The medical community would have you believe that only drugs can
treat and heal acid reflux disease. This is simply not true -
there are natural ways to heal this condition. PPI drugs
(proton pump inhibitors), like Nexium, Prilosec, Prevacid and
Protonix should only be be taken for eight weeks, at most.
Doctors are aware of this, but most patients continue to take
these drugs on a permanent basis. Unfortunately, there are no
studies determining what the long term effects of these drugs
are on the human body.
PPI drugs actually shut down the pumps that produce the stomach
acid necessary to digest food. You have to wonder how the human
body digests and assimilates food properly without stomach acid.
How does a body remain healthy without the proper digestion of
food? Is this natural?
I used to suffer from acute acid reflux. I was addicted to a PPI
drug... that certain "colored pill". After several years of
taking this drug, my condition became worse and I was told to
double the dose. I began to feel sluggish and tired. My vision
suffered and my blood pressure went off the charts. I realized
that these were probably side effects of the PPI drug. I did
some research and found that there were hundreds of possible
harmful side effects, including: Headache, diarrhea, nausea,
abdominal pain, dry mouth, aggravated constipation, enlarged
abdomen, back pain, chest pain, anemia, allergic reaction,
hypertension, tachycardia, goiter, tinnitus, facial edema,
conjunctivitis, vision abnormal, aggravated depression,
dizziness, hypertonia, nervousness, cystitis, insomnia,
migraine, anorexia, acne, dermatitis, glycosuria, hyperuricemia,
hyponatremia, arthritis aggravated, tongue edema, ulcerative
stomatitis, impotence, insomnia, to name a few.
I mean, who needs tongue edema, impotence or aggravated
constipation? Good God! I knew that I had to stop taking this
drug! But when I tried, the acid pumps, which had been shut off
for so long, went wild and produced more acid than ever before.
I have never suffered so much in my life....even drinking water
gave me severe indigestion. My doctor suggested that I get back
on the pill. He had no other advice to offer.
I became determined to beat this dreadful condition - beat the
curse of the big drug companies! I really had no choice,
because medical science, apparently, had no solution for my
problem. I began extensive research on the subject and found
out some very interesting things.
Acid reflux is big business. It's a drug company's dream come
true. Millions of Americans suffer from acid reflux. Many
millions more experience the pain of heartburn, ranging from
once a month to every day. This affliction is the result of the
splashing up of fluids from the stomach into the esophagus.
These fluids are composed of hydrochloric acid, pepsin and
occasionally liver bile. Stomach fluid helps break down the food
we eat so that it can be digested. The hydrochloric acid in the
stomach fluid helps prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying in
the stomach and intestines. Although hydrochloric acid also helps
the body absorb vitamins and nutrients, it is a very strong
corrosive. The stomach holds this powerful acid in check with a
special protective lining. The esophagus, however, does not have
this protection. When acid splashes up through the lower
esophageal sphincter into the esophagus, we have the problems
of heartburn, gerd, or acid reflux. This condition, if left
unchecked, can eventually lead to Barrett's Disease, or cancer
of the esophagus.
Of course, I found all this to be quite scary and, since drugs
were not the answer for me, I had to find alternative ways to
treat this condition. I researched the subject even further and
found a plethora of natural things that could heal acid reflux.
First of all, I learned that acid reflux is not a disease, but
a condition that begins when the esophagus becomes irritated.
Let's say that you are watching an exciting ball game on TV.
Someone hands you a bag of corn chips and without thinking, you
eat them too fast, without chewing properly. The jagged edges
of the chips have caused little lacerations in the esophagus that
you're not even aware of. Later that evening you are invited to
a Mexican chili party. The spicy tomato sauce in the chili
further irritates those injuries. You wash down the chili with
alcohol or soda, making it even worse. Before you know it, you
have a full blown case of acid reflux. Until you allow your
esophagus to heal, you will continue to suffer from this
condition.
I was astounded to find that the esophagus can be healed in about
three days. Simply eating foods that are easy to digest, three
or four times during the day, and omitting the regular big meals,
is the key. I ate fruits like bananas, melon and apples during
the day. I snacked on walnuts and almonds. I found that eating
slowly in a relaxed atmosphere and chewing food well helped
enormously. There are foods and drinks which should obviously
be avoided like those which are fried, spicy, or too crunchy.
Alcohol and carbonated drinks are a definite no-no . We are all
aware of which foods trigger our indigestion. You just have to
avoid them for a few days until you are over the hump.
There are many natural herbs and health store items which can
assist in this healing process. Slippery elm, Twig tea, aloe
vera juice, licorice products and orange peel extract can be of
great value, just to mention a few. Removing stress from your
life is essential during this period. Yoga and meditation are
worth considering to ward off the daily angst.
I managed to stop taking those harmful and expensive drugs, in
favor of natural remedies. I cured my acid reflux condition.
I am drug free. You can do it too.
Charles Stewart Richey is a self-educated expert on how to cure acid reflux disease, by natural means. He has written an extensive report entitled, ?REFLUX GONE FOREVER?, Natural Acid Reflux Remedies?. He explains how the proper application of herbs, health store items, meditation, diet and exercise, can heal acid reflux, gerd and heartburn. For more information go to http://www.refluxgoneforever.com | |
