Dr. Wes Youngberg: The article below underscores the health risk associated with acid reflux. Unfortunately, conventional treatment, while partially helpful in healing ulcers, often makes the the underlying problem worse thus perpetuating the need for more PPI or acid reducing medications and creating a vicious cycle. The most common reason for poor digestion or acid reflux is not too much stomach acid production but rather excess gassy acids. Dysfunctional Parietal Cells in the stomach lining (due to food allergies, toxins, H.Pylori or other low grade infection, autoimmune stress, etc…) are unable to make adequate hydrochloric acid at meal time and therefore cannot activate the digestive enzymes. Undigested foods will then begin to decompose creating the acidic gas that causes bloating, pain, anxiety, and heartburn – to name a few symptoms. But most people with this problem do not experience symptoms and have “silent” reflux. With or without symptoms, poor digestion greatly increases our risk of any disease we are already predisposed to. Without good digestion we cannot properly heal or be truly healthy. Fixing digestion should always be one of the first priorities when treating any chronic condition. For this reason I dedicated an entire chapter on “Optimze Digestion” in my book Goodbye Diabetes. This book is for anyone who wants a comprehensive strategy to improve their health. There are many effective lifestyle and nutritional strategies for helping the body heal any digestive problem. Remember, treat the cause not just the symptom. WY
July 29–In the wake of media reports that Dolly Parton underwent surgery to address reflux disease, the nonprofit Esophageal Cancer Action Network issued a news release aimed at raising awareness of links between the disease and cancer.
The type of esophageal cancer caused by reflux disease has increased by more than 400 percent in the past 20 years in the United States, according to the network. Often, this cancer variety is deadly because it’s caught late. Patients too frequently think that heartburn is a benign condition.
Factors that may put people at risk of developing esophageal cancer:
–You have more than occasional heartburn symptoms.
–You have experienced heartburn in the past, but the symptoms have gone away.
–You have a family history of esophageal cancer or Barrett’s esophagus.
–You have pain or difficulty swallowing.
–You have a persistent, unexplained cough.
–You have been speaking with a hoarse voice over several weeks.
–You have a persistent, unexplained sore throat.
–You cough or choke when you lie down.
In a free, downloadable publication the network provides information to help people understand their risk and what they should do about it.
Parton’s surgery could not be independently confirmed.
— Katy Muldoon
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