Soon enough, quarantine will be lifted. That means millions of Americans will be rushing back to bars and restaurants, inhaling more pizza, wings, burgers, and beers than oxygen. With the massive influx of fatty acidic foods, there will be REFLUX…. gastroesophageal reflux!
Most people get heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux occasionally, after a fatty meal or overindulging. They take a Tums or other antacid or pop a Pepcid or Zantac and the symptoms resolve. But for some with heartburn symptoms at least twice a week every week, a diagnosis of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is warranted and requires further investigation into the cause of the chronic heartburn. In many of these patients, the lower esophageal sphincter is losing tone. The valve between the esophagus and the stomach is “leaky” or isn’t closing as tight and stomach acid is pushing back up into the esophagus after a meal. Chronic stomach acid contact in the esophagus can also lead to cancerous cell changes in the esophagus so, these patients may need to be on GERD medications long-term which can have some nasty side effects like impaired digestion and nutrient deficiencies, which can lead to other problems as a result.
So the question of many doctors is, is there an effective treatment to prevent chronic GERD symptoms that doesn’t require drugs? The most accepted and effective method is simply diet modification. Eating less acidic more alkaline foods, watery foods, and high fiber foods can help reduce the amount of stomach acid being produced and even neutralize some of the acid. For some, even this is not enough. New research is showing there may be another home remedy as well, one that only requires a patient to do one thing… breathe deep!
