Understanding how this is possible means first understanding that there are different types of asthma, and thus the triggers for attacks will differ.

For the reader whose asthma trigger is dairy, this suggests that his asthma is “non-allergic.” This basically means that his inflammation is caused by irritants outside the allergy world, such as pollen, dander, and dust.

Keep in mind that an intolerance to something is much different than an allergy. While different types of inflammation occur with both allergies and intolerances, as evidenced in the differing kinds of asthma, the physiology behind the inflammation differs.

Asthma is an inflammation and constriction of the airways, causing the sufferer to not be able to breathe easily. This can range in severity from mildly irritating to life-threatening. People who are no strangers to asthma likely are well-familiar with not only what type of asthma they have, but also what triggers their inflammation.

Ironically, it is known that Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease also causes asthma attacks. This is particularly important to people who have an intolerance to dairy who also have a history of GERD, asthma, lactose intolerance, or any other dairy-related problems.

The point here isn’t so much to teach asthma sufferers about what causes their problems. Rather, it is more of an awareness issue for the rest of us who are not as sensitive to dairy.

It seems anymore that there are warnings popping up all over packages, menus, and even outside certain buildings of the presence of certain food ingredients. I have heard a lot of people complain about these warnings, saying it seems to be going overboard.

However, this is more than the drive to try and be sensitive or politically correct.

Have you ever tried to breathe through a small straw? If you don’t have asthma or allergies, you likely have not had the displeasure of this experience.

If you have ever wondered why there is such a push to disclose the presence of these food items, I would invite you, to give this exercise a try. Take a drinking straw, place it in your mouth, and go up and down your stairs (at a safe pace as to not trip and choke on your straw) at least once. Breathe only through your straw…not your nose.

Don’t overdo it, but just try to get a sense of what this feels like.

This is similar to what people who have antihistamine reactions go through when they are having an anaphylactic or asthmatic reaction to certain triggers, of which dairy is a big one.

The difference is, they can’t take the straw out of their mouths. During an attack, frequently a rescue inhaler, or trip to the ER is all that can turn the situation around. For people with severe food allergies, an Epi-pen is their constant companion.

Trying to imagine the feeling of GERD at its worst is a little harder to do (safely). But these attacks are easily triggered by dairy, soy, red meat, and other foods- even when eaten in moderation.

Suffice it to say that if you really wanted a sensitivity training kind of exercise here, just imagine the feeling of trying to swallow a 5-pound barbell. The heavy, anxious, painful feeling along the esophagus and near the stomach’s opening isn’t just awful to experience; it can lead to long-term damage.

So I would invite you to try and notice on the packages, menus and buildings the different safety notices that are posted and what kinds of foods are listed. This will help you be a better friend to the people in your lives who suffer from food-related problems such as asthma, GERD and allergies.

To better plan your meals, or to learn more about Acid Reflux, have a look at my natural Acid Reflux guide today.

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A reader and Acid Reflux client of mine had commented that he and his wife of 45 years go out at least a couple times a month for their regular “date nights,” but lately have been not going as much.

He explained that his wife hadn’t been as interested in going out and was campaigning more and more to just stay home with a video and some home cooking.

He thought originally it was because she was being a good steward of their finances and trying to keep the entertainment budget down during the recession. He was a little disappointed, though, because he always loved date night and the chance to get out with his “beautiful bride.”

Then he opened up about how she spilled the “beans.” She had been avoiding public dates because of a habit he had developed that was worsening…a lot of post-meal burping and flatulence.

He had noticed it but didn’t think anyone else had, but when he pressed her on why she was suddenly not interested in going out she said she didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but it’s gotten to be too embarrassing.

He was floored. And then came the questions…Why did you wait so long to tell me? Why does this only happen when we go out and not at home? What is causing the problem, anyway?

Like most people who have lived in the same area for most of their lives, they had their favorite restaurants and their favorite dishes at each. They had been pretty loyal to not only the dining establishments but the specific menu items at each place.

Consequently, he didn’t think anything of it when he started having gastrointestinal disruptions after eating the food he’s loved for many years. After all, he’d survived just fine for more than 60 years on his ol’ standbys, so why fix something that isn’t broken?

She sure thought something was broken, though. That’s why she preferred to do the cooking…she had noticed that when he ate certain meals, she was in for a whopper of an embarrassing evening afterwards. So if they stayed home, she could control what went on the plate, and therefore into his mouth.

The culprits? Beans, peppers, potatoes, hamburger buns, and carbonated beverages. Where there used to be a cast-iron stomach before in his younger days now was replaced with a temperamental bag of gas. His favorite foods had become the enemy. She knew it, but was too afraid of hurting his feelings to bring it up.

As we age, our tummy’s ability to squelch the belch weakens along with the sphincter at the end of the esophagus that guards the entrance to the stomach. More air gets in, added to a weaker ability to digest foods that were formerly no problem, and wham! A cacophony of malodorous sound begins. And that’s just the burping part.

From the other end, the carbohydrate-loaded foods were finding it easier and easier with his aging digestion to turn the body’s normal process of digestion into a compressed gas cylinder factory.

His wife had been completely changing his diet at home, and that helped a lot. But when they went out, she had no control over what he would order. She’d make recommendations, sure, but he apparently figured she was just buying into those “organic tree-huggers’ messages” and dismissed it as so much fad nonsense.

His reason for writing was not just to talk about what he could and could not eat anymore. Rather it was to bring some awareness to others in his situation that while a rumbling of gasses might be cute and funny for the grandkids, it’s no laughing matter when you still have a ton of romance left with your one true love and suddenly eruptions come to crash your date like an evil third wheel.

More importantly, he discovered after the gas conversation (which led to an appointment with the doctor) that he had developed Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, or GERD. So his new diet had taken on even more importance because of the added health consequences.

His comments were in support of the guide and to thank us for helping to save the romance on date night.

If you (or the one you adore) are suffering and you want help to break free of reflux and gas problems, check out our natural guide for controlling Acid Reflux today.

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Her question was in regard to whether or not milk is bad for you. As with a lot of these questions, the answer is frequently yes and no.

The benefits of including milk in your diet include:

- Good source of calcium
- Fortified products are a good source of Vitamin D
- Healthier to drink than soft drinks
- Doesn’t stain teeth

Another benefit of the 1% and higher varieties is that in order for the body to make use of fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K, one must first have proper fat stores in the body. Specialists from Pediatricians to Gerontologists stress that too little dietary fat can spell deficiency for these vitamins that are critical for health.

However, there is a large body of evidence to suggest that milk is the cause of a lot of problems for a lot of people, specifically when considering digestive health.

Milk has gotten a bad rap, as many foods will get as they fade in and out of favor with experts. But the problems with milk are not so easily outweighed by its potential nutritive benefits.

People who are lactose intolerant already know what this dietary ‘staple’ can do to a person’s gut. So do people who have an intolerance to cow’s milk that isn’t lactose-specific.

But the biggest stinger is the claim that commercially produced, non-organic cow’s milk contains high levels of synthetic hormones. Some have gone so far as to assert that the hormone overload in milk is what’s causing the younger and younger age trend for pubescent girls.

Studies don’t tend to support that organic milk and commercial milk differ in the hormone content. Both have detectable amounts of testosterone and estrogen. Some would split hairs over whether or not the hormones are synthetic. Unfortunately for the resolution of the debate, in the laboratory both milks look exactly the same.

An organic isn’t always what you think. For organic producers to be able to legally claim their product is organic, they simply have to prove their animals are not given SYNTHETIC hormones…they don’t have to show that zero hormones are given.

That doesn’t even take into consideration the pasteurization process required now just to make the milk safe to drink. This breaks down many of the hormones and destroys them- but not all of them

Back to splitting hairs, I guess.

So what is a person to do? Well, humans weren’t originally designed to drink cow’s milk at all. Our ancestors generally stopped drinking mothers’ milk in favor of other liquids found in nature- such as water- once they were weaned. Everything we think we need from milk has always been provided in a balanced diet if care is used in choosing foods.

If you are on a restricted diet because milk aggravates your Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Acid Reflux Disease, Celiac Disease or other conditions, then you will need good options for replacing nutrients that would have been found in the milk, such as calcium, iron, Vitamin D, and protein.

Foods rich in the vitamins and minerals you need that you’ll want to add to your list for the next time you go shopping:

- Salmon

- Spinach
- Sardines
- Broccoli (and cauliflower)
- Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah)

You may not like all these foods (or any of them) but you also may not have had them in dishes that are really tasty. Remember that your food preferences and palette will change over time, and what you may have turned your nose up at as a child might actually be quite yummy now.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with new foods, especially if you are looking for ways to work yourself away from milk.

For more information on natural methods to improve your digestive health, see my guides for Acid Reflux, Cholesterol, Arthritis, and coming soon, IBS.

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What a lot of people don’t notice, though, is that digestive trouble and skin irritation often appear at the same time.

Diseases, such as Fifth disease and medications, such as antibiotics, can wreak havoc on your tummy and skin at the same time. Those are pretty easy-to-spot symptoms of the same problem, though.

What about if you notice just sporadic problems with your skin, or your stomach and bowel upset are just occasional?

It seems like it would be a real hassle to have to track everything you put in your mouth, but being able to eliminate some skin issues and at the same time regulate your digestion makes it more worthwhile .

Keeping a food diary helps to highlight not just what is actually being eaten (a very effective tool if you are trying to lose weight, anyway), but also makes finding irritation relationships a lot easier to spot.

Jotting down what you eat isn’t the whole task though. Whenever you notice that your skin is doing something odd or out the ordinary, write down what is happening, and also the time and date. The same goes for digestion problems. Make a note of the time and date you had diarrhea, for example.

Then, after a couple of weeks you should be able to start to string together a timeline of events that leads up to the different problems you experience.

Once you identify the ‘bad guys’ in your diet, you can make changes to replace the offending foods with something more peacefully tolerated.

Items known to cause skin and digestion upset (this is just a partial list…these are the top offenders):

Dairy
Soy
Wheat
Corn
Foods with added Vitamin C
Eggs

While many diet adjustments call for some of these foods to be ADDED, it should be done with caution, and always keep that diary nearby so you can see if any of these foods are causing problems for you.

For instance, soy in and of itself isn’t a terrible thing. It’s generally considered a staple in the diet of many cultures which have better overall health than Westerners. However, when we start tinkering with it and modifying it or otherwise changing the intended use of it, we can wind up with frustrating symptoms.

If soy is your problem food, be warned…it is in almost every packaged food known to man. It is also in milk, meat, and eggs of animals that have eaten it in feed. There are a great many people who have taken to raising their own poultry and other animal food sources so they can carefully control the amount of soy they digest, but this is kind of a drastic measure.

Wheat and wheat gluten are also on the top of the list because of the rising number of people identified with celiac disease. Sometimes a simple food intolerance to wheat causes skin, stomach, bowel, behavior and vision problems, so it’s good to monitor what you are eating here.

The good news is that if you find in your journaling that your skin and tummy trouble is linked to wheat gluten, you may be finding really delicious alternatives to old favorites. The last estimates of the gluten-free food industry pegged its 2010 growth as over a billion US dollars.

So keep that journal and make some adjustments. It’s a temporary blip in the road but once you get past identifying what offends your system, you can begin to experiment with food that heals as well as satisfies your taste buds.

For more information on finding healthy foods and lifestyle changes, try my Cholesterol or Acid Reflux guides today.

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Acid reflux and Its Symptoms

Acid reflux is a health condition in which the stomach acid regurgitates into the esophagus.

Common symptoms attached with this condition are:

• Heartburn
• Chest pain
• Hoarseness
• Vomiting
• Dysphagia (problem in swallowing food)

Asthma and Its Symptoms

Asthma is a health condition that affects the airways that carry air to and from lungs. In asthma the airways become inflamed or swollen, which in turn, makes them sensitive to certain triggers.

Common symptoms of asthma include:

• Coughing
• Recurring periods of wheezing (a whistling sound as the person breaths)
• Shortness of breath
• Chest tightness
• Restless sleep

How Acid Reflux and Asthma Could Be Related

A plausible reason for link between the two is that in asthmatic patients there is a considerable pressure change in the chest, which in turn, may cause the gastric acids to regurgitate into esophagus, triggering acid reflux.

On the other hand, when in acid reflux the stomach acids move upwards they may irritate the lungs and worsen the condition of the individual who is asthmatic.

In studies done to better understand the relation between these two, stomach acids were injected in the esophagus of asthma patients and it was found that the entry of stomach acids into the esophagus of asthma patients worsen their condition.

Also, it is often found that treating acid reflux helps in alleviating some of the symptoms of asthma.

More research is needed to establish a concrete association between these two diseases, but as of now, experts does believe a link between the two diseases exists. It is understood that asthma may worsen the symptoms of acid reflux, which is basically a lifestyle condition, and vice-versa.

To learn more natural methods for acid reflux, check out our  acid reflux guide.

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The condition of acid reflux in long run can lead to various serious complications. Our body requires gastric acid to digest the food we eat, but in acid reflux this acid is regurgitated upward. This upward release of gastric acid can damage the esophagus, which can have serious health implications.

What causes acid reflux?

Unlike many other health conditions, acid reflux most often occurs due to the factors that are totally in our control. Some of the factors that put you at an increased risk of developing include: improper diet, unhealthy behavioral habits, and improper mental state.

Symptoms of acid reflux

The most common symptoms of acid reflux are:

• Heartburn, which is a burning feeling that rises from stomach towards the neck,
• Chest pain, and
• Dysphagia, which is difficulty in swallowing food.

Natural remedies of acid reflux

Acid reflux is not something you want to take lightly, as it can develop into potentially serious health problem. If not controlled in time, the gastric acid released upward can lead to complete erosion of esophagus.

Comfort comes from the fact that by using natural remedies and adopting a healthy lifestyle, one can effectively tackle this condition. You need to –

• Eat a balanced diet – Consumption of fatty foods puts you at a greater risk of developing acid reflux. Follow a balanced diet, and if you must eat fatty foods, eat in moderate amounts. Remember to stay healthy, you need to eat healthy.
• Stop Smoking – Smoking and excessive drinking can lead to acid reflux, not to mention other innumerable disease they cause. Stop smoking and drink only in moderation to reduce your chances of developing acid reflux.

• Cultivate a positive attitude – Stress, depression, and panic orders are recipe for various health problems, including acid reflux. Maintaining a positive attitude goes a long way in ensuring good physical health. You may practice mental exercises, such as meditation to improve and take better control of your mental state.

Scott Davis discovered a simple home remedy that has helped thousands of people to improve – even totally eliminate – their acid reflux in only a few minutes. You probably already have everything you need to make this remedy in your kitchen. If not, you can get everything in your local supermarket.

To learn more about this remedy and other natural methods to tackle acid reflux, check out our Acid Reflux Guide.

If you frequently experience the symptoms of acid reflux, it is important that you take adequate steps to control this condition. Acid reflux is not a health condition you would want to ignore, because if left unaddressed, it can lead to complete erosion of esophagus, or the wind pipe, as it is commonly called.

For long, the causes of this condition have been debated and researched. Most researches do agree that depression is a big contributor to acid reflux. Researchers have also been trying for long to find a connection between anxiety and GERD, or acid reflux, as it is most commonly known. Finally, a breakthrough has come from the University of Alabama that has revealed a direct correlation between anxiety and acid reflux; this means more the stress levels, greater the chances of developing acid reflux. This also means, if you regularly experience acid reflux, the symptoms will be more pronounced when you under stress.

The findings were based on the tests conducted by the University of Alabama in which a test group was asked to play a complex computer game in which they were required to solve difficult mathematical problems. As the stress or anxiety levels in individuals grew, so did the symptoms of acid reflux.

How does this finding help in controlling acid reflux? Well… these findings give us a valuable insight on the nature of acid reflux, and equipped with this knowledge we stand a better chance of controlling this health hazard.

To begin with, identify the moments of your daily life that are stressful. You also need to introspect if these moments are avoidable. For instance, if you take a certain shorter route to office which is often packed with traffic; perhaps you can explore other options to see if alternatives are available.

The reality of modern life is that certain amount of stress is unavoidable. However, with awareness, you can incorporate positive behavioral, and lifestyle changes to manage stress better.

Eat light food before your daily ‘stressful’ moments. In fact, a balanced diet and regular exercise can help you immensely in handling stress. If you lead a particularly hectic life, then Yoga or other relaxation techniques may help you bring the stress levels down.

Acid reflux can very often be controlled through natural means. To learn more on how to help control acid reflux naturally, read our Blue Heron Health Guide to Acid Reflux.

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Studies show that the above statement is just a misconception, and that more than 5% of youngsters in the age bracket of 10 to 17 years suffer from acid reflux. And the figure continues to increase in the age bracket of 18-25 years.

The ‘Ashlee Simpson incident’

Doctors knew all along that kids too can suffer from acid reflux, but the general public became aware of this fact only when pop star Ashlee Simpson was reported to be suffering from acid reflux. While performing on Saturday Night Live in October 2004, her condition became so bad that she had to lip-sync her own song on live TV. Ashlee’s representatives claimed that acid reflux had caused damage to her vocal cards. She was all of twenty years old at the time.

While Simpson’s detractors naturally rebuked the claim and said that this was just an excuse, the incident drove home one important message: acid reflux doesn’t discriminate, at least not on the basis of age, and strikes youngsters and adults alike.

What causes acid reflux in young adults?

Research points out that the exact cause of acid reflux is not the same for everyone. Generally, in young adults, the cause of acid reflux is not based on some physical conditions such as  a poorly functioning stomach valve or hiatal hernia.

Some causes of acid reflux in youngsters are:

• Allergies
• Chronic ear infections
• Alcohol
• Smoking
• Poor diet
• Excessive exercise or lack of exercise
• Digestive problems
• Obesity

The condition of acid reflux can be controlled and treated. The key is to recognize the condition before it is too late. If you are careless in recognizing the condition, acid reflux can cause permanent damage to your esophagus and may also lead to other serious ailments such as respiratory problems.

Symptoms of Acid Reflux

To recognize the condition, you need to be aware of its symptoms. It is a cause of worry if your kid shows any of the following early symptoms of acid reflux:

• Pain or burning sensation in the chest
• Problem in swallowing food
• Regurgitation of gastric acid
• Vomiting

Acid Reflux and natural health remedies

Acid reflux is one of many health conditions that can often be effectively managed using natural health remedies. A balanced diet and regular exercise are two natural remedies that help not only in curbing the pain and symptoms of acid reflux, but also in dealing with the underlying causes of the condition.

If you wish to know more about how to help deal with acid reflux naturally, refer to our guide on Acid Reflux.

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The most common symptom of this ailment is heartburn, which occurs due to inflammation in the esophagus. Acid reflux, if not treated properly and on time, can cause severe damage to the esophagus and digestive system.

The most common treatments of acid reflux are: antacids and surgery.

Medication or surgery- which is more effective in acid reflux treatment?

Dr. Las conducted a study in Sweden to determine which conventional acid reflux treatment is better. The size of the group involved in this study was 255. While 122 patients underwent surgery to treat acid reflux, the rest were given Omeprazole (Prilosec).

Researchers stayed in contact with a large number of initial patients, but failed to pinpoint which of the two is the perfect cure for acid reflux.

Approximately 53% of the patients that underwent surgery reported low intensity of acid reflux. Additionally, many of the 123 patients who were given Omeprazole also reported low intensity of acid reflux; 45% of these patients needed dose adjustments during the study period.

Though the verdict slightly tilts towards surgery as a better treatment for acid reflux, some post operative issues were also reported.

Natural way of treating acid reflux involves making positive changes in the lifestyle, adopting a balanced diet, and exercising regularly. The natural remedies address the root cause of acid reflux, and are thus often found to be very effective in treating this condition.

Here are some tips that help you in alleviating the symptoms of acid reflux.

• Eat a balanced diet
• Do not eat before going to sleep
• Stop smoking
• Avoid excessive alcohol
• Exercise daily

In addition to the above tips, various herbs are also available that help you win the battle against acid reflux naturally.

If you are interested in knowing more about how to deal with acid reflux naturally, click here.

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David L. Bowton, who is a senior researcher at the university, has stated that approximately 25% of the patients who contract hospital-acquired pneumonia or ventilator-acquired pneumonia die because of this condition. It is understood that the biggest cause of infection-related death among patients who are critically ill is hospital-acquired pneumonia.

The researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine also studied the two popular acid reflux drugs- Zantac TM (Ranitidine) and Prilosec TM (Pantoprazole), and how these drugs increase the chances of contracting pneumonia. The research concluded that Prilosec TM, which is a more preferred acid reflux drug than Zantac TM, puts critically ill patients at a greater risk of developing pneumonia.

834 hospitalized surgery patients who were treated with Prilosec TM were analyzed, and it was found that these patients were three times more likely to catch the pneumonia bug. For this reason, researchers believe that if an acid reflux drug is need to be given to critically ill patients, Zantac TM should be given, as it is relatively safer.

Why acid reflux drugs increase the chances of acquiring pneumonia

Acid reflux drugs are given to patients to reduce the acid in their stomachs. However, when the acid in the stomach is reduced, it becomes more receptive to bacteria. As a result, the chances of developing pneumonia increase, especially among those critically ill patients who are on breathing machines when the stomach acids regurgitate toward the lungs.

Is the danger of acid reflux drugs limited to only critically-ill patients?

No, most acid reflux drugs have certain side effects from which even normal patients can’t escape. For instance, Prilosec TM, which is the preferred drug for the treatment of acid reflux, generally causes diarrhea and headache. As a matter of fact, certain acid reflux medicines may worsen the condition if used for a long period of time.

As conventional treatments are not free from side-effects, natural health remedies should be chosen for acid reflux. Acid reflux is a health condition that generally occurs due to poor lifestyle and eating habits. By making positive changes in one’s lifestyle and eating a balanced diet, acid reflux can be dealt with effectively.

To learn more on how to treat acid reflux naturally, check out our all new Cure Acid Reflux Naturally guide.

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