There are many words that we hear on the tube today for acid reflux; heartburn, GERD. In any case they are all the same thing. Acid reflux can be debilitating. It is a disease that affects many Americans. I have acid reflux and have had since a teenager. Some doctors thought I had an ulcer or H-pylori but neither of these two common diagnoses were true in my case.

I am unusual in that I just feel constantly hungry if I do not treat my acid reflux daily. I know I am not hungry because I will have just had a meal. Thirty minutes can go by and I will feel famished. This just can’t be. Since we all look after our weight it is not so good for me that I should want to eat all the time. I take one little pill each morning for heartburn before I brush my teeth to prevent this unrequited hunger.

Acid reflux is more than just a nuisance. People who have untreated chronic indigestion or heartburn do not realize that the lining of their esophagus is at risk of being eaten away or worse getting cancer. In simple terms the esophagus is a tube that is approximately 9 inches long that connects your pharynx (throat) to your stomach. The reflux part of this disease is acid, bile, and pepsin that is up-chucked into your throat and burns away at the lining of your throat. My reflux just makes me feel very hungry even when I know I am not.

A quick visit to the corner druggist could be all you need to do to solve this persistent ailment. Speak to the druggist. Tell them of your symptoms and they will suggest the latest over the counter remedies. Zantac and Prilosec as well as others non prescription medications are available to treat GERD. The stores keep these expensive medications locked up and you will need a clerk to dispense them. These were once only prescribed medications. They are now available in 30-day supply packaged. The packages can cost more than thirty dollars at some drug stores but well worth the relief.

If this does not work after a few weeks then you should see a doctor. No way around it. An internist or a gastrologist, stomach doctor, is what you need to seek. Insurance plans can make suggestion of who is on your plan and in network. Word to the wise - make sure the doctor and the testing facility are both in network or you can get hosed. These tests involving stomach acids like a lower GI’s, CAT scans etc are expensive so make sure you protect yourself.

Relief could be as easy as taking a prescription pills each day and avoiding acid reflux foods. I take Prevacid, the over the counters do not work for me. Get help now!

Unless pregnant, once you begin experiencing acid reflux it is usually a lifelong ailment. I can attest to that fact since I have at it since I was 19 and am now over 50 years old. I M U S T take my medication everyday rain of shine or I will experience symptoms. It has never gotten any better.

After a meal is when most people experience most severe symptoms. That is when the gastric juices are at their most active. Pepsin is activated to begin the digestive process for food absorption into the system. Not eating late at night is helpful as well as not eating acid reflux foods. Some say it feels like a heart attached while others actually vomit into their throats. Mine, like I said, just makes me feel ravenous. I think I got off luckier than most. Either way ? get treated. Do something. It is not going away and it can only get worse.

I have a brother who consumed Tums at an alarming rate. He hadn’t noticed his habit until I asked him about it. He said he had heartburn constantly so I suggested Prilosec. He now takes this little pill each day and he feels much better. From time to time he says taking two in a day, like Thanksgiving does the trick. He is now symptom free.

Dark circles under one’s eyes is a common problem that is associated with a wide array of different causes. Luckily despite the fact that these discolored bags under our eyes are so hard to get rid of, there are a few techniques that will allow us to make sure they don’t return any time soon.

The first thing to make sure you do is to get plenty of rest. The most commonly associated cause of dark skin discoloration under one’s eyes is the lack of sleep that is so common in today’s busy world. Lack of sleep causes the skin to become pale, which would suggest that blood circulation isn’t at normal levels. Thus, we would also pin poor blood circulation to the list of causes.

Another less fortunate cause of the condition is the fact that one can get dark circles under their eyes simply because it may be hereditary. Studies show that the condition is passed on from generation to generation in families that have a history of the condition. This isn’t to say there still aren’t solutions, there is just more of a chance that things such as sleep won’t completely cure the condition.

Getting a better skin tone under one’s eyes is sometimes as simple as going to the local supermarket and picking up a cucumber. Cucumber slices have long been used to put over the eyes during sleep or during relaxation periods. The slices will promote skin glow and health- which will in turn make the dark circles under one’s eyes start to disappear within a few days.

Tea bags have also been known to contain tannin, which has shown similar effects as cucumber slices. If a cucumber isn’t handy, try to find a tea mixture with tannin and apply the mixture under one’s eyes with a damp cloth or rag. Leave the cloth for optimal results so that the tannin can soak into the skin for best efficiency. If you aren’t comfortable with leaving the mixture overnight, 10-15 minutes should be plenty of time to absorb the materials.

If one has access to vitamin K, which is in most types of beneficial skin creams, it should be applied under the eyes on a daily basis. Another common cause of dark circles under the eye is the lack of vitamin K, in which apply a cream will return the vitamin K levels back to normal. Most people see a significant difference in skin discoloration from this solution alone.

Final Thoughts

If nothing else works out, there is always a long list of cosmetics that can cover up any type of skin discoloration. Speak to a cosmetologist or any chic friend of yours for more information on where to get the right cosmetics until a solution is found for this disdainful problem.