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Focus on Mental Health to Reduce Heartburn
Heartburn from acid reflux or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) can seriously interfere with your quality of life. It can make the very thought of eating or drinking a trigger food a source of distress. Going to bed at night can start to become something you dread because you know a burning stomach and chest will be keeping you up for a large chunk of the night. Not only are these symptoms annoying, acid reflux can lead to inflammation in the esophagus which, if left unchecked, can have more concerning consequences.
Acid reflux is often a stubborn thing to manage. It requires tackling the situation from a number of different angles. Mindfulness mediation is one of those angles that is starting to be explored by researchers. While there are multiple promising studies on mindfulness for IBS, research on how mindfulness can improve acid reflux symptoms is still emerging. Hopefully more, larger studies will be coming out in the near future. That being said, there is minimal risk in starting mindfulness meditation, and much to be gained even beyond potential benefits to your reflux symptoms.
A number of studies have found an association between acid reflux symptoms and anxiety. Researchers are proposing that stress and anxiety management should be included into treatment plans for acid reflux. As a naturopathic doctor with a practice that focuses strongly on mental health, I constantly see improvements in digestive symptoms when strategies like mindfulness meditation are prescribed to patients.
But how can stress and anxiety lead to acid reflux? Acid reflux can happen when the barrier between the stomach and the esophagus is not working well enough. The barrier is not doing a good job of staying closed when it should, so acid sloshes back up from the stomach to the esophagus. It’s possible that increased anxiety and stress can interfere with the effectiveness of this barrier. High stress and anxiety could also make you more sensitive to the sensation of acid in the esophagus.
In practice, I encourage all of my patients with these symptoms to practice at least 10 minutes of mindfulness meditation and deep belly breathing daily. I also encourage additional meditation or belly breathing during episodes of heartburn. When combined with other recommendations, adding stress management into the mix may be a key way to get a better handle on heartburn.
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Stress Part 3: Tummy Troubles
This is the third article of my series on stress. To read the previous article click here.
Today I’ll be talking about how stress can lead to an unhappy gut. Have you ever found that when you’re on vacation your tummy troubles improve? There you are eating all the things that normally upset your gut and yet you don’t have any issues. This is a common finding for people who have gut issues that are worsened by stress.
Scientists believe stress can alter the “brain-gut axis”. In other words, psychological stress can influence your gut in many ways. It can impact your gut bacteria, the way your gut moves, inflammation in the gut and more. Read on to learn about how stress can impact gut health.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)
Study after study shows a connection between stress and IBS. When treating IBS or SIBO it’s important to focus on food intolerances and gut bacteria. However, too often stress management is ignored. Patients who focus on reducing stress are able to improve their symptoms much faster.
Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
Some studies suggest that stress can cause or worsen Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Not all studies show this link so more research is needed to confirm this theory. It's thought that stress can increase inflammation and oxidation in the gut. This can trigger these two inflammatory conditions.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD – a.k.a. heartburn)
In a healthy gut, the connection between the esophagus and the stomach is held closed most of the time by a valve. This valve is called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Stress may weaken the LES. This makes it easier for acid from the stomach to splash up into the esophagus. Once acid is in the esophagus you feel that heartburn sensation. Stress also makes you more sensitive to any acid splashing up into your esophagus. This makes the experience more uncomfortable.
Stomach Ulcers
It’s been long known that ulcers are most commonly caused by bacteria called H. Pylori. But that does not mean that the connection between stress and gut ulcers is a myth. Stress can reduce your body’s protection mechanisms against H. Pylori or other agents that harm the stomach lining. Stress may also make it harder for ulcers to heal.
It’s not easy to live with abdominal discomfort. If you feel like you need some help managing your tummy troubles and your stress levels book an appointment or free 15 minute consult.
Common Causes of Fatigue
Fatigue is one of the most common complaints I hear about. When I ask patients to rank their energy on a scale of 1 to 10 most people hover around 5 and would like to see their number go up. Fatigue could be a symptom of a huge range of causes from mild to serious. Today I’ll talk about some of the common causes that I see.
The Basics
Some causes of fatigue are simple to spot on a blood test. Examples are:
- low iron
- hyperthyroidism
- hypothyroidism
- low B12
Another basic cause of fatigue is poor sleep quality. This includes issues falling or staying asleep. This is an area that I like to work on with any fatigued patient.
Hormonal Health
Hormone fluctuations or imbalances can lead to fatigue. Some common examples are thyroid dysfunction, menopause and premenstrual syndrome. Other cases are more subtle. You may have completely irregular cycles or painful cramps but no specific diagnosis. Sometimes getting hormones back in balance can help with fatigue in these cases.
Adrenal Health
Naturopathic doctors talk a lot about a type of fatigue called adrenal fatigue. I like to call it burnout. The adrenal glands produce the "stress hormone" cortisol. The theory is that being stressed and busy all the time can push the adrenals to work too hard. Eventually they get overtired and you feel that as an energy crash. With adrenal fatigue, you feel tired but wide awake at bedtime. You feel irritable, frazzled or depressed. Your gut may be acting up and you may be experiencing cravings and weight gain. You also may find that you get sick all the time – or every time you’re on vacation. There’s more to the theory but I’ll dig into it in a future article.
Gut Health
Poor gut health can contribute to fatigue. This includes diarrhea, constipation, bloating, heartburn or anything else that involves the gut. A healthy gut means better nutrient absorption. It also means better elimination of toxins and waste products and improved vitality. Food sensitivities and poor diet have also been linked to fatigue.
Immune Health
Most autoimmune conditions are associated with fatigue. Some common examples are rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto's disease and Graves' disease. Hyperactive immune systems (think allergies and asthma) can also be associated with fatigue. Balancing the immune system is an important part of my treatment plan in these cases.
Mental Health
A less commonly discussed cause of fatigue is mental health conditions. Depression and even anxiety can significantly zap someone of their energy. It's important to address these causes of fatigue when needed. Treating these can improve fatigue more than any quick-fix energy boosting supplement could.
Fatigue is frustrating and getting a handle on it can improve your quality of life in so many ways. If you need help with your fatigue book an appointment or free 15-minute consult today.
What does it mean to treat the “root cause”?
Treating the root cause is a phrase that many people in the holistic health community use. It can be used so much that we lose track of the meaning. Basically, treating the root cause means treating the cause of the symptoms. The opposite to this is just treating the symptoms. Even this explanation can seem like empty words that are hard to understand. I think the best way to explain this concept is through examples. Below I discuss three examples. I explain how you would treat the symptoms of a condition vs. how you would treat the root cause.
In the holistic health world, treating the root cause is praised highly. Treating symptoms is often frowned upon. A tree in a garden benefits from having both roots and branches tended too. Similarly, good health care should involve treating both root causes and symptoms. As a naturopath, my approach is to address both using gentle and natural remedies.
Case 1: Acne
Treating the symptoms:
- Applying antibiotics or antimicrobial products to the skin
- Taking antibiotics or antimicrobial pills
- Medications like Accutane which alters the skin to reduce acne
Treating the root cause:
Addressing why the skin is vulnerable to being infected by acne causing bacteria.
- Balance hormones like androgens, estrogen, stress hormones etc.
- Improve gut health and detoxification
- Balance blood sugar
- Consider food sensitivities and dietary changes
- Reduce inflammation
Case 2: Arthritis
Treating the symptoms:
- Taking anti-inflammatory medications or supplements
- Applying anti-inflammatory medications or natural products to the painful area
Treating the root cause:
Treat what is causing the inflammation and poor joint health.
- Balancing the immune system
- Addressing diet for inflammation and joint health
- Improving joint health with minerals and other supplements
- Addressing structural issues through physiotherapy, chiropractic care, massage etc.
- Reducing toxic load
Case 3: Digestive Problems (Constipation, Diarrhea, Heartburn, Crohn’s etc.)
Treating the symptoms:
- Laxatives, drugs to stop diarrhea
- Drugs to reduce stomach acid
- Anti-inflammatory medications or supplements
Treating the root cause:
Treating what is causing the bowel issues.
- Considering food sensitivities and diet
- Healing the gut lining and improving gut health
- Addressing mental health
- Balancing the immune system
- Improving the way that the intestines and “valves” in the digestive tract open/ close/ move
Do you want to learn more about how naturopathic medicine can treat the root causes of your condition? Book an appointment or free 15-min consult. This also applies to you even if you’re taking conventional medications. Conventional and naturopathic medicine can work well together to treat “roots” and “branches”.