Heartburn

[SeaBreeze]

What is a cp?

It looks to me like she meant PC, personal computer.

If it's called Acid Reflux why are some claiming low stomach acids are the cause?

In my opinion it's the exact opposite. That's why over the counter stuff like baking soda and Tums work. They counteract the high acid content.

Low stomach acid is the cause of many health problems, stomach acid has an important function in our digestive system and that's why taking prescription drugs to lower the needed acids is harmful.

In the case of Acid Reflux, from what I understand, the stomach acids are coming up through the esophagus when they shouldn't be. If that happens then a way to relieve it quickly is baking soda or Tums (the lesser advisable choice). http://articles.mercola.com/sites/a...x-caused-by-too-little-acid-not-too-much.aspx

It’s important to understand that acid reflux is NOT a disease of too much acid being produced, but rather it’s a condition related more commonly to hiatal hernia – a condition in which the acid is coming out of your stomach, where it’s supposed to remain.


After food passes through your esophagus into your stomach, a muscular valve called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) closes, preventing food or acid to move back up. Gastroesophageal reflux occurs when the LES relaxes inappropriately, allowing acid from your stomach to flow (reflux) backward into your esophagus.

There are over 16,000 articles supporting the fact that suppressing stomach acid does not treat the problem. It only treats the symptoms. And one of the explanations for this is that when you suppress the amount of acid in your stomach, you decrease your body’s ability to kill the helicobacter bacteria. So it actually makes your condition worse and perpetuates the problem.

 

[Camper6]

I'm afraid I can't agree with you when it comes to heartburn. It's only logical that excess stomach acid is causing the problem if antacids alleviate the distress.

Been there. Done that. No more sleeping with the 'dragon'

The Doctor is correct but the only way to stop hiatal hernia is with an operation. I saw a friend of mine deteriorate until he had the operation.

In the meantime millions take antacids every day .

Joseph Michael Mercola is an alternative medicine proponent, osteopathic physician, and web entrepreneur, who markets a variety of controversial dietary supplements and medical devices through his website, Mercola.com. Wikipedia

 

[SeaBreeze]

I'm afraid I can't agree with you when it comes to heartburn. It's only logical that excess stomach acid is causing the problem if antacids alleviate the distress.

That's okay Camper, you don't have to agree with me at all, I'm not the type of person who needs to change anyone's personal opinions or convince them how to care for their bodies. That's a very individual choice for all of us.

I have been very open minded for a long time now to alternative natural approaches to health and it has served me very well in my old age so far. I do like to share what works for me and give some reasons why by linking to information or opinions that I agree with. But like everything we research, we should all just utilize the info by taking what you need and leaving the rest. I do that myself, I consider other people's advice, but I don't always take it.

More on stomach acid for anyone interested, Camper...you don't have to look. http://www.anh-usa.org/acid-blockers-cause-brain-damage-kidney-disease-2/

Scientists aren’t certain what causes acid reflux, but a leading hypothesis is that it’s caused by a stomach environment that is not acidic enough. The lack of acid in the stomach short-circuits the signal needed to close the pyloric valve.


Stomach pain apart from acid reflux may also be caused by a lack of stomach acid. It sounds counterintuitive, but the lack of acid leads to poor digestion, causing undigested food to ferment in the gut. This leads to painful intestinal gas and other symptoms of “bad bacteria” (such as helicobacter bacteria) taking hold. Here, too, more acid, not less, will help.


Despite this evidence, conventional medicine gives us proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to treat stomach pain and acid reflux, which work by eliminating acid production—thus making the problem even worse.


Unfortunately, the bad news doesn’t stop there. Recent studies have revealed a frightening spectrum of side effects caused by acid blockers:

• A large study published in JAMA Neurology found PPIs to be linked with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The study found that regular use of PPIs increased the risk for dementia by as much as 52% compared with nonusers.
• Two new studies have linked acid blockers with chronic kidney disease. The increase in risk is cited as 20–50%.
• Another study found that PPIs may raise the risk of heart attack by 15–20%. Other studies have shown that PPIs damage the lining of blood vessels and thus promote cardiovascular events.

The link with pneumonia and other infectious diseases was established years ago. This may be because acid is a barrier to infectious organisms getting inside your body.


Because stomach acid helps digest food, too little stomach acid can lead to nutrient deficiencies (since it is harder for the body to extract minerals and vitamins from food) and food poisoning. Reduced calcium absorption, for instance, leaves people who regularly take PPIs susceptible to bone fractures.

 

[Camper6]

I got the cure. Say what you like about low stomach acid.