Have you ever had a pain in your upper abdomen and chest but really knew that it was your stomach talking? You’ve probably had the pain before and might have even taken Tums or Over-The-Counter medicine for a little help. When that stopped working you made your way to your doctor who gave you stronger medicine, but unfortunately the symptoms continued. Now you’ve got to take the drug all the time. Certainly, your stomach is not your friend.
This is a very common scenario. Unfortunately, it is much worse than it seems. While heartburn (acid reflux – or GERD) is no fun, the most common treatment–acid lowering drugs—actually make the problem even worse in the long run. The products used now days are drugs that neutralize the acid (antacids) or just stop it from forming in the first place (proton pump inhibitors). We’re told every day on the radio and TV that increased stomach acid is the cause of our pain. As it turns out, it is actually low stomach acid that is the real culprit.
The real reason we have heartburn, especially as we age, is because the acid will extend up into the esophagus instead of staying in the stomach. The true cause of heartburn is a faulty upper stomach sphincter that can’t properly prevent acid from entering the esophagus. Low stomach acid will increase bacterial overgrowth, which increases pressure to funnel the acid into the esophagus. In addition, under digested carbohydrates (from decreased pancreatic enzymes, creating gas) will increase this pressure with bloating driving the pressure out of the stomach.
We need stomach acid, and as we age the level of acid in the stomach decreases markedly. According to Dr. Jonathan Wright, by the time we are 45 our stomach acid had decreased a full 50%. Does that sound like we need to decrease our stomach acid? And it’s no surprise that heartburn increases as we age as well.
Forcibly decreasing the acid in the stomach with anti-acid drugs will drastically reduce the stomach’s ability to digest protein and will decrease the ability to control bacterial pathogens leading to increased infections. At least eight essential nutrients are dependent on adequate stomach acid in order to be properly digested, meaning that lowered acid can cause malnutrition even when eating a healthy diet. Low acid causes less absorption of antioxidant vitamins and activation of enzymes, hormones and neurotransmitters as well. This imbalance of acid also causes changes the lower digestive tract, contributing to Irritable Bowel Syndrome, now the second-leading cause of missed work, behind only the common cold. The drug rationale is to lower the acid in the stomach so when it gets to the esophagus it causes less irritation and pain. It’s too bad that this treatment causes additional problems and a return of symptoms.
Acid-lowering drugs may temporarily decrease the pain of esophagus irritation, but they do nothing to fix the underlying cause of low stomach acid. Taking them actually saddles the patient with a lifetime of use once you start. In fact, in America, we spend more than 13 million dollars for these acid -stopping medications each year.
When we cure a disease, by definition, the cause has been eliminated and the symptoms don’t return. But for the drugs used in treating heart burn and GERD, the symptoms return when the drug is stopped and many times they are worse than before treatment.
There are several tests we can use to test your normal amount of stomach acid but the best approach is to use a trial of stomach enzymes to find out your particular optimal level of acid. When this is done, the pain decreases, flatulence and bloating abates, proper absorption of nutrients occurs and you feel good again. This approach, along with a complete evaluation of small intestine and large intestine health, is necessary to fully bring the gastrointestinal system back on line.
Dr. Don Davis, D.C., DACNB is a BOARD CERTIFIED CHIROPRACTIC NEUROLOGIST in Walnut Creek. He has been serving individuals with chronic pain for 30 years. For information about how you can get a free consultation with Dr. Davis, call (925) 279-4324 (HEAL). Visit us at WalnutCreekHealth.com
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