If you have bad heartburn and ask your doctor for a prescription, you’re likely to get a “proton pump inhibitor (PPI)” drug. About 15 million Americans use PPIs and it’s a $10 billion business!
You’d assume PPIs are safe, right? Research has found that some people who take PPIs are likely to experience chronic kidney disease and/or kidney failure, among other health issues. If you or someone you know has taken/is taking “Prilosec,” “Nexium,” or “Prevacid,” you’re taking medications that aim to reduce the production of gastric acid… thus reducing the heartburn that acid can cause. Mild side effects can include headaches, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, dizziness, itching, and flatulence in the short term. If you take no more than three 14-day treatment courses in a one-year time period, you should be okay according to FDA recommendations. However, if you are on PPIs for a long time, problems can occur.
Because PPIs block the creation of gastric acids in the stomach, they also essentially block the absorption of minerals into the body. The result? Kidney problems! Other potential problems include dementia, pneumonia, and bone fractures. Yikes.
When people experience heartburn, they usually have “acid reflux,” whereas acidic gastric fluid flows backward into the esophagus, resulting in heartburn. In other words, the acidic fluid is going where it shouldn’t go. Besides PPIs, drug companies make tons of money on antacids (like Tums, Maalox, Rolaids and Mylanta) and H-2 receptor blockers (like Pepcid AC and Zantac). While drugs can cover up the symptom(s), what about a natural way to heal heartburn?
Chiropractic care can help heal your heartburn troubles. A chiropractor, for instance, might treat your hiatal hernia, which is when the top part of your stomach “pops through” your diaphragm. When this happens, the diaphragm muscle pinches the top part of your stomach which can lead to reflux. Your chiropractor can reduce the hiatal hernia and eliminate reflux with hands-on adjustments. Also, there’s the manipulation of the spine. Adjustments can be made to your upper back to “reconnect” the broken nerve supply to the esophagus and stomach, which will help you heal.
Want to get rid of painful, annoying heartburn through chiropractic care? Make an appointment at Lakewoods Chiropractic of Forest Lake, MN, today; call us at 651-464-0800.
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