Heartburn and Hiatal Hernia

Heartburn and Hiatal Hernia

            At Natural Health, we are always concerned with preventative and causative actions. The current medical treatment for heartburn is the use of proton pump inhibitors, and/or antacids, that reduce the stomach acid and helps with the symptom. The problem with this is that it does nothing for the cause and makes it hard for the individual to absorb any nutrients from the food they eat. It also causes pH problems downstream in the gut, leading toward Leaky Gut, and can affect the whole body and how it functions. If the pH is not correct in the stomach, this can lead to the pylori bacteria getting a foothold which leads to ulcers. Our society is also geared to a fast pace which does not allow the digestive system to work correctly as the nervous system is always overstimulated. We must look at the causes to relieve the condition permanently.

            As we age, getting past age 35 to 40, we start to reduce the production of stomach acid by the cells in the upper part of the stomach. This results in a lower amount of stomach acid being produced and the food that we eat is not digested properly. Bacteria in the food start a rotting process and the acid produced causes irritation to the stomach lining, the heartburn. This lack of digestive ability also causes the bloating that we can see and feel in our clothing but actually causes no pain. Long-term bloating pushes up on the diaphragm and distends the cardiac sphincter, which is the muscle set that holds your food in the stomach, and this causes the hiatal hernia. Getting the stomach acid production corrected will stop the bloating condition and allow the body to heal the hernia, if possible.

            In our testing procedures, we look at the need for digestive enzymes and supplementation to support production of the correct stomach acid so the digestive system works well. We also try to get our patients to chew their food, be in a position of reduced stress during eating, and taking a digestive support supplement before the meal to help the body coordinate the digestive system. So in other words, the problem is not too much acid in the stomach, but actually not enough. The further use of medications to stop acid production just makes the problem worse and the patient ages faster as they cannot repair their body due to lack of nutrition. We find the cause and help our patients remove it.