Healthy at Home by Tieraona Low Dog M.D

Author:Tieraona Low Dog, M.D. [Dog, Tieraona Low]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4262-1259-8
Publisher: National Geographic Society
Published: 2014-01-13T16:00:00+00:00

Reflux Rears Up: Healing Heartburn

Many of us have had an episode of heartburn at some point in our lives, so I’m sure you’re familiar with the burning sensation it creates. The pain may even radiate across your chest—a symptom often confused with a heart attack. Heartburn happens when the lower esophageal sphincter, a band of muscles responsible for preventing the backflow of contents from the stomach, fails to tighten. Delayed gastric emptying can also occur due to poor motility, a common problem as we age, but can also occur in any disorder that negatively impacts the nerves and/or muscles in the GI tract, such as diabetes, scleroderma, or hypothyroidism. Even chronic stress can alter gut motility. All of this can lead to stomach acids sloshing back up into the esophagus, irritating and inflaming its delicate lining.

Heartburn isn’t a serious problem unless it starts occurring on a regular basis. When heartburn becomes chronic and/or intense, it’s called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In conventional medicine, occasional heartburn is simply treated with over-the-counter antacids. For more persistent heartburn, proton pump inhibitor medications (PPIs), such as Nexium or Prilosec, are often tried. These drugs are highly effective at dialing down the acid-producing pumps in the stomach. You make less acid, thus less acid reflux. If these drugs don’t relieve the symptoms, an endoscopy is performed, allowing a doctor to visualize the esophagus and stomach. This is important as a small number of people with persistent and/or severe GERD may over time develop scarring, narrowing, bleeding, and possibly even cancer in their esophagus if not properly treated.

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