In agony from chronic acid reflux?
MICHAEL Wong, 55, has been suffering symptoms of heartburn for about a year.
Late one evening, Michael started feeling tightness in his chest. He thought he was having a heart attack, which caused him to be even more anxious. His wife rushed him to hospital where doctors found that it wasn’t a heart attack but a chronic form of acid reflux known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Given acid-blocking pills to help relief the symptoms, Michael has come to depend on them.
Heartburn happens when the acidic contents of the stomach rises up into the oesophagus, causing pain in the chest area – stomach acid is as corrosive as a car’s battery acid.
Acid reflux occurs because the lower oesophageal spincter that acts as a gateway between the oesophagus and the stomach weakens, which then allows acid to escape from the stomach. Chronic heartburn can lead to a condition called GERD, a more serious form of heartburn, which increases the risk of oesophageal cancer.
Heartburn and GERD are treated with medications that control acid, the most common being a class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs).
Unknown to many however, the suppression of acid production in the stomach severely compromises two major processes in the body – digestion and defences – leading to a myriad of side effects now attributed to long-term use.
In 2010, The Journal of the American Medical Association stated, “...for most patients the adverse effects of PPIs outweigh the benefits. Reducing the unnecessary use of these medications will require action by both physicians and patients.”
In 2016, the Malaysian Ministry of Health issued a directive for healthcare professionals to be extra cautious of long-term PPI use. Current guidelines recommend only four to six weeks. In reality however, patients continue PPIs indefinitely as symptoms tend to recur when they are stopped.
Alternative pine therapy
The conifer green needle complex, Bioeffective A is the result of an extensive botanical research programme spanning over 80 years. A 2016 study published in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine showed that patients treated with Bioeffective A experienced 92% improvement in dyspeptic symptoms (GERD), including improvement of symptoms such as gastritis, gas and bowel disorders. Not only that, Bioeffective A’s antiinflammatory actions also resulted in normalisation of stomach functionality besides a reduction in pre-cancerous lesions.
This article is brought to you by the Nuvaceuticals Division of Nuvanta Sdn Bhd.
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