HEARTBURN and Common Sense

The American College of Gastroenterology states that 15 million people everyday in the USA experience Heartburn.

It is estimated that One in Five in the UK suffer with Heartburn.

Heartburn is increasing rapidly – over 50% in the last ten years.

Acid reflux is one of the top health related Internet search queries.

According to my Pharmacist “everyone takes heartburn medicine, it is so normal”.

These simple facts tell us that Heartburn is a serious issue in our modern world.

Most of us have experienced heartburn and it is after we have eaten. We feel a burning sensation in our chest and throat area.

We do not like the feeling so –

  • We want a solution
  • We want to fix this problem
  • We want the symptom to go away
  • We want a prevention strategy
  • We want management of this condition
  • We want instant relief
  • We want to ignore what our body is telling us

What is Heartburn in simple language?

  • We eat something that our body does not want
  • We irritate the natural digestion process
  • Our body reacts by saying No
  • The stomach acid comes up the canal
  • We feel the acid burning towards our chest
  • It hurts and we don’t like it

Could it be possible that our Heart does not want us to harm our body and literally burn it inside with the acid that our stomach produces which is part of our natural digestion process?

Could it be possible that our lifestyle and diet is un-natural in the western world and that is why heartburn is so common?

Google tells us that ‘lifestyle measures may have preventative benefit for heartburn”.

So if we put our common sense hat on, could it be that simple that all we need is to be aware of what we are choosing to put into our mouth?

Common sense Simple Living Medicine for Heartburn –

  • First get medical help. Heartburn can be a sign of a more serious health condition.
  • If prescribed medication to relieve the symptoms of heartburn, read the side effects of the medication
  • Next – put your common sense hat on:
  • Stop and make a note of what you have been eating
  • Be open to what maybe causing the heartburn
  • Trust your first feeling
  • Make a choice to remove the food from your diet and see if anything changes
  • Look at the time you are eating
  • Be honest about your stress levels
  • Get real about how much or little water you are drinking
  • Look at the exercise you are doing before or after eating
  • Be aware that if you have obesity, it may be a factor to consider
  • Check how often you get heartburn
  • Start to take Responsibility and introduce simple changes

I am no medical academic or professional but I know common sense Simple Living Medicine has a place alongside conventional medicine and it has clearly worked for me and all those I support.

Making lifestyle changes that do not harm our body saves us further pain down the road in life.

Taking deep care of our body means we are no longer a drain to our medical system, which is currently under huge pressure due to the rise in illness and disease.

References

Hope, J. (2011, December 22). Cancer Fears as Fatty Diets Trigger 50% Surge in Heartburn in Just a Decade. Mail Online. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2077317/Cancer-fears-fatty-diets-trigger-50-surge-acid-reflux-just-decade.html

MacGill, M. (2015, July 22). Acid Reflux: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments. Medical News Today. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/146619.php

 

 

 

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Comments 20

  1. These are really good, simple and practical hints you give. I like the term ‘heartburn’ in English language, in German it is a bit different – it is derived form the word ‘Sod’ wich means seethe or boil. So it is the burning coming from something which seethes. But ‘Heartburn’ includes a wider perspective. I for example get heartburn when I can’t ‘digest ‘ or accept certain issues in my life. They just make my stomach burn.

    1. You make a great point here Sonja about your example of heartburn when you cannot ‘digest or accept certain issues’. This is interesting and deserves to be explored further.
      Think about it – heartburn is a big deal for many and the statistics are showing how how common it actually is. Could it be possible that there are things in our life that we cannot digest so to speak and/or accept and this has an effect on us inside and in this case our stomach, as it cannot assimilate naturally so it rejects it and it comes up the wrong way. It is supposed to go down to the next part which is the intestines which can handle the stomach acid but when it travels the wrong way – up the oesophagus which is delicate the acid from the stomach burns us and we feel it.
      Could it also be possible that our lack of acceptance of maybe ourself, our situation, our life or others makes us eat foods to bury these feelings and these foods are rejected by the stomach? Possible?

  2. I see adverts in the media and on billboards for indigestion tablets – that say – ‘on the move… keep going… just pop a pill’… without asking us to consider why we might be getting heart burn or digestive problems. I know when I over eat, eat in a rush, or don’t eat foods that support me I can get a reaction in my body – the body is simple really as it shows us what is going on at any given time, and when we listen we can learn a lot and make changes which is deeply empowering.

    1. You are right Jane – lets keep going and lets us not stop and ask why.
      My husband used to have his heartburn tablets next to his bedside every day. Gosh to not once question why is quite weird but you don’t. You get a remedy, something that is going to fix the choice you just made to eat a curry at midnight after downing two bottles of wine and the rest and wonder why you got indigestion and heartburn. He was morbidly obese and I was a little heffer too. I would ignore heartburn and go back the next day and trash my body again and again until one day I had to stop. Things got ugly and that is the first time I asked what is going on and why.
      Today I never ever eat late and I feel the consequences of what I eat instantly. There really is no getting away with it. I reckon we all feel it but it takes some awareness and connection to our body and if we keep distracting and numbing ourself then we are not going to get to feel what our body is actually communicating.

  3. Love the common sense. We all have some but why dont we use more of it?

    One reason could be our willingness to hide;
    I have always found it astounding that McDonalds can advertise simply by posting a statement of ‘how many Billions served’ on a bill board… I ask, how does that make us want to eat McDonalds food?! I realize that it is the psychology that the bigger the number of people doing something the easier it is to ‘hide’ in that group; that is to say, we find it more comfortable ‘rationalizing doing something in blatant opposition to wisdom which is felt and known, when lots of others are doing it too…

    ..so I know we CAN we observe cause and affect in growing issues from heart burn to cancer in ourselves and in society and consciously make a choice to do something different… and it starts with me.

  4. Common sense works and will stand the test of time if you know what I mean.
    Thank you Jo for your contribution here which of course makes sense. The bit that really sticks out is when you say ‘we find it more comfortable’ when we do something that we know and can feel is not the truth but the mass are doing it so somehow it makes it ok.
    Eating late and the wrong foods with alcohol is a recipe for heartburn but did it stop me – not really. Looking back now, my partner had those pills for heartburn next to the bedside so how crazy was that. Eat and drink what your body is saying NO thanks mate and then suffer the consequences but have a solution, a remedy right there next to your bed so you can get some sleep and forget about the stinging coming up your chest everyday. That was not common sense, that was ignoring what the body was feeling, overriding that feeling and finding a way to function and at what cost?
    Our bodies are really and truly amazing vehicles that get us from A to B and it breaks down when we do things that hurt it everyday. We then want the GP, consultant, medic or whoever to fix it and make it go away as we hate pain. Where is the common sense in that ? Hello ?

  5. Top blog Bina and one that I could certainly relate to. I used to have a bottle of indigestion tablets on my night table and would constantly eat them. The fact that they looked and tasted like sweets, with their various colours and flavours, made it easier to treat them as sweets. Not once did I think to look at what was causing my indigestion in the first place because that would then make me have to take responsibility for what I was putting into my body and I wasnt prepared to give up the alcohol, the dairy, the sugar, the caffeine, the late night chinese, curry or kebab. Now that I am taking responsibility for what I put into my body, these days I no longer need indigestion tablets and if I do eat something that I shouldnt my body lets me know in no uncertain terms which then gives me the opportunity to make a choice the next time I am presented with eating foods that I know are not quite right for me.

    1. Top blog indeed Tim – I have to agree.
      Interesting what you say about these ‘remedies’ looking like sweets and so it felt more like a ‘treat’ and not anything more. Is it any wonder this acid reflux stuff is on the rise. Like many you say ‘not once did I think to look at what was causing my indigestion in the first place’ and you go on to say it is because it would make you ‘take responsibility’ for what you were choosing to eat.
      Its that r word again – RESPONSIBILITY.
      We all want to get away with things, then when it hurts or comes up – pun intended in this case, up the pipe and it stings us, we want a solution, a quick fix but never do we want to stop and say ‘why is this going on, what am I doing that my body is clearly rejecting?’
      We just don’t stop and think like that or ever talk like that but its high time.
      We have the answers to what our body is asking and telling us and it is our Responsibility and not the medics or the pharmacy to sort us out.

  6. Why on earth do we do something that is harmful to our body?
    Why is it that we spend little or no time truly respecting our body?
    Why do we think it is ok to override what we can feel is hurting us?
    Why do we consistently attack our bodies and not stop and ask why we do it?
    Why are we offered solutions that are simply band aids to a bullet wound?
    Why do we accept what another is saying when we know better?
    Why is that we have no time to stop and ask the WHY questions?

  7. How simple it is if we include a dose of common sense to our life. 50% increase in Heartburn cases in the last 10 years, that’s some increase. In applying a common sense approach as you have listed, along with the medical support, asking these questions and just stopping for a moment to see how the body feels, what a marked impact this could have on these growing statics. I have not had heartburn but from making observations and changes like you have listed my digestion has certainly improved hugely along with my energy levels.

    1. The simple statistic about Heartburn has increased by 50% in the last ten years is itself a wake up call for the whole world.
      We can honestly say that our lifestyle choices need to be looked at more closely instead of buying huge tubs of heartburn tablets that look like candy sweets.
      I was recently in USA and was surprised to see how big the container was.
      What is this really saying to us?
      What is it telling us?
      WHY are our drug companies making large quantities?
      Does this truly help us in the long run?
      Is this just another band aid solution to help us not get to the root issue?
      Are these the types of questions we all need to be asking now?

  8. That’s a great idea, to experiment with what triggers and does not trigger heartburn, instead of popping the pill on autopilot. To start there and see what happens. Just the first step. Just the possibility that YOU CAN influence what is happening to your body once you are prepared to take a real look.

    1. Great comment JS about ‘popping the pill on autopilot’. How convenient, simple and easy it is. I know of many who have a stock pile of these coloured looking sweets right next to their bedside.
      Take the pill, suppress the symptom and lets get some sleep so we can do it all over again the next day.
      What does it take for us to make a real change?
      Do we care enough to cherish and value our human vehicle that cops all our choices?

  9. New research has found that there is a link between the use of PPI medication which is commonly prescribed for heartburn and an increased risk of ischemic stroke. The risk is an increase of 21%. PPI medication includes the following – Omeprazole (Prilosec), Lansoprazole (Prevacid), Esomeprazole (Nexium) and Pantoprazole (Protonix). Lansoprazole showed an increased risk of ischemic stroke of 94%.

    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/314145.php

    Clearly this study is letting us know that there are serious safety concerns linked with using these medications to treat heartburn. In Truth medication alone is not the answer, but instead our lifestyle choices play a major role and is also a form of medicine. Really considering the points raised in this blog and taking action accordingly can lead to a richer way of life for many more people and dramatically reduce the risk of developing life threatening illness and disease.

  10. I work as a health professional and I certainly can confirm what your pharmacist says which is that most people are on heart burn medications. Often when we do not accept what is going on in our life we have issues with our stomach and to me heartburn is a great example of how our body is constantly asking us to get more honest about our daily choices.

  11. https://consumer.healthday.com/gastrointestinal-information-15/heartburn-gerd-and-indigestion-news-369/heartburn-drugs-may-raise-risk-of-stomach-infections-study-718433.html

    Hot news

    A study published 5 January 2017 in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology – People who take heartburn drugs may be at increased risk of two potentially serious gut infections.
    The study was carried out with over half million adults.

    Common sense tells us that drugs are designed to do the job, so it is no surprise that certain drugs mentioned suppress stomach acid production.

    So trying to forcibly put an end to our heartburn and blocking the symptoms is not as simple as we would like it to be.

    Our stomach has a job to do and acid production is a natural part of the process. What this blog is presenting is WHY are we not asking questions how we got heartburn in the first place.
    If acid is coming up and doing something in reverse to its natural way then something must be wrong. Do we agree?
    Could it be possible we are Responsible for why this is happening to us?
    Could it be possible that heartburn is caused because of something we are ingesting and our body is saying “No thanks mate, this is not for us – I cannot process this”.
    Could it be possible that reaching for the coloured yummy sweet like tablets that tell us heartburn just disappears suits our lifestyle?
    Could it be possible we are not interested in why we get heartburn as long as we can eat and drink whatever we want?
    Could it be possible we are comfortable with taking pills as it seems everyone does, so it is normal?
    Could it be possible that no amount of research is going to tell us the root cause of acid reflux as the answer is inside us?

  12. I tend to have people telling me around January time that they have had a lot of heartburn and the first thing I say is have you been indulging this festive season of thanksgiving, christmas and new year.
    The other thing is we cannot use a calendar date to give us permission to go nuts with our indulging behaviour with food and alcohol.

    In the past, me and my husband saw this end of year thing as a licence to let rip and just keep eating. The heartburn coloured sweets were next to the bedside table so it done the job and gave us the permission to carry on with our ill behaviour.

    Thank God we met this man called Serge Benhayon and attended some valuable presentations over 11 years ago, which got us back on track to true health and well being and we have never looked back and neither of us have ever had heartburn and it is no longer on our radar. Fact.

    1. Perhaps how fast we eat is worth considering, with so much on the go food available as we go about our busy lives and not sitting taking time at a meal. Chewing is an important part of the digestive process as it breaks down the larger proteins to smaller ones making it easier for the stomach to do it’s job, not chewing enough can also contribute to heartburn. When we are rushed or already thinking of what the next thing to do is whilst were eating do we chew our food properly and enough to support our digestive system, I know when I rushed a meal, even if it was a small one, I would feel the impact it had on my digestion, the extra work it had to do and feeling of discomfort in my stomach and a tiredness that went with it. Taking time at meals and chewing adequately.. simple choices make big changes.

  13. DDW2022 | Digestive Disease Week – 18 May 2022

    https://ddw.org/2022/05/18/alarming-rise-found-in-esophageal-cancer-and-barretts-esophagus-in-middle-aged-adults/

    Alarming rise found in Esophageal cancer and Barretts Esophagus in middle-aged adults.

    Adults aged 45 to 64 experienced a nearly doubled rate of Esophageal cancer and a 50% increase in the precancerous condition Barrett’s Esophagus between 2012 and 2019, according to a database analysis of 5 million patients.

    Esophageal cancer and Barrett’s Esophagus are most commonly found in elderly white males and the study found the highest incidence continues to be among those over age 65.

    Researchers found that the cancer rate nearly doubled in the 45 to 64 age group.

    Oesophageal cancer, which is usually detected by endoscopy is often a silent killer with minimal symptoms until it becomes advance. Barrett’s Esophagus – the primary precursor lesion for Esophageal Adenocarcinoma, which begins in the glandular cells in the lining of the esophagus – is caused mainly by chronic acid reflux. Other risk factors include advanced age, male sex, obesity, smoking and alcohol consumption.

    The study is to be presented at Digestive Disease Week 2022.

    DDW – Digestive Disease Week is the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.

    Note – it is rare for Simple Living Global to post the same news link on a comment as we are certainly not short of content. However, it serves to have this particular news story mentioned on both our blogs – Cancer and Heartburn.

    Dear World

    This blog is called HEARTBURN and Common Sense and it would be a wise move to have another read and then the comments posted thereafter.
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/heartburn-and-common-sense/

    Next –

    We have our world’s top physicians, researchers and other academics specialising in the field of everything related to Digestive Disease coming together with over 3,100 abstracts to showcase and hundreds of lectures on the latest advances in GI research, medicine and technology.

    With due respect to all they offer and do for us, is there something we could be questioning and reflecting on…?

    This news story tells us about the rise in a certain age group and the link with Esophageal cancer. We are then informed that it is mainly caused by chronic acid reflux. Then we are told other risk factors include obesity, smoking and alcohol consumption in older men.

    The NIH – National Library of Medicine says that this type of cancer is the fastest growing in the Western world AND is associated with the proliferation of obesity.
    Adenocarcinoma has been rising by 6-fold annually and is now becoming the fastest growing cancer in the United States.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3516225/

    Hello – can we simply wake up and just join the dots and apply some good old fashion common sense here?

    Heart Burn – could we start with that?
    The 2 words tell us the heart is burning and this in itself, could be our first sign.
    We can be certain that when we have the symptoms of heartburn, our delicate heart muscle is disturbed.

    Our lifestyle choices lead to obesity in the majority of cases and we know that. This means we have a hand in WHY we end up with this dis-ease in our body.

    If we know (because we do know) that obesity, alcohol and smoking are killing us then why do we not have a World AGM with the questions WHY and HOW and call in the experts in every field to help us get to the root cause?

    If we want to continue finding solutions and ways to avoid digging deeper then we can expect more cases, as we are simply not addressing WHY we get to the point where we have this dis-ease.

    Something is not right if we keep hearing of a rise in illness and dis-ease and we have the intelligence to build skyscrapers and innovate new technology and travel to outer space and yet we cannot nail the diseases that the human body is facing right now.

    WHY are we putting emphasis on the solutions rather than getting to the root cause, nailing it and evolving out of diseases in the human frame instead of developing even more illness and dis-ease?

    AND just incase we are not yet all aware of this fact – we now have the multi symptomatic man and that means one person has more than one disease. For example, Heartburn and High blood pressure along with High Cholesterol and Diabetes. This is our new normal and we seem to just accept it, take the medication and continue our lifestyle choices and never stop long enough to question WHY we have so many things not right in our body.

    How about we take these questions to the annual AGM of every specialist, physician and the academic world that runs the show when it comes to illness and disease?

    If they need a common sense speaker that has not had any illness or dis-ease for 14 years and is now age 60, then contact the author of this comment, this blog and this website.

  14. American Academy of Neurology – 9 August 2023

    https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/Home/PressRelease/5107

    Long term use of certain acid reflux drugs have been linked to higher risk of Dementia.

    According to a new research study, people who take acid reflux medications called proton pump inhibitors for 4.5 years or more may have a higher risk of Dementia compared to people who do not take these medications.

    “Proton pump inhibitors are a useful tool to help control acid reflux. However, long-term use has been linked in previous studies to a higher risk of stroke, bone fractures and chronic kidney disease. Still some people take these drugs regularly.
    We did find a higher risk of Dementia associated with long-term use of these drugs.”
    Study Author – Kamakshi Lakshminarayan MBBS PhD – University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis.

    Dear World

    While we wait for more research to confirm the findings and explore the possible link from this study, would it be wise to ask how and WHY we develop acid reflux in the first place?

    From a very basic 101 common sense approach – does it have something to do with what we are choosing to ingest that is part of our lifestyle choices?

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