Gastro-esophageal reflux, better known as acid reflux, is a very common disease that effects more than 7 percent of the American people. Acid reflux can occur in people of all ages, even though its more common in infants and young children. In contrast to children who are rarely confronted with long-term symptoms of acid reflux, most adults suffer from recurrent form of the disease. The process of diagnosising acid reflux is simple and it usually requires clinical trials. Reports of symptoms and physical indicators of acid reflux are usually sufficient in the diagnosis of the disease. However, in special cases Doctors may perform additional tests to confirm the likely clinical diagnoses.

The causes of acid reflux consists of several different natures. In most cases, chronic acid reflux disease is caused by physiological disorders, the uncommon activity of the lower esophageal sphincter or excessive pressure in the stomach. The lower esophageal sphincter is a ring-shaped muscular valve that normally forms a barrier between the esophagus and the stomach. Under normal conditions, this valve opens only during swallowing of food, otherwise it's closed. If the lower esophageal sphincter is weakened or its integrity is compromised (due to physical trauma), the contents of the stomach can easily flow back into the esophagus and oral cavity.

Another common physiological cause of acid reflux is excessive pressure on the level of the belly, which pushes the contents of the stomach upwards in the esophagus lining. This anomaly is more common in women, obese people, smokers and pregnant women.

Acid reflux with hiatal hernia. Hiatal hernia usually occurs when the upper wall of the stomach moves above the diaphragm. Although this fact hasn't been confirmed, hiatal hernia is a cause of acid reflux. An interesting fact is that most patients with acid reflux suffer hiatal hernia, but very few patients with hiatal hernia will eventually develop acid reflux.

Drugs are also a cause of acid reflux disease. Reflux can be stimulated via a variety of synthetic drugs, an excess production of stomach acid into the stomach, thus facilitating the occurrence of acid reflux. Other drugs promote the relaxation of the sphincter of the lower esophagus or decrease the pressure on the level of the esophagus.

Nutrition is also a major cause of acid reflux. Acidic irritating foods contribute significantly to the occurrence of acid reflux by creating an overproduction of stomach acid caused by relaxation of the esophageal valve.. Bad eating habits (binge eating, feasting) can cause an occurrence of acid reflux. As a result, most symptoms of acid reflux are are experienced right after meals. Smoking and the consumption of alcohol are also known to be causes of acid reflux, because it conflicts with the normal activity of the muscular esophageal valve.

The categories of people who develop chronic forms of acid reflux disease are: pregnant women, overweight people, smokers, alcoholics and people suffering from other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Despite the high incidence of acid reflux in very young children and infants, these categories of patients are rarely confronted with relapsing forms of the disease.