A lot of us suffer from Indigestion or Acid Reflux. As a fellow sufferer I can tell you from first hand experience how debilitating this condition really is. There is a lot of myth out there regarding Acid Reflux, or GERD, or Indigestion, as it is sometimes called. A lot of it has to do primarily with what causes it and the so-called medications, remedies,and cures that are out there. What is Acid Reflux? You can do your own research in the internet on what the condition is and you will usually fall in either one of two camps of thought. One explanation tells us that the valve on the gastro-esophageal junction is weakened, causing reflux of acid and food contents upwards toward the esophagus. Another explanation circumvents around the biochemical problem dealing with the body's alkalinity. It basically means you produce more acid than is necessary hence causing the reflux. Which is true? How effective are the over the counter medications we frequently buy to relieve our indigestion? Do they really work? Well, before we talk about which is which let's digress further on the risk factors involved for acquiring GERD.
The first risk factor is old age. As we get older the valve at the junction between our stomach and esophagus weakens and this is a natural event. This explains that our elderly tend to get more heartburn than the younger generations. Another risk factor is increased abdominal girth, as in the form of obesity and pregnancy. The mechanism behind these two is that our stomach has limits in terms of expansion as we eat and when we really engorge ourselves, acid and food contents gets pushed upwards by way of compression. That is why we doctors always advise a patient to try losing weight and see how his or her condition changes or improves. Another risk factor is smoking. Cigarette smoking weakens the valve hence causing acid reflux. Other often overlooked risk factors are stress, lack of sleep, and eating spicy foods. As you go by this list you can easily see how these risk factors, once compounded, increases the risk of having Acid Reflux quite greatly.
How is it that a lot of patients being brought in to the Emergency Room, who thought they were having a heart attack, are actually suffering from heartburn? Well, one of the symptoms of Acid Reflux is chest pain, often described as sudden and intense, causing sufferers to believe they were indeed having a heart attack. The other signs and symptoms of Acid Reflux are shortness of breath (laryngospasm), hoarseness, cough, regurgitation, nausea, laryngitis, and a sensation or feeling of something 'lumpy' in your throat. Acid reflux can take on thse myriad of symptoms and knowing what to expect from GERD helps you better deal with it.
There is no clear cut reason why we are predisposed to getting acid reflux. A lot of it has to do with our propensity towards this condition as a result of our lifestyle habits, our health conditions, our age, and many other things. What is important to understand however, is that long-standing GERD can lead to more serious conditions such as Barrett's Esophagus and Cancer. Instead of looking at heartburn in this light let us approach the condition from a more hollistic understanding, which, in the end, will also dictate how we manage and deal with the condition in a day to day basis. I believe that hearburn is a natural event. It is a way by which our bodies react to what we take in and is a good indicator of our general health and well being. Our body's cellular processes are dictated by many biochemical and physiologic events which work optimally at a set range in pH. If our body has a problem with alkalinity ( meaning we produce more acid), our stomach overproduces acid in return. a balance must be set in order to control this stomach acid production and many cells and hormones are at play here.
Here are some home remedies which can help alleviate symptoms of heartburn:
1. Apple cider vinegar; take 1 tablespoon in a glass of water twich a day to slowly return the body to
its normal alkalinity.
2. Ginger; boiled and allowed to cool then drink with honey. Works much like apple cider vinegar.
3. Papaya; this is a little known secret to return the body to its optimal function and clean our
digestive system. The mechanism by which it cures GERD is still unclear but it does help.
4. Drinking Alkaline water.
5. Lemon, lemon, and lemon. It is actually alkaline and helps reduce acidity.
Here are some things to avoid:
1. Caffeine.
2. Overeating.
3. Going to bed on a full stomach.
4. Carbonated drinks like sodas.
5. Foods like onions, chocolates, high fat foods, processed foods, and others. It's always helpful to
remember or keep a list of foods which trigger heartburn for you.
6. Smoking.
7. Alcohol.
Here are some things which help:
1. Eat in moderation and slowly chew your food. Eat in small, frequent quantities rather than big
meals.
2. Get enough sleep. One of the risk factors discussed above is lack of sleep.
3. Wear loose clothing.
4. Lose the weight. You'll see how your heartburn improves drastically if you lose those extra
pounds.
5. Carry a roll of antacids with you wherever you go.
6. Eat organically grown foods only and increase your vegetable and fruit intake by at least 60%.
Well, I hope these help. Always be well, think only of pure thoughts of positivity and happiness, never be down for long, and strive to be more and you will be much much more. JowelMD signing off but never signing out. Until our next post, folks. Sorry for the long absence.
