I’m sure that most of you would agree that in today’s world, where we have to rush from one situation to the other, getting a properly balanced diet is somewhat impossible, and often beyond the scope of our capabilities. This can be due to many things, like insufficient time to cook a meal, insufficient restaurants around to even pop out and eat a good meal, or you’re tied down to your desk, or a multitude of other equally good reasons. If you think about it however, I’m also sure that you would agree that this is probably the leading cause for the poor digestion suffered by many people around the world today.

Bloating, constipation, and gas are a few of the more common symptoms of poor digestion. Abdominal cramping, chronic fatigue, premature aging, joint and muscle pain, arthritis, and nausea are a few more symptoms induced by poor digestion, from a list that can go on and on, and on.

If you suffer from poor digestion, you could be having one or all of these conditions and not even realize it. And from there it will just start to snowball, as you experience more discomfort, more pain, and finally succumb to a much worse condition than poor digestion.

It has been said, that poor digestion is akin to poor nutrition, where with poor digestion you might be getting the proper nutrients into your body, but your system isn’t able to absorb it. There are many contributing factors to a poor digestive system, but it has been found that processed foods can be one of the biggest factors.

And no wonder, really with the amount of ready to eat meals, and fast foods that are out there on the market, beckoning to us eagerly when we’re at most vulnerable, (read ‘irritable, tired, and hungry’ into that last sentence.)

So how do we stop poor digestion? Ideally it should be easy to stop poor digestion, and correct it so your digestive system is working again properly right? Unfortunately, this is not always true, and for some people an extensive course of medication may be required before they can fully cure their poor digestion problems.

The best course that you can take would be to consult your doctor on how to remedy your condition. Just remember that you will need to remedy it. Poor digestion takes a lot out of your body, and makes it weak, leaving it more prone to attacks from other sources.

Missing vital nutrients due to lack of proper digestion can harm your body more than you realize. So just pick up that phone, and talk to your doctor straight away. Self-diagnosis isn’t always right, and it’s always better to have a professional opinion to back you up. Listen to your body, it’s the greatest gift you could ever have, and it might just be trying to talk to you, don’t ignore it.

Not many people understand the medical significance of GERD (gastro esophageal reflux disease) and the symptoms that go with it. Decline in general quality of life is the result for many GERD sufferers. For inhabitants of developed countries, the problem is considerable. No less than 1 in 5 of all inhabitants in western countries are victims every week of some of the common GERD symptoms.

From different approximations made, some 70% of diagnostics using the identification of usual symptoms are in fact precise. Because GERD can make patients suffer a great deal and also give serious complications, it is essential to be able to see the symptoms, diagnose them and quickly arrange treatment. Doctors and paraprofessionals alike think that a first diagnosis of GERD, often via a questionnaire on typical gastro esophageal reflux disease manifestations, is critical to effectively and quickly treat this condition.

Symptoms of GERD may include: nose and sinus problems, chest pain (can be mistaken for heart attack-related pain), dry coughing, wheezing chronically, asthma, nausea, fallout of tooth enamel, bad breath, and dysphagia (feeling of an irregularity in the back of the throat). Acid reflux may also attack the ears (otitis media) and the voice (ranging from laryngitis, hoarseness to cancer). Heartburn and regurgitation are among the commonest symptoms of GERD. It is the contents of the stomach and its acidic juices, being thrown back up in the esophagus, that makes for the distressing burning feeling associated to damage of the esophageal lining where gastro esophageal reflux disease is happening.

The essential thing for regaining health and well being, and avoiding complications is the ability to pinpoint those symptoms and interpret them in the light of gastro esophageal reflux disease.

Symptoms of acid reflux are often an outer danger sign of internal general imbalance. Neglecting gastro esophageal reflux disease can result in major physical distress and may also cause severe health problems like cancer of the esophagus and pneumonia. Luckily, victims can identify the greater part of GERD symptoms before seeing a doctor. If a symptom (or several of them) occur regularly, the recommendation is to consult a gastrointestinal specialist for a full diagnosis.

Although a gastrointestinal endoscopist can provide a good preliminary diagnosis, conventional medicine as a cure for gastro esophageal reflux has two major drawbacks:

1. Life long dependency on drugs can result because a daily dose is required to keep the symptoms down but no action is taken on fixing the real causes.

2. Medicaments available as prescriptions and over the counters only act on the external disease symptoms, but acid reflux goes far deeper than this, being the result of a range of different inner and outer aspects.

3. Some drugs such as PPIs and antacids can contribute numerous undesirable side effects.

The holistic program that targets the factors that are both internal and external and that trigger acid reflux, also addresses the basic problem that causes this condition. It is a much more effective answer and it works for the long term. Whatever your degree of GERD is, tackling this condition by using a holistic approach will make sure that the fundamental causes of your acid reflux problem are dealt with in safety and with permanence, to bring significant improvement to your well being.

Heartburn is the most common acid reflux disease symptom plaguing more than 60 million Americans today and countless more around the world. However, although commonly associated with acid reflux, manifestations of heartburn every now and then do not always result in a GERD diagnosis. At times, it could just be caused by bad habits, which if corrected can relieve its manifestations. On the other hand, it could also be the result of a physical cause, which requires greater medical attention, especially if it’s an acid reflux disease symptom.

When is Heartburn an Acid Reflux Disease Symptom?

Since people can suffer from heartburn without having GERD, it is necessary for patients to assess the severity of heartburn and determine if it is really an acid reflux disease symptom or a manifestation of some other condition. In this respect, there are three things heartburn patients can consider to determine the severity of their condition. These are the length of time at which each heartburn episode lasts, its frequency, and the intensity of the sensations experienced with each episode.

Length of Time. Heartburn incidents can last between a few minutes in mild cases to several hours in severe cases. For most people experiencing mild heartburns, the incident is often caused by a simple case of overeating or too much consumption of spicy food; such that the condition usually disappears after taking a few antacids and giving the stomach time to digest. In these cases, heartburn is rarely considered an acid reflux disease symptom. However, if the heartburn incident persists even after taking medication, the patient can be suffering from acid reflux disease and should consult a physician immediately.

Frequency. Heartburn is a condition experienced by a majority of populations in most Western countries. For 44% of the population, experiencing heartburn episodes once a month is still considered mild and should not be cause for alarm. For those who experience it about once a week, caution in their daily eating habits is necessary since they are suffering from moderate heartburn. The problem however lies within 20% of the population who suffer from heartburn at least twice a week. Under these circumstances the heartburn episodes are already considered chronic, indicating a manifestation of acid reflux disease symptom.

Intensity. Among the heartburn episodes considered to be an acid reflux disease symptom, the patients suffering from the condition usually experience worse conditions that are accompanied by weight loss, blood loss, and food sticking to the throat. If the person suffering from heartburn also tastes a sour acid at the back of the throat, the possibility of heartburn being an acid reflux disease symptom becomes more probable.

Acid Reflux Disease Symptom: Managing Heartburn

If you’re suffering from heartburn, here are simple tips to help you control this acid reflux disease symptom:

1. Watch your diet. Keep track of what you eat and avoid the foods that trigger your heartburn.

2. Avoid large meals. Eat smaller more frequent meals to improve digestion and decrease acid secretion.

3. Quit bad habits. Excessive smoking and excessive drinking only exacerbates heartburn and should be avoided as much as possible.

4. Take a breather. Find ways to relieve yourself of stress because it can upset your stomach and trigger heartburn.

5. Lose weight. Being overweight can puts strain in your abdominal muscles and makes it more difficult to digest food.

6. Avoid wearing tight-fitting clothes. Clothes that are tight on your waist can squeeze your stomach and force food up you esophagus.

Heartburn and reflux are common to most people but what about GERD? Are you familiar with GERD and if you are, do you understand what it’s symptoms are?

GERD is short for Gastroesophageal Reflux disease and is a term introduced during the past 20 years which will explain why many people aren’t familiar with it. If you experience reflux on a regular basis, at least two or more times a week and your quality of life is being affected then it’s a strong possibility you may have it.

How Serious Is GERD?

If not treated properly, it can impact not only your quality of life but can cause damage to your esophagus. If left untreated it can lead to other possible health complications. That’s why the message to chronic sufferers of reflux is usually strong about seeking medical advice if it’s a factor several times a week.

The cause of GERD occurs when food is deposited into the stomach under normal circumstances but is usually prevented from moving into the esophagus by a special valve-like muscle. This, under normal circumstances is a one-way street; food will make it’s way into the stomach and usually that’s where it stays until digested. On occasions, there is a malfunction; the muscle valve is retarded and acid rises up into the esophagus causing pain and irritation. The result is GERD.

Did You Know?

Heartburn is a symptom of GERD. People often get heartburn and reflux confused but the former is better known as a symptom. However, frequent heartburn attacks such as twice or more a week which diminishes a person’s quality of life suggests the presence of GERD.

The Symptoms

Apart from heartburn, which is the main symptom of GERD, other symptoms to take notice of include pain in the chest, sore throat leading to a difficulty in swallowing and an ugly type of after taste. Heartburn is the main symptom however and should be watched closely if it’s present on a regular basis.

Treatment

When GERD is established as the problem by a medical professional the treatment process usually needs to be maintained over an extended period of time. While the symptoms themselves may be controlled, a person will need regular support to make sure they stay under control.

Whether treatment includes medication or a change of lifestyle, maintaining proper screening will be encouraged by your doctor. It’s vitally important though, self diagnosis and self treatment be avoided as Gerd is a chronic condition.

If you suspect GERD in your life then set up an appointment with your doctor. The chances are strong it could be a factor particularly if you suffer several bouts of heartburn every week.

Your doctor will cover every aspect of your condition and will generally be keen to know whether you are taking any type of medication. Remember, delaying medical opinion may eventually lead to more serious medical problems.

Drugs and medications for acid reflux are readily available. They are to be seen in adverts, some medications for heartburn are sold over the counter, and most doctors are happy to prescribe them on a promise of immediate termination of the crippling pain of acid reflux. After all that, you are surely asking yourself of medications for acid reflux are in any way effective when it is a matter of fixing the real cause of your condition of acid reflux and if the temporary respite justifies the side effects.

Heartburn, also known as GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), comes about when the valve in the esophagus (the LES or lower esophageal sphincter) becomes weak and instead of acting one-way, lets stomach content flow back into the esophagus. Usually, after glutition, the LES opens to let food into the stomach before closing to prevent acid from returning into the esophagus. The backward flow of acid coming from this acid reflux is often noticed as a burning sensation that is called heartburn. Therefore, acid reflux patients often experience a particular burning feeling under the breastbone, often coming at night.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a menacing condition necessitating immediate diagnosis and treatment. If unattended, GERD can badly corrode the lining of the esophagus causing continual inflammation and possibly even esophageal cancer. Persistent GERD with its concomitant symptoms of heartburn can be distracting and painful enough to ruin your daily activities and seriously impinge on the esophagus.

Acid reflux medicaments are not imperatively the remedy of choice, even if they appear to be the most readily accessible treatment for heartburn. There are four principal classes of medicaments for use with GERD:

1. Antacids take effect by neutralizing acid in the esophagus and do this for up to a few hours. They can be bought in different formats such as liquid, chewing gum or tablets and so on.

2. Alginates encapsulate stomach contents and reduce reflux.

3. H2-receptor antagonists imitate the production of stomach acid in order to put a block on your gastric system. They take 30 to 60 minutes to start working and can then produce this effect for up to 12 hours.

4. PPI (Proton pump inhibitors) inhibit the release of acid in the stomach by acting on the stomach cells.

These medicaments all have a common element, even if they vary in the way in which they work, as well as for their duration and effect:

1. They are of temporary effect. Acid reflux is complicated, being created by a group of factors of the environment, lifestyle and diet. However, most acid reflux medicaments focus on treating the immediate short-term causes of acid reflux, so they only bring temporary relief and sidestep the real causes of heartburn.

2. Using these drugs for a long duration can produce multiple side effects. Prolonged usage of antacids can worsen the damage from long duration acid reflux: gastric acid is necessary for good digestion and immunity and continually ingesting antacid interferes with these processes. PPI therapy usually does more good than harm for side effects. Its most frequent side effects including serious headaches and diarrhea, PPI have also been associated with osteoporosis.

Most medications for acid reflux will do no more than bring temporary respite but with many side effects. This is because conventional medication therapy for heartburn is based on the approach that, in comparison to the holistic approach, does not care for the body, but seeks only to remove the disease’s symptoms. Alternative treatments for acid reflux such as homeopathic solutions, changes in lifestyle and diet, herbal remedies, and detoxification, will sort out the cause inside of acid reflux to safely and effectively prevent it from returning.

Heartburn or pyrosis is a painful or burning sensation in the esophagus, just below the breastbone caused by regurgitation of gastric acid. The pain often rises in the chest and may radiate to the neck, throat, or angle of the jaw. Heartburn is also identified as one of the causes of asthma and chronic cough.

Heartburn Diagnosis.

Physicians normally diagnose gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) based on symptoms alone. When the clinical presentation is uncertain, other tests can be performed to confirm the diagnosis or exclude other disorders. Confirmatory tests include:

Upper Gastrointestinal (GI) Series: A series of x-rays of the upper digestive system are taken after drinking a barium solution. These can demonstrate reflux of barium into the esophagus, which suggests the possibility of gastro esophageal reflux disease. More accurately, fluoroscopy can be used to document reflux in real-time.

Ambulatory pH Monitoring: A probe can be placed via the nose into the esophagus to record the level of acidity in the lower esophagus. Because some degree of variation in acidity is normal, and small reflux events are relatively common, such monitors must be left in place for at least a 24-hour period to confirm the diagnosis of GERD. The test is particularly useful when the patient’s symptoms can be correlated to episodes of increased esophageal acidity.

Endoscope test: The esophageal mucosa can be visualized directly by passing a thin, lighted tube with a tiny camera attached (an endoscope) through the mouth to examine the esophagus and stomach. In this way, evidence of esophageal inflammation can be detected, and biopsies taken if necessary.

Manometer test: In this test, a pressure sensor (manometer) is passed through the mouth into the esophagus and measures the pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter directly.

Biopsy test: A small sample of tissue from the esophagus is removed. It is then studied to check for inflammation, cancer, or other problems.

Heartburn Treatment.

Prevention: If heartburn occurs when lying down, raising the head with pillows or sitting up frequently provides relief – although care must be taken to avoid placing continuous strain on the neck. Avoidance of certain foods shortly before bedtime is frequently advised to avoid future attacks.

Medications: Antacids, H2-receptor antagonists and proton pump inhibitors are used – in that order – to treat heartburn.

Antacids: Daily treatment with Antacids is effective for 25-30% of people with GERD. Acid-blocking medications are the most effective for mild forms of the condition.

H2-receptor antagonists: With the advent of proton-pump inhibitors, H2-receptor antagonists are not widely used.

Proton-pump Inhibitors: Proton pump inhibitors are a class of medications which can be effective for people who do not respond to antacid or acid blockers. Proton-pump inhibitors directly block acid production in the stomach cells and provide more effective relief than less powerful medications. In order to prevent heartburn the medication disfigures and disables the proteins (proton pumps) that control the pH of the stomach, allowing the body to digest them.

Restricting Diet: Restricting diet is very important, since 90-95% of sufferers of heartburn or esophageal disorder can link their symptoms to specific foods. Therefore, it is important that heartburn sufferers manage their diets as a way to treat their heartburn. Sufferers should choose the kinds of foods and drinks which have little risk of causing acid reflux, while some kinds of foods or drinks should be avoided as they are major heartburn triggers.

You can cure your heartburn and completely ignore the antacids, proton-pump inhibitors and any other prescription drug. You can accomplish this with an all natural system that first cures the symptoms and then cures the reflux for ever.

Further reading: Acid Reflux Symptoms.

Read more about what foods to avoid if you have acid reflux: Acid Reflux Diet.

More about acid reflux symptoms: What does acid reflux feel like?.

Acid reflux symptoms encompass everything from chest pain, nausea and shortness of breath to a sour taste in the mouth, sore throat and coughing fits. Due to its varying nature, it can masquerade itself as many other problems. How can you tell heartburn from more serious ailments that could land you in the hospital?

Thirty-one patients flooded into the Brigham and Women’s Hospital emergency room in Boston, complaining of serious chest pain. It was later found that 57% of the patients merely suffered from Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease. Study investigator Dr. Julia J. Liu commented, “Often the role of acid reflux has been overlooked as a potential factor in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with serious chest pain.

But, it is important for patients never to assume their chest pain is caused by GERD, until they have been thoroughly evaluated by a physician to rule out heart disease. If they experience persistent chest pain, they should seek emergency medical care.”

There are two types of heartburn – upright reflux, where patients are awake with noticeable discomfort, and supine reflux, which is more frequent in women and occurs when patients are asleep. Nighttime GERD affects approximately 10% of Americans, according to a study done by Dynogen Pharmaceuticals. In a separate study (conducted at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System in Tucson), nearly three-fourths of the patients with chronic gerd symptoms also suffered sleeping symptoms such as snoring, coughing and chest pain.

“Nighttime GERD affects a large number of patients, and the impact on sleep and quality of life should not be underestimated,” commented study leader Dr. Fass, who hopes to find more effective cures for supine reflux. Studies show that esophagus damage can occur with too much exposure to acid.

So how can you tell GERD / acid reflux symptoms from other similar ailments? More than half of the people who suffer chronic acid reflux also have dyspepsia, a condition where they feel nauseous, disgustingly full and suffer abdomen pain after eating. Dyspepsia is not necessarily a telltale sign of GERD.

Often times the chest pain worries people the most, who believe they may be having a heart attack. Both a heart attack and gerd symptoms could arrive after a heavy meal and leave its victim gasping for breath, doubled over with abdomen pain and sweating. In some cases, displaced acid in the esophagus activates nerves that impair blood flow to the heart temporarily, which can be a terrifying sensation!

While chest pain should not be taken lightly, here are some key differences to help you differentiate an Alkaseltzer cure from a trip to the hospital. Symptoms usually last for hours, while a heart attack generally lasts several minutes. H2 blockers or antacids will cure heartburn, while symptoms from a heart attack (like irregular heartbeat, pain, sweating and disorientation) will persist 15-20 minutes after taking the medication.

Chest pain associated with symptoms may radiate vertically from the gut to the esophagus, but heart attacks often start beneath the right breast bone or on the left side of the chest and radiate along the length of the arms or from the chest to the back. You’ll feel heartburn and acid reflux symptoms worsen if you’re bending or lifting shortly after you’ve eaten, but with a heart attack, the smallest exertion makes you feel as though your heart may burst at any moment.

It may be shocking to have acid reflux symptoms suddenly, when you’ve been eating a particular food your whole life. The incidence of indigestion generally increases with age but can happen to teenagers and babies as well. For acid reflux treatment, diet modifications should be tried first and antacids kept on hand for emergency situations.

For some people, suffering from chronic heartburn is about as close to hell on earth as it gets. In addtion to being in pain, the suffer often gets little or no sleep. When an individual who is suffering from acid reflux heartburn gets tired they try not to think about going to bed. They procrastinate, doing everything they can to delay laying down. When the inevitable time comes they pop the required antaicds and slowly lay down, knowing what is coming. Each night they pray that night heartburn will not return.

There really is a simple trick that will reduce night time acid reflux related heartburn. Simply lifting the head of the bed a mere 3 inches may keep the acid from flowing into the esophagus. This is easily done with a couple of books or blocks of wood. This effectively keeps your chest and the esophagus higher than your stomach. This will inhibit the flow of acid into your throat by making it flow uphill. It will also help if you can sleep on your left side. Again this will place the esophageal sphincter muscle, a valve at the base of the esophagus higher than the stomach also reducing the chance that acid will flow into the esophagus.

You already know that you should not eat anything for at least 4 hours prior to going to bed. Avoid all caffiene, not just because it may keep you awake but because it can iniate acid reflux by causing your stomach to produce more acid. This puts more pressure on your esophageal sphincter muscle. If is weak it may leak acid into your esophagus.

Lets face it if you can get a good nights sleep on a regular basis, life suddenly looks a lot brighter. Granted this is temporarily fix. You do need to make an appointment with your doctor right away. A proper diagnosis is necessary to make sure symptoms are not related to a more serious condition such as GERD or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or even cancer. A good diagnosis will also assist your physician in applying the best treatment that will remedy your heartburn.

There are several good medication that can address serious chronic heartburn. Your doctor will know which ones to intially prescribe to address your problem. You may have to try different medications until you find the one that best addresses your problem. You can solve your night heartburn problems for good. Search your local library or the Internet for more information on your condition. This will help you in deciding the best course of action in finding a cure.

Acid reflux disease is a condition in which the stomach acids abnormally reflux into the esophagus. This phenomenon is irregularly experienced by most people, most especially after eating.

Our body uses gastric and stomach acids to break down the food that we eat. Normally, after the digestion in the stomach, the food is delivered by the digestive muscles to the intestines for extra digestion. But in patients who have acid reflux disease, the acidic stomach contents are moved back to the esophagus, which then causes inflammation. Cigarettes, alcohol, caffeine, pregnancy, and fatty foods are some factors which worsens acid reflux conditions.

Our present knowledge about acid reflux based on medical researches tells us that this disease is common in men as it is in women. There is no sexual preference. Moreover, the prevalence of acid reflux is more frequent in people of 40 years of age or more.

Symptoms of acid reflux may be typical or atypical. But based on the diagnosis of acid reflux patients, only 70% of those who have this disease manifest typical symptoms.

Typical or esophageal symptoms concern indicators which are related with the esophagus. Such symptoms include the following:

Heartburn. This is a condition in which the patient feels a painful burning feeling in the esophagus. The pain often develops in the chest and may swell to the neck or throat. This is most probable to occur in relation with these activities: after a heavy meal, lifting, bending over, and lying down. Based on one study, about 75% of acid reflux patients experience this symptom at night. These nigh-time patients also tend to experience more harsh pain than those whose symptom occurs at other times.

Dyspepsia. Researches show that about half of acid reflux patients have dyspepsia. This is a syndrome which consists of pain and distress in the upper abdomen, nausea after a meal, and stomach fullness. It is not a rule however, that those who have dyspepsia have acid reflux.

Regurgitation. This is when the gastric contents back up into the pharynx and sometimes as far as the mouth. In cases where the acids have spilled into the tracheobronchial tree, respiratory complications can be stimulated.

There are many instances, though, that acid reflux patients do not manifest symptoms such as regurgitation and heartburn. Instead, they experience atypical or extraesophageal symptoms which include the following:

Throat Symptoms. Although it does not commonly happen, acid reflux patients suffer from symptoms that occur in the throat. Hoarseness, the feeling of having a lump in the throat, dry cough are undergone by those who have acid laryngitis, a throat symptom. Patients can also have difficulty in swallowing, a condition known as dysphagia. In critical cases, the food may get trapped in the throat or even choke, which can result to a severe chest pain. Other throat symptoms are chronic sore throat and persistent hiccups.

Vomiting and Nausea. When a patient suffers from nausea which persists for weeks, he may have acid reflux. There are few instances where vomiting can occur as often as once a day.

Respiratory Symptoms. Coughing and wheezing are counted as respiratory symptoms. These result from the overrunning of the stomach acids into the tracheobronchial tree creating bronchoconstriction.

Acid reflux disease can last for several months if not given proper medical attention. Drug treatment may only be required for a short time. But when the symptoms tend to repetitively occur, the drug treatment may have to be reapplied.

Could a supplement called MSM Be The Answer?

Acid reflux or gerd (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is a condition in which fluid splashes up from the stomach into the esophagus. This fluid contains mostly acid with some pepsin and bile. All three of these fluids are potentially dangerous to the sensitive esophageal tissue, with acid being the most harmful. This refluxed fluid can inflame and damage the lining of the esophagus (esophagitis). If this condition is allowed to become chronic, it can in time develop into Barrett’s esophagus, which is the precursor to esophageal cancer.

Up to 15 million Americans experience acid reflux daily. People at all ages are susceptible to this condition. Older people who suffer from acid reflux tend to be more seriously affected than younger people. 13,000 people are diagnosed with esophageal cancer each year. At least 12,000 people die from it. The overall survival rate is very poor. Acid reflux is the greatest known risk factor for developing Barrett’s Esophagus, which can become esophageal cancer.

Barrett’s esophagus occurs when chronic acid reflux or esophagitis is not controlled. Through constant inflammation and damage, the normal cells that line the esophagus called squamous cells turn into specialized columnar cells. Columnar cells are not normally found in human beings and can become cancerous.

Although this can happen to anyone, it usually occurs in people over forty who have had regular bouts of heartburn for more than five years. Some of the symptoms are difficulty in swallowing and being awakened in the night by the pain of heartburn. Some people have no symptoms at all.

Scar tissue can develop from the constant attack of acid on the tender lining of the esophagus. The tissue can become thickened and hard, making the esophagus narrower. This can make it difficult to swallow food or even water.

I am a firm believer in natural cures versus conventional medicine. When I go to a doctor it is for diagnostic purposes only. Then, instead of subjecting myself to a barrage of harmful pills and painful procedures, I attempt to cure the condition myself by using alternative methods. I have found that MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) has the ability to soften scar tissue, making it flexible and permeable. I believe that by taking MSM on a regular basis, one can possibly avoid the severe problems associated with chronic acid reflux.

MSM has been touted as the greatest natural healing agent since vitamin C. It seems to have the power to reduce pain and inflammation. It is currently being used to treat a wide range of ailments including, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis and gout. It’s even being used as a treatment for snoring and constipation. MSM has been used with great success on horses and dogs, to control the inflammation associated with allergies.

I use MSM to relieve the summer allergies of my twelve year old Jack Russell Terrier, Jack Pot. It works like magic. By giving him a gram of MSM in a little cheese twice a day, I have reduced his itching and running eyes, which are associated with air born allergies, to a bare minimum.

I also use MSM drops for my eyes. It evidently has the power to reduce, if not prevent, cataracts. It seems to dissolve them. My mother had cataracts in both eyes. She had one removed by her ophthalmologist. When she told me what she had one, I put her on MSM drops immediately. When she went back to the doctor for her pre-surgery exam for the second eye, they discovered that the other cataract had completely disappeared.

Aren’t cataracts a form of scar tissue? I believe that scar tissue and Barrett’s Esophagus have an important connection. Therefore, if MSM does, in fact, have this beneficial effect on scar tissue, perhaps it can prevent, or at least improve Barrett’s esophagus. Maybe MSM can help prevent this kind of cancer? I don’t know, but I will continue to take it rather than to subject myself to so called “modern medicine”.

If you should choose to go the allopathic medical route, diagnosis of Barrett’s Esophagus involves an endoscopy. The doctor sticks a long mechanical tube down your throat to observe the esophagus and perform a biopsy. It can’t be a very pleasant procedure. And what if the results are negative? The doctor will most likely prescribe drugs which have harmful side effects. Some of these drugs include H2 blockers like cimetidine, ranitidine, and famotidine. Or he may prescribe the drugs omeprazole and lansoprazole, which are proton pump inhibitors.

Some of he side effects of these drugs are: headache, disturbances of the gut such as diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain, excess gas in the stomach and intestines (flatulence), dry mouth, skin reactions such as rash and itch, inflammation of the skin (dermatitis), dizziness, pain in the muscles and joints, swelling of the legs and ankles due to excess fluid retention (peripheral edema), pins and needles (paraesthesia), depression, agitation, confusion, difficulty sleeping (insomnia), sleepiness (somnolence), liver or blood disorders. The list goes on and on.

If the drugs don’t work then he’ll most likely suggest a surgical procedure called fundoplication, which entails removing the damaged part of the esophagus and attaching the remaining section to the stomach.

For myself, I will continue to search for and experiment with natural cures for acid reflux. I think that perhaps the medical approach could be worse than the disease itself.

I was a victim of acid reflux for many years. I had disappointing experiences with doctors, who knew nothing about nutrition or alternative medicine. Basically, doctors only know how to write prescriptions. They know nothing about healing. They are only taught how to treat symptoms by dealing drugs that support the pharmaceutical industry.

The Proton pump inhibitors, which my doctor prescribed, ultimately didn’t work for me. Besides the harmful side effects caused by these drugs, no one really know what the long tern affect of them is on the human body.

Since conventional medicine didn’t help me, I was highly motivated to explore alternative means of healing myself. After much research and experimentation, I did find natural ways which allowed me to ultimately cure my acid reflux condition. MSM was one of them.

For information on how to heal acid reflux the natural way, go to: http://www.refluxgoneforever.com