Also called acid regurgitation, acid reflux is a common condition sometimes related to diet in which stomach acid flows backward up the esophagus (the tube carries food from the mouth to the stomach), causing acid refulx symptoms such as a burning feeling in the chest (heartburn) and a bitter or sour taste in the mouth. These acid reflux symptoms usually last a few hours after a meal and then go away. Most people experience acid reflux from time to time, usually after eating certain foods. Acid reflux that occurs more than twice a week is called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This is a more serious condition that, left untreated, can lead to problems such as inflammation of the esophagus (esophagitis) and a precancerous condition called Barrett’s esophagus. GERD can also worsen asthma, chronic cough, insomnia, and pulmonary fibrosis.

What Are Acid Reflux Symptoms?

Heartburn is the most common of the acid reflux symptoms. Other symptoms include:

• Bitter or sour taste in the mouth
• Chronic dry cough
• Trouble swallowing
• Wheezing
• Hoarseness

What Are The Causes Of Acid Reflux?

Acid reflux occurs when a ring of muscle at the bottom of esophagus called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) doesn’t function properly. Normally, the LES keeps stomach contents in the stomach and prevents the backflow of acid by tightening up after swallowing. But in people with acid reflux, the LES becomes weak and relaxes, allowing acid and stomach contents to flow back up the esophagus.

Although it’s still unclear exactly what causes the LES to weaken, several factors have been shown to contribute to and worsen acid reflux. These include:

• Obesity (extra pounds can put pressure on the LES)
• Pregnancy
• Hiatal hernia, a condition in which the top of your stomach protrudes above the diaphragm muscle in your chest
• Smoking
• Alcohol or caffeine consumption
• Eating large meals
• Eating before bedtime
• Medications such as antihistamines, calcium channel blockers, theophylline, and nitrates
• Fatty, fried, and spicy foods; tomato-based foods; citrus fruits; chocolate; mint; garlic; and onions

Who Is Likely To Get Acid Reflux?

Acid reflux and GERD can occur in people of all ages, including children. It is most common in people who are overweight, smoke, and eat poor diets, as well as in pregnant women.

How Is Acid Reflux Diagnosed?

Acid reflux that occurs more than twice a week could be GERD and should be evaluated by a doctor, especially if you have been taking antacids or over-the-counter (OTC) reflux medications for more than two weeks.

To test for GERD, a doctor may perform a test called an upper GI series. In this exam, the patient drinks a type of contrast or dye called liquid barium, which highlights the upper digestive tract. As the barium flows down the esophagus and into the stomach, the doctor will take X-ray pictures of the process. The doctor may also recommend an endoscopic examination. In an endoscopy procedure, the doctor passes a small, flexible tube with a tiny camera at the tip into the mouth and esophagus while the patient is sedated. The camera allows the doctor to view any abnormalities in the esophagus.

What Are The Conventional Treatments?

Conventional doctors usually recommend lifestyle changes and OTC medications as the first line of treatment for acid reflux. If symptoms aren’t relieved, the patient may be prescribed medication as a treatment for acid reflux. The doctor will also consider the medications the patient already takes and discuss alternatives to those that may trigger reflux.

Lifestyle Measures:

• Stop smoking
• Avoid foods and beverages that trigger or worsen symptoms
• Eat small, frequent meals
• Don’t lie down within three hours after eating
• Lose weight if necessary
• Avoid wearing tight clothing, especially around your midsection

Antacids:
These OTC drugs (Alka-Seltzer, Maalox, Mylanta, Rolaids, Tums) use different combinations of either magnesium, calcium, or aluminum and hydroxide or bicarbonate ions to help neutralize stomach acid and temporarily relieve symptoms. Depending on their ingredients, they may also cause diarrhea or constipation.

H2 Blockers:
Available both OTC and by prescription, these drugs (Tagamet, Pepcid, Zantac, Axid) provide short-term relief of GERD by preventing production of stomach acid.

Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs):
Available by prescription, PPIs (Prilosec, Prevacid, Protonix, Nexium) block stomach acid production more effectively than H2 blockers. However, they can cause “rebound” reflux: If the patient uses them, then stops taking them, the stomach acid may return worse than before.

What Therapies Does Dr. Weil Recommend For Acid Reflux?

In addition to the lifestyle measures listed above, Dr. Weil recommends the following acid reflux treatments and changes to your diet:

• Use solid supports such as bricks, blocks, or boards to tilt the head of your bed a few inches above your feet. Avoid raising your head by sleeping on two pillows, which can make reflux worse.
• Practice a relaxation strategy. Stress and anxiety can worsen reflux symptoms.
• Keep a food log to track the foods and beverages that make your symptoms worse.
• Eat a diet rich in fiber – at least 40 grams a day – including whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
• Stop drinking alcohol. Keep alcohol to a minimum if you do drink, and drink only with meals.
• Get regular exercise.
• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
• Avoid stimulants. Caffeinated beverages, coffee (including decaffeinated coffee), tobacco and other stimulants can irritate the gastrointestinal tract.
• Use DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice). Slowly chew two tablets or take a half-teaspoon of the powder before or between meals and at bedtime. Taper your dose down after your symptoms are under control.
• Consider slippery elm. It can heal irritated digestive tract tissues.

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Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix, a small, tube-like structure once believed to be useless. However, a new theory holds that the appendix may have the important function of producing and protecting the good intestinal bacteria that help keep disease in check. The appendix is attached to the first part of the large intestine (the colon), and is located in the lower right portion of the abdomen.

What are the symptoms of appendicitis?

Symptoms include pain and tenderness in the abdomen that begin as vague discomfort around the navel and then move to the lower right. Over the next few hours, the pain becomes much more intense and is localized to the lower right side of the abdomen. The abdomen may become rigid and very sensitive to pressure. The pain worsens when you move, take a deep breath, cough or sneeze. Other symptoms can include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea, the inability to pass gas, a low fever that begins after other symptoms develop and abdominal swelling. Not everyone with appendicitis develops all of these symptoms. Some people report a feeling that a bowel movement will relieve their discomfort. Anyone can get appendicitis, but it occurs most often between the ages of 10 and 30.

What are the causes of appendicitis?

Obstruction of the inside of the appendix by fecal matter or food waste is the usual cause of appendicitis. The blockage leads to increased pressure, impaired blood flow, and inflammation. Appendicitis can also develop after an infection in the digestive tract that leads to swelling of lymph nodes, which squeeze the appendix causing obstruction or inflammation. Appendicitis occasionally runs in families. If so, it may be due to some genetic variation that predisposes a person to develop the types of blockage that cause the inflammation. Appendicitis usually comes on quickly with little warning and worsens over a period of six to 12 hours.

What is the conventional treatment of appendicitis?

Once it starts, appendicitis is considered a medical emergency. There is no treatment other than surgery to remove the inflamed appendix. Delaying surgery can lead to a burst appendix that can result in infection and even death. The surgery can be done either via an abdominal incision or laparascopically. With the laparascopic method, the surgeon views the inside of the abdomen through a long metal tube that has a lens on which a miniature television camera is attached. The tube and the surgical instruments are inserted through small incisions in the abdomen. If you have laparascopic surgery, you probably will be sent home from the hospital the day of the operation. If you have an open incision, you’ll be up and walking within six hours of surgery and can expect to leave the hospital in one to two days.

What therapies does Dr. Weil recommend for appendicitis?

While there is no alternative to surgery as a treatment for appendicitis, you should request an intravenous (IV) drip of high doses of vitamin C during the operation. High levels of vitamin C speed the healing of surgical wounds. If there’s time (since surgery for appendicitis usually is done on an emergency basis, there may not be), make a tape of healing statements to be played while you’re under anesthesia. A study conducted at Beth Israel Hospital in New York showed that patients who heard taped positive affirmations while they were under anesthesia required 50 percent less postoperative medication than a control group. After surgery, you may be able enhance the healing process with healing touch therapy such as therapeutic touch and reiki, two forms of energy medicine.

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