escape. If the LES is weak or if it does not work at the right time, then both will escape and flow back up into the esophagus. IF this happens repetitively, your babies probably have acid reflux (GERD).

Symptoms

Interestingly, every baby experiences some form of acid reflux at some time. This is also truth for adults. Therefore, it is the repetitive nature of the problem that doctors look for to warrant this diagnosis in infancy and childhood. The most common symptoms of acid reflux in babies are:

• Frequently or recurrent vomiting
• Frequently or persistent cough, and
• Heartburn, gas, or abdominal pain.

By the time the infant is twelve to twenty-four months old; some additional symptoms can be noted, such as losing weight, growing more slowly than expected, refusing to eat, and having a scratchy or hoarse voice.

Treatment

Although acid reflux in babies is not difficult to diagnose, it is often left undiagnosed. Remember that on order to have a successful treatment plan, it is first important to understand what causes the problem. This is no different in the case of babies GERD. What causes acid reflux in babies is different than what causes acid reflux in children and adults. Most of the time, acid reflux in babies is due to the lack of coordination of the gastrointestinal tract. Remember, babies have an immature digestive system, which is not fully developed until they are approximately one hundred days old. For babies who are otherwise healthy, this problem occurs until their system matures.

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One of the oldest remedies for acid reflux is using baking soda. The thought of using baking soda for acid reflux may turn many people off and that’s understandable considering it’s used for many other applications.

The simple fact is, used correctly, it can help neutralize the bane of heartburn and acid reflux in acid.

How Does Baking Soda Work?

In a nutshell, baking soda neutralizes the excessive acid within the stomach. Acid rises up through the esophagus presenting a very uncomfortable feeling to those who experience it. Chronic sufferers especially can literally spend days feeling the ill effects of an attack.

Sodium bicarbonate goes to work in the stomach to regulate the flow of acid and neutralize it. It’s a very simple method and the truth is, many will pass it over as a serious relief method simply because baking soda is such a common item in most people’s homes.

How Much Should You Use?

You’ve still got to be careful when using baking soda for acid reflux. Too much and you will be asking for trouble. Your doctor should be consulted initially. The general rule of thumb is about a half a teaspoon to a teaspoon of baking soda to 1-3 ounces of water.

Just stir or swirl the mixture around so it dissolves and swallow it. You may need to wait for several minutes but what you’re looking for is that welcoming belch which feels like a ton of pressure has just been released. (Might be a good idea to use it when no one else is around).

Belching after consuming baking soda for acid reflux is a good sign and it’s just gas being released following the neutralization of the stomach acid. It may not be pretty but to someone suffering constant attacks, it’s one of the greatest sounds in the world!

Using baking soda for acid reflux should only be seen as a temporary measure if you are a chronic sufferer. Your doctor is still your best go to person because if your condition is chronic and you’re banking on temporary relief methods all the time, then you are just treating the symptom and not the problem.

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One of the symptoms of acid reflux that’s often overlooked is a chronic cough. This is because at first glance there appears to be little or no relationship between the two. It can also be attributed to the fact that a cough is a relatively common occurrence and the result of numerous other causes, such as a cold, the flu, bronchitis, etc.

The truth, however, is that acid reflux is the third leading cause of a chronic cough, following on the heels of bronchial asthma and post-nasal drip (when the sinuses produce too much mucus).

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the medical term for what we know as acid reflux. Acid reflux occurs when the stomach releases its liquid back into the esophagus, causing inflammation and damage to the esophageal lining. The regurgitated acid most often consists of a few compounds: acid, bile, and pepsin. Stomach acid is used in the digestion of food and can be a major irritant to the esophagus due to its tendency to damage tissues.

The symptoms of acid reflux include nausea, belching, a sore throat, wheezing, difficulty swallowing, a pain in the chest that’s often mistaken for a heart attack, and in some cases chronic coughing. In fact, nearly three out of every four sufferers experience night time symptoms (such as coughing, snoring, and chest pain) that are not generally thought of as typical acid reflux symptoms. An acid reflux cough is one of these. It’s caused when acid reaches the vocal cords and is passed to the lower airway.

Even in relatively small quantities, this can trigger coughing. Since such small quantities can initiate an acid reflux cough, sufferers are often unaware that they even have GERD. In fact, they may not have heartburn in the traditional sense, considering that there’s little or no damage to the lining of the esophagus when the acid level is so limited.

So, how can you be sure that your nagging cough is not cold or flu related? If you have none of the other typical symptoms, such as the sniffles, a slight fever, throat irritation, heaviness in the chest, etc., accompanying your cough, then you need to consider other causes. Though you can experience an acid reflux cough without experiencing any of the other symptoms of GERD, if you’re experiencing both, then it’s time to visit with your doctor. He can help you determine whether or not your cough is acid reflux related.

There’s another clue that you might want to consider as well. Most people will turn to cough syrup when they have a nagging cough. Surprisingly, an acid reflux cough probably won’t respond to cough syrup. However, it may very well respond to an antacid. If you find that’s the case in your situation, then that’s a big time clue of the cause behind your cough.

Beyond antacids, your physician may want to prescribe something stronger. If your acid reflux is severe, this may include a proton pump inhibitor such as Nexium, Prevacid, Prilosec, Protonix, or Aciphex. These medications are designed to block acid production, which allows the lining of the esophagus an opportunity to heal. Side effects, however, can include abdominal pain, diarrhea and headaches.

If your acid reflux is relatively mild, all it may take to put an end to your chronic cough is some lifestyle changes. For instance, you’ll want to eat more often throughout the day, with your meals being smaller. You’ll want to allow at least three hours after your last meal before you go to bed (this reduces the odds that stomach acid will rise into the esophagus). You’ll want to avoid foods that are commonly associated with GERD, such as chocolate, dairy products, fried foods, and citrus fruits. These little changes may very well be all you need to put an end to your acid reflux cough.

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