Do you remember what it felt like to be rushed into that part of the hospital, believing you had a heart attack, having trouble breathing, and having no idea what is going to happen next?
If you are like me, I’m sure you can recall the emotions in that particular event (especially the first time it happened). After calming you down with powerful sedatives and a series of tests, the truth was revealed. You don’t have a heart problem. You have what is known as Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disorder (GERD) or simply Acid Reflux. And for awhile you experienced what is known as Heartburn.
Nothing serious, claims the doctor and her nurses (or so they say).
You take a minute or so to thank God that it wasn’t something worse, and the resident doctor assures that you’re not alone as that other guy in the ICU was just diagnosed with GERD and gives you a short talk about stress and diet and how it creates and aggravates one’s reflux. She gives your needed emergency medicine, a medical prescription, along with an advice to get a follow up check-up from a specialist.
Obviously, you follow doctor’s orders, take all the recommended treatment and get back to a normal lifestyle. Which lasts for 2 weeks tops. Then it happens.
Again.
You’re rushed back to the emergency room. For the same thing.
Why?
According to gastro-enterologists (people who specialize in digestive disorders), acid reflux occurs when stomach acid backs up into the lower esophagus up to your throat and causes irritation. The levels of reflux vary as it can simply be an occasional nuisance but if not taken cared of, can turn into a life-threatening disorder.
But why doesn’t the prescribed medicine eliminate the problem? What’s wrong with taking these drugs?
1. Liquid or regular antacids (e.g. Maalox, Tums, Kremil)
2. Medicine to reduce acid secretion (e.g. Nexium, Prevacid, Losec, Zantac)
3. Medicine to improve stomach muscle action (e.g. Motilium, Plasil)
Almost everyone who has GERD, knows that they are only prescribed these types of medication for 1-2 weeks. After that, they are supposed to stop and the medicine supposedly should do its job. More often than not however, this is not the case.
But when you are rushed to the E.R. again, you are still given the exact same thing (or in larger dosages this time). In a worse scenario, you’re given additional medication.
Have you ever asked yourself why conventional medicine focuses more on acid reflux symptoms instead of the root cause of the problem? Why they insist on using the “band-aid” approach of treatment when there are natural and safer ways to get rid of your condition… for good?
It’s a good thing someone told me about them before it was too late.
