Sunday, October 28, 2007

Acid Reflux, Sleep Apnea and Heart Palpitations

Acid reflux, sleep apnea and heart palpitations are serious problems that people have to look after; otherwise, problems that are more serious could result in untreated symptoms. A person who suffers from sleep apnea may also complain of frequent headaches, dry mouth, and a sore throat in the morning, heart palpitations, urinating throughout the night, falling asleep while working or driving, and chronic fatigue and memory problems.

People who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea have an increased risk of hypertension, stroke, heart disease and accidents while driving or working.

If suffering from acid reflux, sleep apnea and or heart palpitations, you are strongly recommended to consult a doctor. It is common for people to have an occasional sleepless night but a lack of sleep on a regular basis is cause for concern. Insomnia can be the result of sleep apnea or even nighttime acid reflux. Insomnia will leave you feeling tired throughout the entire day. It will also cause psychological and physiological damage to your body.

When underlying ailments such as sleep apnea, lung disease, hot flashes and diabetes are treated the insomnia may be treated as well. Natural remedies available for insomnia include a change in lifestyle such as a better diet. Much of the food we eat is made up of toxins, which cause an imbalance in the body. The alkaline imbalance may be what triggers insomnia in some people.

Acid reflux, sleep apnea and heart palpitations can all be traced in some way to the food we eat. Hydrogenated fat, refined table salt, mono sodium glutamate, sugar, chocolate, corn syrup, refined oils, baking powder, fried foods, junk foods, carbonated soda and alcohol are all toxins that will cause problems in the human body.

Replace these poor health choices with natural foods and you may begin to notice a change in your overall health and you may be able to sleep better at night. Fruits and vegetables have plenty of fiber and natural enzymes that balance the acid-alkaline ratio in the body.

Acid reflux can cause chest pain because stomach acid causes the esophagus to become enflamed and can lead to chest pain. This pain may feel quite similar to pain associated with angina, which is felt by people with coronary heart disease. Acid reflux does not directly cause heart palpitations but it may cause a person to feel extremely anxious which in turn may cause palpitations.

Another scenario may be that the person may actually be experiencing a heart related attack of pain of some sort. In this case, the palpitations may be the result of a heart attack. Other symptoms of heart disease that could rule out acid reflux include nausea and shortness of breath.

Acid reflux, sleep apnea and heart palpitations are serious ailments that are linked to our lifestyle. If you are someone who is at risk for heart disease, it is important to rule out acid reflux disease before assuming it is responsible for the chest pains and heart palpitations. Even something that feels like a typical case of heartburn could be a sign of heart disease, so a careful history and evaluation of the patient is required.