Treating Acid Reflux Naturally – What Is Acid Reflux Without a Cause?
Acid reflux is bad enough if you know exactly what causes it, such as a hernia in your esophagus or a weak valve at the top of your stomach, but many people suffer from reflux or excess acidity without medical science being able to find any reason for it.
The journal Gastroenterology has now published a study of these cases to see how common they are.
The authors of this study investigated what they called functional gastrointestinal disorders, which they define as symptoms in the esophagus, stomach, abdomen, or bowels that have no obvious cause.
The researchers surveyed 33 countries across continents. Participants completed an internet survey of symptoms in 24 countries while face-to-face interviews were conducted in a further seven. Two countries did both.
Approximately 2,000-2,500 people were surveyed in each country with an overall sample of 73,076 respondents; men and women were equally represented.
The participants reported their symptoms, their quality of life, the use of health services in general and doctor’s visits per year, their diets, their living conditions, their socio-economic statuses, co-occurring conditions, and so forth.
People with diagnosed gastrointestinal disorders were excluded
Depending on age and sex, they found that:
1. between 1.4 and 1.5 percent of participants reported chest pain,
2. 1.1 to 1.3 percent reported heartburn,
3. 0.8 to one percent reported reflux hypersensitivity,
4. 0.8 to 0.9 percent reported globus (lump in the throat),
5. 2.7 to 3.5 percent reported difficulty swallowing,
6. 4.6 to six percent reported other symptoms in the upper digestive tract,
7. 3.8 to 9.2 percent reported indigestion,
8. 3.3 to 7.8 percent reported postprandial distress syndrome (meal-related symptoms like extreme fullness),
9. 1.2 to 2.9 percent reported epigastric pain (pain below the ribs),
10. 0.7 to 1.1 percent reported frequent belching,
11. 2.4 to 3.1 percent reported regurgitation/reflux, and
12. smaller percentages complained of chronic or occasional nausea or vomiting.
Problems in the lower half of the digestive tract were even more common, with up to 15 percent complaining of constipation, up to 5.3 percent having irritable bowel syndrome, 5.3 percent having diarrhea, and 9.5 percent having unspecified bowel symptoms.
The percentages of women who suffered from these symptoms were higher than men across the board, and more young people suffered than older people did.
Those with symptoms visited their doctors more often and were more likely to live unhealthy lifestyles.
There was almost no difference between different countries.
The most incredible thing about this study is that they call this “acid reflux without a cause”, which shows that the traditional medical system is completely blind when it comes to treating acid reflux.
Treating Acid Reflux Naturally – But as a natural health researcher, I know exactly what causes acid reflux and how to cure it—and it needs to be done before it kills you, as I’ll explain here…
Treating Acid Reflux Naturally – What Is the Perfect Cure for Acid Reflux?
Poor lifestyle and eating habits over a period of time can lead to serious ailments like acid reflux. In acid reflux, the stomach acids regurgitate toward the esophagus.
The most common symptom of this ailment is heartburn, which occurs due to inflammation in the esophagus. Acid reflux, if not treated properly and on time, can cause severe damage to the esophagus and digestive system.
The most common treatments of acid reflux are: antacids and surgery.
Medication or surgery- which is more effective in acid reflux treatment?
Dr. Las conducted a study in Sweden to determine which conventional acid reflux treatment is better. The size of the group involved in this study was 255. While 122 patients underwent surgery to treat acid reflux, the rest were given Omeprazole (Prilosec).
Researchers stayed in contact with a large number of initial patients, but failed to pinpoint which of the two is the perfect cure for acid reflux.
Approximately 53% of the patients that underwent surgery reported low intensity of acid reflux. Additionally, many of the 123 patients who were given Omeprazole also reported low intensity of acid reflux; 45% of these patients needed dose adjustments during the study period.
Though the verdict slightly tilts towards surgery as a better treatment for acid reflux, some post-operative issues were also reported.
Natural way of treating acid reflux involves making positive changes in the lifestyle, adopting a balanced diet, and exercising regularly. The natural remedies address the root cause of acid reflux, and are thus often found to be very effective in treating this condition.
Here are some tips that help you in alleviating the symptoms of acid reflux.
- Eat a balanced diet
- Do not eat before going to sleep
- Stop smoking
- Avoid excessive alcohol
- Exercise daily
In addition to the above tips, various herbs are also available that help you win the battle against acid reflux naturally.
If you are interested in knowing more about how to deal with acid reflux naturally, click here.
Treating Acid Reflux Naturally – Acid Reflux Drugs Increase the Risk of Pneumonia
A study conducted at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine on acid reflux drugs and pneumonia has come up with a startling fact- that acid reflux drugs increase the chances of contracting pneumonia in critically ill patients by a factor of three.
David L. Bowton, who is a senior researcher at the university, has stated that approximately 25% of the patients who contract hospital-acquired pneumonia or ventilator-acquired pneumonia die because of this condition. It is understood that the biggest cause of infection-related death among patients who are critically ill is hospital-acquired pneumonia.
The researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine also studied the two popular acid reflux drugs- Zantac TM (Ranitidine) and Prilosec TM (Pantoprazole), and how these drugs increase the chances of contracting pneumonia. The research concluded that Prilosec TM, which is a more preferred acid reflux drug than Zantac TM, puts critically ill patients at a greater risk of developing pneumonia.
834 hospitalized surgery patients who were treated with Prilosec TM were analyzed, and it was found that these patients were three times more likely to catch the pneumonia bug. For this reason, researchers believe that if an acid reflux drug is need to be given to critically ill patients, Zantac TM should be given, as it is relatively safer.
Why acid reflux drugs increase the chances of acquiring pneumonia
Acid reflux drugs are given to patients to reduce the acid in their stomachs. However, when the acid in the stomach is reduced, it becomes more receptive to bacteria. As a result, the chances of developing pneumonia increase, especially among those critically ill patients who are on breathing machines when the stomach acids regurgitate toward the lungs.
Is the danger of acid reflux drugs limited to only critically-ill patients?
No, most acid reflux drugs have certain side effects from which even normal patients can’t escape. For instance, Prilosec TM, which is the preferred drug for the treatment of acid reflux, generally causes diarrhea and headache. As a matter of fact, certain acid reflux medicines may worsen the condition if used for a long period of time.
As conventional treatments are not free from side-effects, natural health remedies should be chosen for acid reflux. Acid reflux is a health condition that generally occurs due to poor lifestyle and eating habits. By making positive changes in one’s lifestyle and eating a balanced diet, acid reflux can be dealt with effectively.
Still keen on treating acid reflux naturally? Watch this video – How To Stop Acid Reflux | How To Treat Acid Reflux
To learn more on how to treat acid reflux naturally, check out our all new Cure Acid Reflux Naturally guide.
This post is from Scott Davis’ Acid Reflux Solution. This program helps you to cure your heartburn and acid reflux by using natural remedies to quickly heal your stomach without dangerous medicine or risky surgeries. It can also help you to remove some disorders of acid reflux such as constipation or IBS.
To find out more about the program, go to Treating Acid Reflux Naturally
