Kathryn Whittaker asked:


Acid reflux is really just a symptom of an underlying condition. However, many conditions can cause acid reflux, which often makes it harder to treat. Among the contributing potential causes can be: hiatal hernias, pregnancy, defective lower esophageal sphincters, insufficient digestive enzymes, asthma, and lifestyle.

So, let’s take a look at few of these…

A hiatal hernia can cause acid reflux as a result of impairing the function of the lower esophageal sphincter. Hiatial hernias are a condition that occurs when the upper part of the stomach ‘pokes’ through into the chest cavity via a small opening in the diaphragm.

The diaphragm is the muscle separating the chest from the stomach. This condition is usually the results from severe cases of vomiting, coughing, straining, or a sudden exertion. Obesity, pregnancy and advancing age also increase the risk of hiatal hernia. When hiatal hernia and acid reflux occur at the same time, symptoms of both tend to be more severe.

Pregnancy can cause acid reflux within the last trimester because as the baby grows, it puts pressure on the stomach, forcing some of the contents back up into the esophagus. In this case, antacids and other similar medications will not help to provide relief to heartburn symptoms. Instead, it is recommended that pregnant women eat smaller, more frequent meals so that there is never too much in the stomach. Once the baby is born, the symptoms will typically stop.

For similar reasons to pregnancy obesity can also cause acid reflux as the stomach becomes constricted by the excess weight.

Another cause of acid reflux is a defective lower esophageal sphincter (LES). This can easily cause acid reflux, due to a malfunctioning esophagus that does not effectively seal off the stomach from the lower esophagus, allowing stomach contents to rise up. A defective LES can mean that it is not strong enough to keep food in the stomach, or it may relax once food has passed through, allowing it to come back up again, causing the burning sensation and acidic taste.

Insufficient levels of digestive enzymes can also cause acid reflux as without sufficient volumes, digestion can become delayed. This results in food remaining in the stomach for longer, allowing stomach acids to build up and leading to a higher risk of acid reflux.

Even asthma is linked to acid reflux – with there being evidence that asthma is both a cause and also a possible effect of acid reflux. The theory of asthma causing acid reflux, it can be explained by the coughing, sneezing, and other forceful respiratory events associated with asthma, pushing acid from the stomach into the esophagus. Some asthmatic drugs also list acid reflux as a potential side effect.

Of course, lifestyle can also have a tremendous impact on acid reflux. Your lifestyle choices can cause acid reflux through overeating, smoking, stress, and even the foods you eat such as salty or fatty foods. Solutions can range from changing your lifestyle, losing excess weigh, taking typical antacids that you see at the convenience store or drug store to more long term lifestyle changes.

Although this article has only touched on some of the underlying conditions and factors that cause acid reflux, it shows the diversity of potential triggers. Many treatments look at resolving the symptoms without tackling the underlying cause, which in the end will never solve the problem for good.



Peter

Anna Hart asked:


The relief and treatment of heartburn, acid reflux, and GERD is a huge billion-dollar-a-year market, according to Tamas Bartfai, director of the Harold L. Dorris Neurological Research Center. Bartfai has had decades of experience as a consultant and executive in the Pharmaceutical industry, and has consulted with companies that are developing costly treatments for this common ailment.

With so much money being spent on medications to relieve heartburn and its companions, you would think at least one medication would be a cure. Sadly, this does not appear to be so. Heartburn medications seem to do nothing more than relieve symptoms. Some attempt to neutralize stomach acids. Others “turn off the pumps” that manufacture stomach acids.

The pharmaceutical community seems to offer nothing that will cure heartburn.

Glutamine for Heartburn

Glutamine for heartburn may be the answer. More specifically, L-glutamine for heartburn. L-glutamine for heartburn may not only be a cure, but be far less costly than other medications.

For example, In the U.S., L-glutamine can be purchased for about 5 cents per capsule. The prescription medication that “turns off the pumps” costs about $5.44 per capsule – at discount prices.

Why might glutamine be good for heartburn?

Cause of Heartburn

Heartburn appears to be a muscular problem.

Despite the pharmaceutical community’s emphasis on acids, the real cause of heartburn is a weakness in the lower esophageal sphincter (LES).

A sphincter is a circular band of muscle like a ring around a body passageway or opening. If you were teaching children about a sphincter, you might place a ring around one finger to illustrate.

The task of every sphincter is to relax or tighten as needed to open or close a natural body opening or passageway. If you made your illustrative ring of elastic, you would tighten and relax the elastic to show sphincter action.

1. A cow’s teat has a sphincter at the lower end. It relaxes to allow milk to flow, and tightens to stop the flow.

2. The human bladder has an involuntary sphincter at its neck. It relaxes to allow urine to flow, and tightens to stop the flow. A voluntary sphincter at the end of the urethra does the same.



3. An **** sphincter tightens to hold back waste, and relaxes to pass waste.



4. The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxes to allow food to enter the stomach, and tightens to keep food and acid from flowing backward into the esophagus. It should prevent heartburn.

Weak Sphincter Problems

If the sphincter in any of the above becomes weak, problems can occur.

1. A milking machine can make a cow’s sphincter remain relaxed for two hours. This allows bacteria to enter the teat, and can result in mastitis.

2. A weakness in the bladder sphincter can cause urine to leak against your will.

3. When the **** sphincter weakens, fecal incontinence can occur.

4. A weakness in the LES allows stomach acids to reflux, flow backward into the esophagus. This causes heartburn.

When sphincters other than the LES weaken and cause problems, attention is turned to strengthening the weak sphincter. The cow’s sphincter is often subjected to cold after milking to tighten the muscle band. Exercise can tighten both weak bladder sphincters and weak **** sphincters. Biofeedback, electrical stimulation, and certain drugs also can be used to tighten these two sphincters.

Interestingly, none of these approaches seems to be used for the LES. Heartburn treatments address the symptoms, but neglect the weakened sphincter, which is the real problem.

Can Glutamine for Heartburn Help?



Glutamine for heartburn may be a solution.

Glutamine is an amino acid. Just as other amino acids are important constituents of proteins, so is glutamine. Glutamine occurs naturally in foods that are high in protein: beans, dairy products, fish, and red meat.

Glutamine as a supplement is used by weight lifters, body builders, and other athletes who want strong muscles. Glutamine as a supplement is also used to alleviate muscle cramps and pain, especially in older people. By replenishing the amino acids in the body, muscles are strengthened and pain relieved.

Glutamine has been shown to increase the body’s ability to dispose of damaged cells, and produce new cells. Glutamine is a powerful antioxidant, too. As such, it helps protect body cells from free radicals. Glutamine heals mucous membranes, including the lining of the esophagus that is being damaged by heartburn.

It is thought by some that glutamine for heartburn might strengthen the LES, improving its ability to tighten properly. This might completely prevent heartburn, acid reflux, and even GERD.

Glutamine for heartburn could possibly be a partial, if not a total cure.

Until heartburn, acid reflux, and GERD are understood and treated as the muscular problems they seem to be, physicians will continue to prescribe relief and treatments that address only the symptoms.

Disclaimer: The author does not sell glutamine in any form, nor will she profit from sales of glutamine for heartburn. The author is not a medical professional and offers this information for educational purposes only.



Erin

Charles Stewart Richey asked:


Millions of people suffer from the symptoms of heartburn every day. Those with acute cases of heartburn may have a condition called acid reflux or gerd (gastroesophageal reflux disease).

Any form of heartburn is an unpleasant experience, to say the least. The splashing up of stomach acid into the esophagus and throat can be quite painful and potentially dangerous. In extreme cases, where the esophagus is continually damaged by the reflux of stomach fluids, a condition called Barrett’s Esophagus can develop. This condition is a precursor to esophageal cancer.

Barrett’s Esophagus occurs when chronic acid reflux or esophagitis is not controlled. Through constant inflammation and damage, the normal cells that line the esophagus called squamous cells turn into specialized columnar cells. Columnar cells are not normally found in human beings and can become cancerous.

The physical cause of heartburn is the improper functioning of the LES (lower esophageal sphincter). This ringed muscle at the bottom of the esophagus, relaxes in order to allow food to enter the stomach. This muscle then retracts in order to keep the digestive fluids where they belong. It is when this muscle is too relaxed or damaged, that the stomach fluids can escape up into the esophagus thereby causing acid reflux.

There are many possible causes of acid reflux. The foods that we eat play an important role. Food that is too acidic can aggravate this ailment. Not chewing food properly, eating meals that are too large and lying down within three hours of eating can all contribute to acid reflux.

Certain foods and beverages can cause the LES to become lazy. These culprits include smoking, drinking alcohol and prescription drugs. Raw onions and garlic, fried foods, chocolate and foods that are too spicy can also cause the LES to relax.

There are two ways to treat this condition. They are the allopathic medical and the holistic approaches to disease. The allopathic medical way is to prescribe certain drugs such as H2 receptor antagonists, which include Tagamet and Zantac, or PPI drugs (proton pump inhibitors) like Nexium and Prilosec. These medicines slow down the production of stomach acid and are the two main types of pharmaceutical acid suppressors.

This pharmaceutical approach is dangerous in that it impedes the proper digestion and assimilation of food. There are also numerous harmful side effects associated with these drugs. Drugs only treat the symptoms of a disease or condition. They are not intended to cure. If the drug companies created drugs that cured they would soon go out of business.

The alternative way to treat acid reflux is holistically. Holistic by definition means considering a whole thing or being to be more than a collection of parts; Treating the whole person rather than just the Symptoms of a disease.

Using alternative remedies, which are natural and have no side effects, is certainly the safest and most effective approach. These treatments are also far less expensive than drugs. Holistic treatment, unlike drugs, can actually cure the condition or disease.

In order to develop acid reflux, we must first have an acidic system. By treating the whole body, acid reflux will disappear. What we eat and drink determines the PH of the body.

Vegetable juices, like raw potato, celery and cabbage are very alkaline in nature and are helpful in correcting an acidic stomach. Papaya juice contains the digestive enzyme papain, which has a soothing effect on the stomach and aids in the breaking down of protein.

Slippery Elm, bladderwrack and marshmallow, belong to a category of herbs called demulcents. These herbs aid digestion by decreasing inflammation and by soothing the affected areas. They form a protective barrier against stomach acid and other digestive irritants.

There are many holistic ways to cure acid reflux. Meditation can be of great help. Start by doing deep breathing exercises for ten minutes. Keeping the eyes closed, visualize you stomach, LES, esophagus and throat as young, pink, tender and perfect. Continue to breath and picture yourself in perfect glowing health. See yourself eating slowly in a relaxed atmosphere, enjoying your food. Picture the food being digested and assimilated in a perfect manner. Feel all the parts of your body working in perfect harmony together.

Yoga can also be very beneficial to the body as a whole. Loosing weight and regular exercise are important as well. Drinking copious amount of pure water not only flushes the system of toxins, but dilutes stomach acid during periods between meals.

The holistic approach to healing is the medicine of the future. We can all be a part of that future now.

© 2006 Wind Publishing

For more information on how to heal acid reflux the natural way, go to: http://www.refluxgoneforever.com



Jo

Anna Hart asked:


Heartburn in pregnancy is caused by a muscular weakness. The muscle involved is the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), a ring of muscle between your stomach and esophagus. The LES is designed to relax when you swallow food so that the food can enter the stomach. Once the food is in the stomach, the LES is to tighten, keeping food and stomach acids from flowing back into your esophagus. If the LES always worked properly, no one would ever suffer heartburn in pregnancy.

Like many other parts of the body, however, the LES is affected by pregnancy. Heartburn in pregnancy is a frequent complaint.

Common Question about Heartburn in Pregnancy

When does heartburn start in pregnancy? How soon in pregnancy do you get heartburn? When should I expect heartburn in pregnancy? The question varies, but the answer is always the same. Heartburn in pregnancy usually begins around the fifth month. From that point forward, it may come and go until you give birth.

How do you treat heartburn in pregnancy?

Pregnancy Heartburn Treatment

Pregnancy heartburn treatment begins with an understanding of the relationship between heartburn and pregnancy. Why is it that at this time when you are so happy to be expecting, you suddenly have heartburn?

With pregnancy, the placenta produces progesterone, a hormone that relaxes the uterus’ smooth muscles. It relaxes some other muscles, too, one of which can be the LES separating the esophagus and stomach. As progesterone relaxes the LES, it fails to close and/or remain tightly closed. This allows acids to flow back into the esophagus, causing heartburn. Progesterone also affects the contractions of the esophagus, slowing the wavelike action. This, too, contributes to heartburn in pregnancy.

As your pregnancy progresses and your baby grows, your abdominal cavity will become crowded. The limited space will be taken up increasingly by the growing, moving infant. This puts pressure on the stomach, which in turn pressures the LES to open. Heartburn can quickly result as stomach acids are pushed into the esophagus.

Steps of Pregnancy Heartburn Treatment

Your healthcare provider will warn you not to take medications that might harm the baby. There are steps you can take, however, to treat heartburn in pregnancy.

1. Watch your weight gain. Ask your physician how much you should reasonably gain, and be careful to keep your weight to that limit. Excess weight will place more pressure on the LES and increase heartburn.

2. Avoid tight clothing, especially around your waist and abdomen. Tight clothing also contributes to pressure on the LES muscle ring.

3. When bending, bend at the knees rather than at the waist. Bending at the waist is a common cause of heartburn in pregnancy.

4. Eat several small meals during the day in place of three larger meals. Eat slowly and chew your food well.

5. Have your last meal or snack at least two to three hours before bedtime. Allowing food to digest before you lie down can reduce heartburn.

6. Although you will want to drink eight to ten glasses of water daily, you should Avoid drinking large amounts of liquid during meals. Try to remember that a distended stomach will pressure the LES and cause heartburn.

7. Ward off potential heartburn by chewing gum after eating. The chewing action can help release air bubbles that contribute to heartburn and the gum stimulates the production of saliva, which can help neutralize acid.

CAUTION: The author is not a professional physician, and offers this information about heartburn in pregnancy for educational purposes only. Please seek advice from your health care provider.



William

Jeff W. Martin asked:


Will Aciphex help any victims of heartburn to find real relief? In the following article, an ex heartburn sufferer relates the unpleasant facts about Aciphex, after having measured it against many alternative solutions, and all this for an Over The Counter medicament against heartburn known by millions. Sales per annum of Aciphex already topped $1.3 billion (figures from 2006).

Although healthy people can sometimes get heartburn also, chronic heartburn (every two or three days) may suggest acid reflux, also known as GERD – gastro esophageal reflux disease. About 20% of adults in developed western countries must endure recurring heartburn. The name heartburn simply describes the burning sensation of pain in the throat or the chest, often brought on after a meal.

The acid reflux at the root of the pain of heartburn is triggered by the weakness of the esophageal sphincter. It can lead to inflammation of the inner esophagus (esophagitis) and difficulties in swallowing, bleeding, esophageal passage constriction, Barrett’s esophagus, and sometimes cancer. GERD is the medical condition generated by the incorrect functioning of a muscle between the esophagus and the stomach. Called the lower esophageal sphincter, this muscle’s function is to block off the esophagus from the stomach to stop acidic content from moving back into the esophagus.

Aciphex tries to reduce stomach acidity as a way to reduce acid reflux symptoms such as heartburn. There are however at least two factors provoking acid reflux. Besides acidity being too high in the stomach, the other one is depleted strength of esophageal sphincter.

Halting the production of stomach acid is the hallmark of the group of PPIs (Proton Pump Inhibitors). PPIs do this by “dismantling” the proton pump, which is what the stomach uses to fabricate acid. Aciphex is a member of the PPI group, developed to treat acid reflux symptoms, and which also contains Prevacid, Protonix and Prilosec.

Nonetheless, the real reason for acid reflux lies elsewhere. Aciphex is only concentrating on the feeling of heartburn. When the real reason is neglected, it will continue to produce the symptom and this may even result in drug dependency and even bigger problems of acid reflux. Even if it may be true that almost instant relief is brought by Aciphex and other PPIs, downsides are also part of the equation? In particular, because gastric acid aids digestion and kills certain invasive bacteria and viruses, deliberately stifling its production may be unwise.

A surprising conclusion was derived from the role of gastric acid which normally extends to disabling pathogens that enter the mouth, the esophagus and then the stomach. Without stomach acid, these microbes can then make their way back up the esophagus and contaminate the lungs to cause pneumonia. Not only this but other side effects almost as undesirable also come about. This information comes from medical research carried out in 2004 in Holland.

One of the other side effects noted from the artificial prevention of stomach acid was the simultaneous prevention of the body to correctly absorb calcium. Incorrect calcium balance in the body can lead to osteoporosis because of incorrect mineral bone density. UK research showed a 44% greater chance of breaking a hip, for sufferers over the age of 50 who had been using PPIs for over a year, compared to acid reflux sufferers not using PPIs. The types of PPIs referred to included Nexium, Prilosec, Aciphex, Protonix and Prevacid.

The right holistic approach will allow you to put GERD behind you forever and safely prevent it from ever coming back. Were you aware that heartburn and its painful sensations can now be a thing of the past without having to take Aciphex or any similar medicament?



Sally

Jeff W. Martin asked:


There are typically three principal kinds of treatment for Heartburn: classical medicine, surgical operations and the natural/holistic solution. These methods are very different in the way that they operate and their approach to resolving the different underlying factors, as well as in their effects over the long-term. It’s important to select the correct and most effective solution for you and that means getting precise information on the real reasons that lie behind the symptoms of heartburn.

Heartburn is the external manifestation of acid reflux or GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease). GERD is what happens when the muscular valve between the esophagus and the stomach is weakened. This valve is also known as the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). When the LES is in a normal, healthy state, it allows food to pass one way into the stomach, but shuts afterwards to prevent acidic stomach contents from being pushed back the opposite way. It is when this muscle relaxes at the wrong moment that acid content refluxes into the esophagus and causes the pain and burning that is known as heartburn.

Physicians habitually treat heartburn and associated problems by prescribing medications, some of which can be bought over the counter. These drugs to treat acid reflux can be further divided into three categories:

1. Antacids, examples being Maalox, Rolaids, Mylanta and Tums. They neutralize stomach acid by creating a covering that envelops the food content.

2. H2 blockers to reduce acid creation, examples being Pepcid AC, Axid AR and Zantac 75. They diminish acid production in the stomach.

3. PPI (Proton Pump Inhibitors), examples of these being Nexium, Protonix and Prilosec, which act by blocking the stomach cell mechanism that releases acid.

Although short-term alleviation of pain can be effected by these drugs, long-term usage can lead to a number of problems. These drugs do not treat the underlying causes but only the symptoms and they do this by changing the chemical ingredients of the gastric system. The Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery published an article in 2004 to show that PPIs do not help with the frequency of reflux attacks for GERD victims. PPIs simply change the acidic contents into alkali ones. The reflux still occurs in the esophagus with acid content now being changed in to an alkaline bile that may in fact be no better. These drugs in general only have a temporary effect and can also lead to long-term dependency. GERD drugs such as these can also generate many undesirable secondary effects.

The next alternative to drugs is surgical intervention. The surgeon uses the upper part of the stomach to wrap around the lower part of the esophagus in order to reinforce the valve mechanism between the esophagus and the stomach. This is designed to stop the valve opening when it should not, thereby halting the flow back of stomach contents into the esophagus.

This solution is not without its problems however. Risks and secondary effects include cramps in the abdomen, diarrhea, nauseous feelings, bloating and problems in swallowing. A patient who relies solely on this is likely to be disappointed as without the right lifestyle of diet alterations, heartburn symptoms can come back again.

The major drawback of these classical methods for resolving heartburn is that they all target local GERD symptoms and give solutions only for reducing the symptom, and not the real cause. They try to decrease the quantity of acid produced, or neutralize the acid or tighten mechanically the LES. Yet in no case are the real causes being addressed.

It is the simultaneous existence of different medical and lifestyle factors that provoke acid reflux. Genetic weakness, fatty foods, being overweight and specific lifestyle and nutrition factors all conspire to weaken the LES which stops it from closing properly. Inner equilibrium can also be perturbed by Candida infection and poor diet and lifestyle habits, including undue stress and inadequate sleep patterns, which lead to excess acidity, toxic accumulation and fermentation. It is the underlying factors that must be tackled to treat heartburn. This is the only possibility for permanently solve acid reflux and to prevent it from happening again.



Michelle

Jeff W. Martin asked:


Does the combination of a particular heartburn diet and changes to a healthy lifestyle get you heartburn relief? Recent studies bring information to show that new diet plans can really lower heartburn and simultaneously make major improvements in quality of life in general. But the question remains, will a diet really bring permanent heartburn for you personally? Classical medicine has run foul of huge populations of heartburn victims in this respect, because of the potentially dangerous side effects that it produces as well as its poor record of results over a long duration.

Because heartburn is only a symptom of a more complicated medical condition known as GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease) or acid reflux, we need to know if new diet plans will act on the true, underlying causes. It is important to know that recurring heartburn cannot be dispatched in a permanent way without a full holistic treatment that clearly identifies the root causes.

A circular muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is a key part of the syndrome of heartburn. When acid escaping via the LES corrodes the cells lining the esophagus, this causes the unpleasant burning sensation known as acid indigestion or heartburn. GERD is the result of this valve-like muscle between the stomach and the esophagus weakening and no longer keeping the stomach contents away from the esophagus.

New diet habits must bring down this excess of stomach acidity, but must also take account of a malfunctioning sphincter. Therefore new diet habits must simultaneously work with both aspects of acid reflux. We describe seven simple axes for diets below as initial actions to get to a holistic, all-natural treatment for GERD:

1. Reduce the quantity of each meal. The bigger the meal, the more the stress on the digestive system, the more the level of stomach acidity and the greater the risk of compounding an existing acid reflux condition. 5-6 smaller meals per day is better than 2-3 big meals.

2. Allow your stomach to get its work done 2-3 hours for a light meal, rather than the 5-6 hours for a big one. This is especially important at the end of the day, so as to finish digestion and avoid lying down when acid can still reflux towards your esophagus. Therefore, eat a light meal for the last one of the day, before helping digestion by going for a short walk.

3. Chew and eat your food in a leisurely way. This prevents air from being ingested at the same time as the food, and avoids pressure in the stomach and bloating which all put extra pressure on the esophageal sphincter, with the resulting splash back of stomach acid.

4. Lessen coffee intake and drink herbal tea instead, as well as reducing intake of peppermint, soda and alcohol, high-fat or spicy meals, citrus juices, coffee and caffeine, chocolate and foods based largely on tomatoes. Don’t eat food that irritates your intestines, because this in turn can cause your esophageal sphincter to open at the wrong time.

5. Studies done in Sweden support the theory that acid reflux danger can be reduced by 50% by adopting a high fiber diet and that high-fiber diets are effective for optimizing digestion and sweeping away toxic matter.

6. Dairy produce, especially milk, should be cut down. It causes for more acid, mucus and allergies, all conditions that stimulate Candida overgrowth and bring on further digestive problems contributing to GERD.

7. Because obesity and excess weight also act to lever open the lower esophageal sphincter, reduce calorie intake as well.

The right program using the diet guidelines above will reduce the risk of GERD and at the same time increase your fitness and health.

A food plan to combat heartburn with the right inner balance is the first part of a full natural and holistic program against acid reflux. It is the only way to permanently improve this condition. Diet plans are just one part of the whole solution, in the same way that heartburn is a fragment of the whole acid heartburn picture. All the factors need to be treated by the solution in order to bring an effective resolution of the problem.



Gladys

Jeff W. Martin asked:


To banish your heartburn, the main thing is to choose the correct and most effective solution for you. That means obtaining precise information about the genuine causes that are behind heartburn symptoms. Overall, there are three ways to handle heartburn: doctors’ classical treatments, surgical actions and natural/holistic cures. These methods have major differences in the way they are put in place and how they deal with different causative factors, as well as in their effects over a long duration.

When the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) between the esophagus and the stomach functions correctly, food is allowed to move one way into the stomach, but then kept in the stomach by the closing of the LES to prevent acidic stomach contents from being pushed back the opposite way. However, when the LES muscle relaxes incorrectly, acid stomach contents can move back to the esophagus to cause the pain of heartburn. This explains why heartburn is the outer sign of acid reflux or GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease). GERD is what comes about when the LES valve between the esophagus and the stomach loses its muscular force.

Physicians habitually deal with heartburn and related problems by trying to use conventional medications, some of which are available to anyone over the counter. These acid reflux OTCs can be sorted into three groups:

1. Antacid, canceling out stomach acid by covering over the food content, and characterized by products such as Maalox, Rolaids, Mylanta and Tums.

2. H2 blockers to damp down acid creation and diminish acid production in the stomach, characterized by products like Pepcid AC, Axid AR and Zantac 75.

3. PPI (Proton Pump Inhibitors) which break the proton pump action that normally releases the acid in the stomach, characterized by products including Nexium, Protonix and Prilosec.

The Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery 2004 published research that found that PPIs do nothing to reduce the frequency of reflux attacks for GERD victims. Instead, PPIs simply convert acidic contents into alkali ones. The reflux still happens, but with an alkaline bile which may in fact be worse for the esophagus. Although short-term pain alleviation is promised by such drugs, long-term usage can be a significant problem. These drugs do not address the real issue, only the external manifestations. They set about this by altering the composition of the stomach chemically. These drugs typically only have short-lived effect and can induce long duration patient dependency as well as unwanted secondary effects.

If drugs are not the answer, is a surgical operation any better? Such operations are designed to stop the valve opening when it should be shut, thus blocking the flow back of gastric contents to the esophagus. The surgeon envelops the upper portion of the stomach around the lower esophageal passage in order to bolster the muscular valve at the meeting point of the esophagus and the stomach.

A sufferer who relies solely on this solution is likely to remain a sufferer. If no accompanying lifestyle or diet alterations are made, heartburn symptoms will probably be back. Associated with this solution are other risks including cramps in the abdomen, bloating, diarrhea, nauseous feelings, and glutition difficulties.

The solutions mentioned either attempt to slow down the quantity of acid produced, or cancel it out or use physio-mechanical means to artificially reinforce the LES. However, none of them deals with the real cause. The major disadvantage of these conventional methods for treating heartburn is that they all address local GERD symptoms, their only action being on the external signs and not the real cause.

Inner body balance can also be severely impacted by Candida infection as well as lifestyle and bad diet habits, including major stress and incompatible sleep patterns, leading to excess acidity, fermentation and toxin overstocking. For a real measure of progress, it is the underlying causes that must be dealt with be rid of GERD and heartburn. Acid reflux is the direct result of the simultaneous existence of diverse medical and lifestyle elements. Genetic weakness, high fat food intake, excessive weight and particular lifestyle and nutrition factors all band together to strip the LES of its muscular force which stops it from closing correctly. The only possibility to really get rid of acid reflux and to prevent it from happening again is to suppress these root causes directly.



Vanessa