Acid Reflux not a disease - Acid Reflux / GERD Message Board

neddyflanders · 01-07-2008, 07:47 AM

I've seen commercials calling Acid Reflux a disease. In my opinion that is not true. Acid Reflux is a symptom not a disease. It's like calling a runny nose a disease. If your like me your acid reflux symptoms get really bad when your stomach goes bad. I mean when your constipated, or getting abdominal pains etc. There are a couple causes in my opinion that make acid reflux happen. One, anxiety and stress slow down your digestion, two: your colon fills with gas and expands, putting pressure on your stomach. Therefore acid reflux is not the cause but the effect in my opinion.

If you have read my posts i have been doing much better. I intend to eliminate my acid reflux totally by this summer. I am doing worse then I was right now but it was expected. I had some anxiety and my diet turned to the worse. Acid reflux was expected and thats what I got. I intend to get rid of my reflux by this summer by doing the following:

1) I will double the amount of fiber I eat.
2) No anxiety or major stress at all (tough but you have to do it)
3) Buying treadmill (need to save money up for this one) will work out 30 minutes every day.

I believe if I speed up digestion I can eliminate the reflux like I did 15 years ago when I originally got it (was stressed out then but also playing sports, to old now to play). Also a friend of mine has been reflux free for 6 months now. He started working out but he also has the advantage on me that he works outside with his hands, I sit behind a desk.

Ol'Line Rebel · 01-07-2008, 07:54 AM

I don't like that it seems every doctor is calling all "acid reflux" the DISEASE. There is "acid reflux", and there is "acid-reflux DISEASE" (ARD, aka more pompously as "GERD" still misleading). Just because you have the symptom doesn't mean you have the disease.

I also just don't like the disease name. Seriously, really, it's a symptom of several things - including every-day issues! So if they really think that "ARD"/GERD is because of a poorly working lower esophageal sphincter (LES), shouldn't they call it "LES Disease" or some such, instead of the general symptomatic term of "acid reflux"/"gastroesophageal reflux"?

They should make it CLEAR if they're talking about a mere symptom, or a real condition.

neddyflanders · 01-07-2008, 08:56 AM

Also I think the weakened LES muscle is not true is some cases, especially those who suffer from LPR only. I think the LES muscle works just fine in those with LPR. In my opinion the constant pressure on the stomach forces the LES to open under pressure, the acid is then shot up into the throat where it causes the throat burning (lump in the throat etc.). Remove the pressure, eliminate the LPR. Who with LPR doesn't wake up most mornings with their stomach full of gas, or with stomach pains?