Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Your antacid may be doing more harm than good

acid-reflux-heartburn-antacids

No one can be blamed for wanting relief, especially when acid reflux makes it feel like molten lava is shooting up through your esophagus. Antacids can bring quick relief, but their long-term use can also bring lasting problems. It’s better to identify and address the underlying causes of acid reflux than simply to squelch the symptoms.

Acid reflux occurs when the contents of the stomach backwash into the esophagus. These contents can include stomach acid, bile, food, or sour liquid. Although the lining of the stomach is designed to handle such an acidic environment, the more delicate tissue of the esophagus is not. As a result, symptoms include indigestion, a burning sensation in the chest (heartburn), and tasting regurgitated food or liquid in the back of your mouth.

Many factors can cause acid reflux, including overeating, obesity, or the types of foods you eat. Spicy foods, fried foods, coffee, chocolate, and citrus are frequently cited as triggering acid reflux. When the reflux becomes constant, it’s worth exploring some of the common underlying conditions.

Possible underlying causes of acid reflux

H. pylori overgrowth: An H. pylori infection occurs in the stomach and is the most common chronic bacterial infection, affecting more than 50 percent of the world’s population. An H. pylori infection may promote acid reflux by decreasing stomach acid. Although acid reflux is associated with too much acidity, the truth is in many cases too little stomach acid causes acid reflux, which I’ll explain in the next paragraph.

Too little stomach acid: Sufficient stomach acid is necessary to break down dietary proteins, ensure absorption of vital nutrients and minerals, and protect the digestive tract from harmful bacteria. It’s believed that low stomach acid, or hypochlorhydria, results in improperly digested food lingering too long in the stomach. Eventually it backwashes into the esophagus, and although the contents are not acidic enough for the stomach, they are too acidic for the delicate esophageal tissue. Factors that cause too little stomach acid include an H. pylori infection, a nutrient-poor diet, stress, and antacid medications.

Gluten: If you eat gluten, it could be a culprit in your acid reflux. One study found chronic acid reflux affected 30 percent of patients with celiac disease compared to less than 5 percent of those not diagnosed with the disease. Another study found almost 40 percent of children with celiac disease suffer from esophagitis, inflammation of the esophagus that causes heartburn.

Acid reflux usually just one of many digestive symptoms

Acid reflux is often just one of many digestive symptoms that can result from poor digestion, food intolerances, chronic stress, gut infections, and other factors. In fact, one study showed that participants with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were nearly twice as likely as non IBS participants to suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a chronic, advanced form of acid reflux. Conversely, another study found a majority of participants with GERD also suffered from IBS.

Although antacids can bring temporarily relief, they may also worsen your acid reflux problem in the long run. Ultimately, antacids reduce stomach acid, hinder digestion, and inhibit nutrient absorption. In addition, antacids are shown to weaken bones and increase the risk of food poisoning.

For natural ways to relieve your acid reflux, please contact my office.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Meet the Doctors at RedRiver


Dr. Joshua J. Redd


Dr. Joshua J. Redd, Chiropractic Physician, is nationally recognized for his Hashimotos’s Low Thyroid and Autoimmune programs. He is highly trained and experienced in managing physiological and endocrine imbalances. He is helping patients from across the United States and other countries who are suffering from immune, endocrine and neurological disorders by providing a scientific and evidence based alternative medicine approach for patients who are suffering from these challenging chronic conditions.

Dr. Redd has a Bachelors of Science in Health and Wellness along with a Bachelors of Science in Anatomy. He is a Doctor of Chiropractic from Parker University. After chiropractic school, Dr. Redd became Certified in Functional Medicine and earned a Diplomat from the American Board of Functional Medicine. He is Certified from Bridgeport University in the following areas:  Mastering Functional Blood Chemistry, Functional Blood Chemistry Analysis, and Mastering the Thyroid. He is also Certified  from the American Board of Functional Medicine in the following areas:  Functional Immunology and Functional Gastroenterology.

Dr. Redd received numerous academic and athletic scholarships and awards during his undergraduate programs. He maintained a 3.9 GPA while playing on Dixie State College’s football team. He has over 100 specialty hours specific to Low Thyroid and Hashimoto’s Disease, and over 400 hours of post graduate schooling.

In the Salt Lake City area, Dr. Redd was responsible for hiring the medical staff for the Utah Blaze arena football team in 2010, and in 2012 he was selected to be on a panel of doctors for the First Lady of Utah’s Conference. He is a board member for the B-Strong Foundation and is also a health expert for ABC4 Healthy Utah. He teaches a religious studies group weekly at the State Prison in the Women’s section, where he has taught for the past two years. Dr. Redd has devoted a large part of his life to service in the community and his church. He continues to give back to the community by working with qualified patients through his pro-bono programs, where he has helped over 100 people manage their conditions.

“One of the most gratifying things in my life is having a patient go from zero good days in a month to 25 good days in a month by teaching him/her the tools necessary to stay healthy.”  - Dr. Joshua Redd

Dr. J. Brinton Anderson
Dr. Andersen was born and raised in Anchorage Alaska. His family moved to Moses Lake, Washington, where he graduated from Moses Lake High School. After graduation he served a full time mission in South Korea for his church.  He attended BYU, where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science, and then Southern California University of Health Sciences, where he received his Doctor of Chiropractic.
Growing up he played basketball, baseball, and tennis. Initially his desire was to be involved in sports medicine. However, after learning about the possibilities and need of patients with chronic and autoimmune conditions, he turned his interest to functional medicine.
He married his wife, Cheralyn, in 2011. His interests involve fishing, hiking, and being active. He is excited to be with RedRiver Health and Wellness Center and loves being a part in helping our patients reach their health goals.

 

Dr. Samuel Gage




Dr. Samuel Gage grew up in Rexburg Idaho.  He attended BYU-Idaho and Southern California University of Health Sciences, where he graduated as the Valedictorian of his Chiropractic class.  Dr. Gage has a wide variety of specialty training, from golf injuries to IV nutrition and injection therapy, along with functional medicine.  He and his wife have been married for almost 7 years and have a baby girl. In his spare time Dr Gage enjoys hunting, fishing, camping, golfing, and spending time with his family.
 
“I love to get people feeling better.  Helping people overcome chronic, difficult to treat conditions is very rewarding.  I have so much fun that I hardly consider this work.”
-        Dr. Samuel Gage

Dr. Michael Gadway




Dr. Michael Gadway MS, DC joins the RedRiver Health and Wellness centers having spent the past 20 years studying and practicing the science of natural health. A graduate of St. Lawrence University, he went on to earn his Master’s degree in Natural Health. After working in the health field for 10 years, while he and his wife raised six boys, he went back to school and became a Chiropractic Physician. While at the University of Western States, he specialized in physiological and diagnostic medicine. Since graduation he has been working towards his Diplomate in Functional Medicine.
 

Dr. Jeremy Swindlehurst




Dr. Jeremy Swindlehurst  grew up in Washington County, Utah and completed his undergraduate work at Dixie State College.  He continued his education at Parker College of Chiropractic where he earned a Bachelors of Science in Anatomy, a Bachelors of Science in Health and Wellness, and a Doctorate of Chiropractic.  His clinical rotation was done at the V.A. Hospital in Dallas, Texas.
Dr. Swindlehurst has continued his education by specializing in Disorders of the Endocrine System. He also has a Certification in Chiropractic Clinical Neurology. 
He has been married since 2005 to his wife, Lyndsey, and they have two children.  He enjoys fishing, camping, boating, playing basketball, and spending time with his family.