Acid Reflux

(See also Nutrition and Remedies: Acid Reflux)

When the inside of the throat becomes inflamed and swollen as a result of regurgitation of the contents of the stomach, this is called “acid reflux” or “reflux esophagitis.”

Almost everyone has experienced it at some point – where the contents of the stomach rise up into the throat. But some people experience this more than others, and some experience it severely and frequently.

In a drug-happy society, there are bound to be a variety of drug-related treatments available to address this condition. And plenty of people making lots of money off of these drug treatments. The drug industry is big – legal or otherwise.

But for those of us who do not wish to fall into the pharmaceutical trap – what can be done about acid reflux?

Some of the drugs which are on the market as treatments for acid reflux have been said to be very harmful. These drugs reduce the amount of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Hydrochloric acid is used by the body to digest food. So reducing it can be very harmful to your ability to digest and this can carry other consequences as well. A failure to properly digest one's food can put one at risk of other diseases, can reduce one's resistance to infections and harmful organism-borne bacteria in foods, can increase susceptibility to food poisoning, and can put one at risk of chronic degenerative diseases.

While I am not one to recommend testing human problems on rats or mice, it does bear mentioning in this article that tests on mice performed by scientists in one university did indicate that reduction of hydrochloric acid could be exactly what not to do in treating acid reflux.

As time moves forward and as the “information age” progresses, many of us become more and more aware that drugs are not the answer.

There are a number of natural methods of addressing acid reflux.

But lets look at the alternative – drugs. Why do I recommend so strongly that you stay away from them?

Some of the drugs sold for treatment of acid reflux are “Prilosec,” “ Nexium,” “The Purple Pill,” "Prevacid", "Zantac", "Pepcid" "Tagament.”

My advice? Stay away from drugs, pharmaceutical or otherwise. I mean … there must be a reason why many of these drugs are only supposed to be used for eight weeks as a maximum.

Well, as a general rule (and this goes for street drugs, psychiatric drugs, “anti-depressants,” over-the-counter pain killers, etc.) drugs don't solve anything in the long run. They only mask the problem. And in the long term, they often make it worse. Used sparingly and infrequently in moments of extreme pain or urgency, I can admit that some drugs can have their uses. If you are on that vacation you have waited for for five years, and your jet-lag is giving you a headache from hell, I won't blame you for grabbing a painkiller from the local supermarket. I've done the same myself.

But – in terms of truly handling an illness or long-term condition, it is always my advice to stay away from them! And most level-headed people would say the same. There is just too much evidence of the harmful effects of drugs, physically and mentally.

For information on natural treatments of acid reflex, please see Advice on Health. I hope this information is of use to you or to any of your friends who may be battling this ailment. Something can be done to relieve it for real, and it doesn't have to come with a prescription.

- By Anna Stone

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