What is Acid Reflux

Acid Reflux or GERD is a very common condition in which the liquid content of the stomach backs up into the esophagus. The valve that separates the stomach from the esophagus does not close properly and this allows stomach acid to flow back causing what is often described as "heartburn".

What an oxymoron I thought when a friend told me recently that she was told that apparently there's no acid involved in "acid reflux"!

It is becoming very worrisome at how health care professionals are either misleading or giving inaccurate information to their patients. Is this a symptom of society or is it the way that new doctors are being trained?

Elizabeth Cohen, CNN health correspondent wrote a book "how to be a bad patient" although this may not even be the exact title of the book. After a horrible experience involving her mother's kidneys, she was inspired to write the book to advocate patient empowerment.

It seems that nowadays it is advisable to remember that you are the owner of the body and you need to learn how it works and be able to recognize when it is not working at its optimum. In other words, know some basic things about your body and educate yourself about various diseases, their causes and suggested treatments.