Submitted by: Rick Oezhalp

It is the main misconception about acid reflux disease to regard it a condition which can be remedied by controlling acid levels in the stomach. Controlling acid levels may help suppress symptoms but it does not cure.

This misconception leads to two opposite approaches both of which make the condition worse over a course of time. These two absolutely opposite approaches to treat heartburn / acid reflux can be summarized as follows:

1. The first one is the medical treatment which tries to keep acid level low in the stomach. We now know that it is certainly not a correct approach as it rarely -if at all- provides permanent relief from acid reflux disease. It is an established fact that despite many advanced forms of medications to suppress acid production, a high percentage of chronic acid reflux cases cannot be cleared up.

It s important to understand that acid reflux is NOT a disease of too much acid being produced. This may be hard to believe for many people since acid inhibitors like H2 receptor blockers or proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) work quite well to relieve the symptoms of acid reflux. But this relief disappears as soon as the treatment is discontinued. Besides, suppressing stomach acid production leads to poor digestion of nutrients. Also, animal studies in University of Michigan (USA) showed that mice treated with proton pump inhibitors, which block acid production, acquired more bacteria and developed more inflammatory changes in their stomach linings than untreated mice.

Another disadvantage of acid suppression by these drugs is that you ll develop both tolerance and dependence on them, so you can t stop taking them without suffering serious repercussions.

2. Another proof that acid suppression is not the solution to acid reflux disease is the fact that some patients get more relief upon use of HCl acid tablets than acid blockers. This second approach is exactly the opposite of the first one and it is common amongst naturopathic doctors.

Now, this may sound weird but some patients get excellent relief from acid reflux by increasing the acid content in their stomach by taking betaine hydrochloric supplements, which are available in health food stores without prescription.

However, this relief also is not permanent because just like their counter-parts, antacids these tablets do not cure the stomach either. Also, in the long term these tablets may make everything worse because they may lead to open sores in the stomach and aggravate hidden gastritis. These are followed by a return of reflux and heartburn which then cannot be remedied with acid pills. Experience shows that patients develop dependence on acid pills too.

As a matter of fact, hypochlorhydria, that is keeping acid level low, is a conscious action of the body to prevent fast erosion of stomach lining which has been wounded due to a helicobacter pylori infection. It is an established fact that more than 50% of World s population is infected with helicobacter pylori. But about 80% of those people feel only insignificant symptoms like bloating, abnormal appetite, dark colored feces, or stomach intolerance towards some food which they do not pay much attention or attribute to conditions other than an infection. This is why this bacterium is called the hidden resident of stomach and most people do not receive a treatment even though they live with an helicobacter pylori infection in their stomachs. Helicobacter pylori infection means open sores in the stomach lining. They are usually very small but they do cause the previously mentioned problems and they make the stomach sensitive to the acid produced by itself. Stoma

Once helicobacter pylori infection is eradicated and open sores heal, stomach acid production returns to normal levels. The end result is improved digestion and relief from many unpleasant stomach conditions including acid reflux disease and its symptoms like heartburn. Then, there will be no need for antacids or acid pills.

About the Author: Rick Oezhalp is a naturopath and author of two best selling health books:

Natural Cures for Sinusitis

and

Healthy Stomach in 5 Days

Source:

isnare.com

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