How to Heal Acid Reflux

Do you walk around with Tums or antacids in your purse? Or use a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) from your doctor on a daily basis to quell the feeling of acid creeping into your mouth after eating or drinking? 

Gone are the days when you didn't have to worry about this persistant discomfort and you may be wondering why.

Although millions of people in the United States suffer with acid reflux symtpoms, this is not something you have to live with or take medications for indefinitely. In fact, I highly recommend that you don't!

Symptoms of acid reflux can include:

• Heartburn

• A feeling of acid regurgitating up into the mouth

• A sour taste in your mouth

• Sore throat or hoarseness

• Belching

• Chronic throat clearing

• Persistent cough

• Issues swallowing

The common approach to relieve these symptoms is to head to the drugstore and pick up some medications like Tums, Prilosec (omeprazole), or Pepcid AC. And if those don’t do the trick, doctors are happy to prescribe something stronger. These are meant to be short term “solutions,” but many people stay on them for years.

When the reflux has progressed to the point where the esophageal muscle is damaged, the condition is then labeled as GERD (gastrointestinal esophageal reflux disease), and can possibly turn into Barrett’s esophagus, which can increase your risk of esophageal cancer. 

Instead of loading up on medications, shouldn’t we be asking why the acid reflux is there in the first place?

I bet you’ll never guess the answer…It’s actually due to a LACK of stomach acid! (Gasp!)

Right about now you might be saying that doesn’t make sense. Shouldn’t it be due to TOO MUCH stomach acid? I mean, that’s why acid blockers work so well, right?

Nope! Let’s explore why this is. 

Your stomach acid is responsible for breaking down your food as it enters your stomach. It needs to be strong enough to break down that food to the proper pH level so it can trigger the sphincter to open into the duodenum, which is the upper part of your small intestine, where it can be further digested and absorbed.

When stomach acid is lacking or weak, the food contents of your stomach hang around longer than they should and they start to ferment and off gas, which puts pressure on the esophageal sphincter and the acidic contents of your stomach leak up into your esophagus, where the sensitive esophageal tissue gets irritated. This is how ulcers can be created as well.

So what causes a decrease in stomach acid? 

• Herbicides and pesticides that are commonly found on most foods

• Stress

• Zinc deficiency

• Vegan and vegetarian diets

• H. pylori infection

• Poor diet

• Processed foods

By using the acid blocker medications, you are actually diluting the stomach acid further, which is the opposite of what you need to digest foods properly. Stomach acid is extremely important! In addition to helping you break down your food, it also serves as the first line of defense against food-borne viruses, pathogenic bacteria, and parasites.

Long term use of acid blocking medications have been linked to an increased risk of osteoporosis, bone fractures, infections, vitamin deficiencies, cardiovascular, liver, and kidney disease, and even dementia. 

As a functional practitioner, I am always looking for the root cause of symptoms so true healing can occur. Getting rid of acid reflux requires the proper steps to soothe irritation and re-establish proper digestive function. We do this through the use of appropriate dietary adjustments, lifestyle changes, and targeted nutritional supplementation.

It is a process that is well worth your time, because compromised digestion can cause A LOT more health issues than just acid reflux. The first step in getting to the root causes of any health issue is to take a look at gut health, and the first step to good gut health is proper digestion. 

If you want to eat and drink with confidence and without discomfort, book a complimentary discovery call with me here.