GERD - It Can Be Cured
If I had to guess, I’d say seventy percent of my patients complain of heartburn, reflux or GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease). Most come to see me complaining of something else, because they’ve been told by other doctors that the only treatment is acid blockers like Prevacid, Prilosec and Pepcid, or antacids like Tums. Many patients have been on these drugs for years (despite labeling on the packages of some warning against use for more than two weeks!). Patients tell me that, as long as they take their medication faithfully, they rarely suffer symptoms, but if they miss a dose, the heartburn or reflux comes back, often painfully so! Because they’ve been told there is no cure for these symptoms, they continue to take medication daily.
What is GERD?Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease is an unpleasant burning sensation often felt in the esophagus and back of the throat after eating. Some patients tell me they get it even after drinking water! Other symptoms of the disorder may include difficulty swallowing, a chronic cough, pain when swallowing, hoarse voice, frequent clearing of the throat, chest pain similar to a heart attack, back pain (this is due to nerve irritation), excessive salivation, nausea, vomiting, asthma, erosion of tooth enamel, sensitive teeth and sinusitis. Patients who suffer from GERD also frequently complain of gas, bloating, belching, frequent gagging or choking, bad breath, abdominal pain and either constipation or diarrhea (or both). There are various causes of GERD. The simplest way to describe what’s happening is that stomach acids are regurgitating from the stomach into the esophagus. Since the pH of the stomach is about 2 (very acid) while the pH of the esophagus is closer to 7 (neutral), when acid moves from the stomach into the esophagus, it is quite painful! Several disorders can contribute to GERD, including a hiatal hernia (when part of the stomach slips up through a hole in the diaphragm and gets stuck) and obesity, along with some less common disorders like Scleroderma. Relaxation of the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES), which lies between the esophagus and the stomach, often contributes to the problem. Chronic use of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen) may exacerbate GERD by damaging the mucous lining of the gastrointestinal tract, leading to ulcers that are extremely sensitive to exposure to digestive acids. Chronic GERD can damage the esophagus severely enough to lead to esophageal cancer. But why do we develop GERD, reflux, heartburn or indigestion in the first place? Not only is the answer to this question important in treating it, but it holds the key to why naturopathic medicine can cure the disorder, while many drugs only suppress symptoms. Why do we get GERD?
GERD is generally treated, as I’ve said, with drugs that quell the production of acids in the stomach, or neutralize them so that fluids of a more neutral pH enter the esophagus when reflux occurs, and burning ceases. Unfortunately, in the long run this will only contribute to the real problem, and create a dependence on medication. Why? Because the vast majority of GERD and heartburn cases are actually caused by too little stomach acid. Does this sound incredible? I don’t blame you if you find it difficult to comprehend. After all, the premise under which thousands and thousands of patients are given acid blockers is the exact opposite! But I can tell you that I treat many, many patients with GERD, and so far I have had not one who didn’t get better, and go off acid blockers entirely. So why does low stomach acid cause heartburn and reflux? Well, the answer is actually relatively simple. When stomach acids are too low, food that we eat enters the stomach but can’t be broken down as it should be in preparation for digestion. As a result, foods sit in the stomach and ferment. As you may imagine, this can cause a lot of gas and pressure, pressure which has only two ways it can move: up or down. Because of this, patients may experience many of the symptoms listed above, including burping, bloating and gas. All this pressure also forces acids from the stomach up into the esophagus, leading to burning pain. Even small amounts of acids in the esophagus can be extremely painful. How can GERD be cured, rather than just masked?
Once we understand the actual cause of heartburn, indigestion and GERD, it is clear that the treatments many are receiving will, in the end, only make the problem worse. If GERD is caused by low stomach acids, then taking acid blockers may relieve symptoms, but it will simply lower acids further, causing even more digestive symptoms to appear over time. Worse, acid blockers and antacids impair the body’s ability to utilize many vitamins and minerals, so not only do patients experience numerous digestive complaints, but they are in danger of a number of nutritional deficiencies which can lead to many other problems. Among these is osteoporosis. Kidneys may also be damaged by chronic use of some of these medications. In my practice, I find that two things have cured every case of GERD I’ve seen: identifying and eliminating food allergies and healing the gut. It’s that simple? Yes, it’s that simple! And it changes people’s lives. Not only does reflux disappear, but all of the other accompanying symptoms disappear, too. Gone are gas, bloating, bowel irregularities and abdominal pain. And as digestion improves, energy levels increase! While I am often treating other symptoms, patients frequently tell me they are thrilled that their reflux is gone, and report that they have been able to completely stop taking acid blockers. They are always pleasantly surprised by this, but I am never surprised. It just makes sense!