This week's focus will address the problems caused by improper digestion such as heartburn and the Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Heartburn is a symptom that is considered mild, if experienced once a month. If you have heartburn once a week, it's moderate. It is when you have it daily that it's considered to be severe. Heartburn is caused when stomach acid refluxes--backs up--into the esophagus. This can occur for a number of reasons:
- When the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), the valve that keeps stomach acid in the stomach, is weakened or relaxed and does not do its job properly.
- Certain foods, such as chocolate, fried and fatty foods, peppermint, coffee, alcohol, and sugars can weaken or relax the LES.
- Eating large meals or shortly before bedtime
- A hiatal hernia
- Pressure on the stomach, including frequent bending over, tight clothes, lifting, and obesity
- Certain medications
- Smoking
- Stress can increase acid production and slow down the emptying of the stomach.
An important concern if you suffer from GERD is scarring of the esophagus, which narrows the esophagus and makes it difficult to swallow. It can also lead to Barrett's Esophagus, a condition where cells similar to those of the stomach lining develop in the lower esophagus. This severe damage to the esophagus increases your risk of developing cancer of the esophagus.
What To Do?
The over production of stomach acid into the esophagus (throat) is a digestive disorder that must be corrected at the source. Proper digestion takes a balance of acids and enzymes. When food is not properly digested, undigested food particles reach the colon causing irritation and in turn cause the body to send a signal to the stomach demanding the production of more stomach acids in a desperate attempt to break down the food material. As mentioned last week, Back
