You eat some spicy or fatty foods and, though you enjoyed the meal, you’re paying for it later as heartburn sets in. These occasional bouts of acid reflux are perfectly normal and nothing to be too concerned about.
If, however, you have acid reflux more days than not, you run the risk of developing further problems that range from erosion of your teeth to permanent damage in your esophagus.
To give you a better idea of the potential complications that stem from untreated acid reflux, the team of certified acupuncturists here at Family Wellness Acupuncture pulled together the following information. Not only do we outline some of the risks of letting acid reflux run rampant, we also dive into how acupuncture can help with this common gastrointestinal issue.
The occasional bouts of heartburn to which we referred earlier are caused by gastroesophageal reflux, or GER, and most everyone encounters this issue from time to time. GER occurs when contents from your stomach, especially acids, make their way up into your throat.
When we add the word disease, to GER it becomes GERD, which is an ongoing and chronic condition. Between 18-28% of people in North America have GERD, making it one of the most common gastrointestinal issues.
When you have GERD, some serious complications can develop because of ever-present acids in your esophagus. The lining of your stomach is designed for these acids, but the same can’t be said of the sensitive lining of your throat.
The more GERD goes untreated, the more at risk you are for the following:
Thankfully, through acupuncture, we can help you avoid these complications.
The concept behind acupuncture is to free up the healing energy, or qi, in your body so that all systems function optimally. The idea is that everything is connected in the human body, which is certainly true of your gastrointestinal (GI) system.
For example, many people refer to the stomach as the second brain because part of the human nervous system — the enteric nervous system — is located in your gut. This means that there are direct communication lines between your brain and your GI system, and one can greatly influence the other. For example, this is why people who are under a great deal of stress are also more prone to GI issues.
Through acupuncture, our goal is to clear the lines of energy so that resources flow freely and healthy communication is improved throughout your body.
By accessing certain acupoints, we can establish better GI function, which should help resolve your ongoing problems with GERD.
To prevent the complications that stem from untreated acid reflux, please contact our Irvine, California, office to schedule your acupuncture appointments today.
