Heartburn - not a lost love
Whether you know it as heartburn or reflux, the former is likely how it feels - that sudden burning sensation in the middle of your chest that can stop you in your tracks. Turning this off is imperative, as it can cause damage to your delicate esophagus that can be very serious. The main prescription for this symptom is a proton-pump drug (it can go by many names, but in essence works by the same mechanism, which we’ll go through shortly). This usually works quickly and effectively, and is the appropriate thing for those at risk of serious damage to their esophagus due to either the severity or length of time they have had their reflux for.
What we do, whether someone is already on this medication or not, is work on the cause of the condition and treat this, along with support to soothe the lining of the esophagus, and reduce the propensity for acid to regurgitate in the first place.
There are many theories on why this occurs, and certainly genetics, poor diet, stress and being overweight can contribute. But a lot can be done to improve this situation, so the reliance on drugs to moderate this is reduced. These medications are not recommended for long term use, however with a perceived lack of alternative, it is understandable why people continue with them, as the pain and discomfort can be debilitating.
How do proton-pump inhibitors work?
They block gastric acid secretion by inhibiting the hydrogen-potassium ATPase pump that sits on the surface of acid-secreting cells in the gut. This is important if there are ulcers present or forming, as it can allow time for healing, but of course, there are other pathways also.
Our approach is that these medications are not ideal for long term use, as they may decrease absorption of nutrients e.g. iron, calcium, vitamin B12 and more, leading to long term issues associated with deficiencies of these nutrients.
Getting tested for H.Pylori infection is a key step in understanding your reflux, and we or your GP can test this for you. If present, treatment is recommended. If not, then we proceed to help you via the following steps:
Regulate your stomach acid naturally, using herbs (specific ones that work well for this purpose)
Identify foods that are reflux triggers for you (the most commonly discussed ones are citrus, tomatoes, acidic/spicy foods, alcohol and caffeine). We have a more in-depth list to discuss with you, as we’ve experienced some very common triggers over the years in practice that you might not expect.
Provide you with fibre powder that is soothing for the gut lining
Identify the function of your digestive enzymes (pancreas) and bile (gall bladder), as these can also play an important role in reflux
Reflux can be a debilitating condition to live with, and very restrictive when it comes to eating and drinking, which impacts people’s social lives, sometimes dramatically. We’d love to help you with this, and heal your gut for good.
