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GERD, sometimes referred to as heartburn, affects about 100 million people in the United States. The intense pain called heartburn has nothing to do with the heart, but with digestion.
What is GERD?
It stands for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. It is when the stomach acid that is for digesting food backs-up. The acid backs-up into the esophagus, the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach.
What can cause GERD?
Stress is a possible cause of the stomach producing to much acid. Typically, there are many possibilities or triggers. Medications, smoking, certain foods, large amounts of food, an infection or a structural weakness or hernia. In infants, a virus is often the culprit not mom’s milk.
How serious is heartburn?
It depends. If it happens once in awhile, example once a month, then it isn’t serious. If it happens once a week, then it should receive medical attention. If it happens daily, it is serious. Left untreated, it may lead to Barrett’s cancer. To take over the counter medication daily is a sign that a potentially serious problem is being ignored.
What are the symptoms of heartburn?
Heartburn is described as a sour, burning sensation in the upper abdomen or chest. It may go all the way up into the neck. Heartburn is generally worse after meals, while laying down at night, or during exercise and bending over.
What is the medical treatment?
Once a diagnosis has been completely established, the routine medical approach is medication indefinitely and dietary recommendations. For example, avoid spicy food, chocolate, alcohol, eating late at night and eat less. It is also important to rule out any other underlying conditions, such as high blood pressure, anemia, hernia, ulcers or heart disease.
What is the holistic natural approach?
Once a diagnosis has been confirmed, it would be beneficial to reduce stomach acid being generated, regardless what a person digests. Normalized the acid production not medicated over-acid production. To ensure proper body pH and balance the nervous system helps normalize the overall digestive process. To eliminate any bacterial or viral infections that might be harboring in the stomach or intestines. To eliminate any food allergy and reduce bodily stress. To facilitate the body’s self-healing mechanisms without any long-term dependency on medications.
Do you have another option?
Do both. Utilize convention and holistic approaches. Once you have a definitive diagnosis and have ruled out any associated conditions, take medication for quick relief and then find the best holistic doctor to help heal your condition. Utilizing everything that works is smart.
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Source by Mike Greenberg
