How Chinese medicine treats gastroesophageal reflux?

How Chinese medicine treats gastroesophageal reflux?

After a meal, vomiting acid, and burning chest, more and more people suffer from gastroesophageal reflux. Traditional Chinese medicine has concluded that there are four significant types of gastroesophageal reflux. So come and see what is causing your heartburn!

After eating, there was a burst of vomiting and soreness, which made my chest burning and uncomfortable; I couldn’t sleep well in the middle of the night, and my mouth felt sore and bitter in the morning. These are all signs of gastroesophageal reflux.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the dysfunction of the lower esophageal sphincter causing gastric reflux, causing esophageal mucosal damage, and chronic symptoms.

The lower esophageal sphincter connecting the esophagus and the stomach is usually closed. However, if the lower esophageal sphincter cannot be closed tightly, the air, food, and stomach acid in the stomach will run-up to the esophagus. The stomach acid will stimulate the esophagus, causing the patient to be choked, and there will be a burning sensation from the neck to the lower chest. They are commonly known as “heartburn.”

According to the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) estimates, about 33% of Americans often have gastroesophageal reflux. In addition, the Gastrointestinal Society of Canada found that nearly a quarter of Canadians suffer from this disease daily or often.

People work under high pressure and have abnormal meals. The phenomenon of gastroesophageal reflux is becoming more and more common, which not only affects the quality of life but may seriously cause the esophagus to be over-stimulated by gastric acid, causing esophageal lesions and even esophageal cancer.

Many people take stomach medicine, or the hospital for endoscopy, take antacids, but there are still many patients with recurrence after withdrawal; and long-term use may cause diarrhea, constipation or calcium, iron loss, and other side effects.

The advantage of Chinese medicine treatment is that it can reduce the side effects of taking western medicine. In addition to suppressing stomach acid and alleviating discomfort, it also regulates liver qi, relieves patients’ emotions, and relieves stress. In addition, according to the patient’s physique and condition, we can find the real cause and cured symptoms simultaneously, which is helpful for the patient to cure gastroesophageal reflux.

The following four types are all believed to cause gastroesophageal reflux from the perspective of TCM.

Type 1: anxious personality, eating while working

Among the outpatients with gastroesophageal reflux disease, the most common cause is mental and emotional. Most of these patients have a more anxious personality and strive for perfection.

Excessive pressure and emotional tension can easily lead to liver qi stagnation and consequently cause spleen and stomach problems.

The stomach is an organ that can reflect emotions. The autonomic nerve of the human body will affect gastrointestinal motility. If the sympathetic nerve in the autonomic nerve is excited, the gastrointestinal motility will slow down when the person is in a state of tension, which will affect digestion.

This type of person usually eats under tight conditions. Whether they are eating while dealing with things or lacking rest after a meal, excessive stress will cause liver qi stagnation and irritability. At this time, the food that enters the stomach will be depressed. If the lower conveying capacity becomes deficient, it is easy to cause gastroesophageal reflux.

This condition is also what Chinese medicine calls “disorder of the liver and stomach” and lowering the balance of the stomach. At this time, it is necessary to “relieve the liver and the stomach.” Adjust the stomach and liver qi together to solve the problem.

Traditional Chinese medicine conditioning: soothing the liver and regulating qi, concentrate on eating

Calcined corrugated seeds, cuttlefish bones, and oysters in Chinese medicine can inhibit gastric acid and relieve the discomfort caused by vomiting and heartache. In addition, it has effects as western medicine- antacids.

In addition, you can add bergamot, yan hu suo, and ​Chuan Lian Zi to soothe the liver, regulate the qi, dredge the liver qi, and calm the mood. You can also add ochre, inula, and stomach lowering so that that stomach qi can go down smoothly.

In prescribe herbal formulas, we will also understand the causes of patients’ stress and encourage them to find ways to relieve stress, slow down their pace of life, and avoid all the time in a state of tension.

When eating, concentrate on eating and avoid multitasking so that the stomach can digest and absorb slowly. We recommended resting after eating a full meal, whether it is a nap or a walk. A relaxed state of mind and body will help digestion of the stomach.

Type 2: What to eat and the mealtime is wrong

People have poor eating habits, often skipping breakfast and having a hearty meal for dinner. And three meals are not fixed in time, and the diet is primarily high-fat, spicy, and sweet, causing gastric acid secretion disorders and increasing the digestive burden on the stomach.

In traditional Chinese medicine, it is called “dietary irregularity.” High-fat food, sweets, and fried foods take a long time to digest, leading to a longer time for gastric emptying. As a result, food and gastric acid stay in the stomach for more time, leading to food retain in the stomach, which will affect the tension of the lower esophageal sphincter and easily reflux acid.

Suppose you overeat irritating food, such as spicy food, alcohol, or smoking. In that case, it will also stimulate the secretion of gastric acid and affect the tension of the lower esophageal sphincter. As a result, you will be prone to vomiting acid and feel sour in your mouth.

Bile is responsible for digesting oily food. If it is too oily, it will stimulate excessive bile secretion, which will affect stomach acid. Some patients will feel bitter in the mouth, which is related to bile secretion.

 Herbs: Shenqu, Hawthorn, Malt, and Jineijin all effective on digestion and stagnation.

In daily health care, you should pay attention to chewing. Saliva can help break down food. When swallowed, the food is not chewed sufficiently, which will increase the digestive burden on the stomach. The above-mentioned indigestible foods should also eat less. Grapefruit, tomato, grapefruit, or pineapple, which are easy to stimulate stomach acid, should also be avoided.

Consume foods such as fungus, okra, lotus root powder, and yam to help form mucous membranes in the gastrointestinal tract and reduce the cytopathic effects that may be caused by gastric acid stimulation.

The principle of meals should be seven points total, and dinner should be as light as possible. Don’t eat at least two hours before going to bed to avoid lying down before the stomach is digested, which will quickly cause acid reflux. You must maintain a sense of regularity and rhythm when you eat.

Type 3: Long-term constipation

Constipation is also one of the causes of gastroesophageal reflux during the consultation. The human stomach is like water, as pipes. When pipes are blocked, food will up well. Because of this, when the patient suffers from constipation and constipation, the intestines cannot be emptied, and it will squeeze upwards into the stomach, causing food to rush upwards quickly.

TCM conditioning: exercise is an excellent way to solve constipation and obesity at the same time.

For people with constipation, gastroesophageal reflux is not easy to get better if constipation is not resolved. Therefore, according to positive constipation, Qi deficiency constipation, and blood deficiency constipation, Maziren Wan, Huangqi, and Runchang Wan will add for simultaneous treatment.

Currently, studies have confirmed that people with a BMI of more than 30 are twice as likely to have gastroesophageal reflux as ordinary people.” Therefore, the treatment will be combined with Fangfengtongsheng San, Wuling San, and other formulas.

Obesity will increase abdominal pressure and affect the contraction of the lower esophageal sphincter. Therefore, gastroesophageal reflux is prone to occur.

Some office workers like to wear a belt, wear tights, and often sit for a long time. Unfortunately, they will also compress the stomach, affect the stomach’s digestion, and easily cause gastroesophageal reflux. Avoid this type of clothing as much as possible.

Both Chinese and Western medicine said exercise is one of the fundamental ways to promote gastrointestinal motility and solve constipation and obesity. In addition to the regulation of diet, more training is also necessary to help improve gastroesophageal reflux.

Type 4: Naturally weak gastrointestinal function

There is another type of gastroesophageal reflux among the outpatients due to long-term gastric disease, natural weakness of the spleen and stomach, and chronic illness. It is called “spleen deficiency and stomach weakness” or “qi deficiency and blood stasis.” This type of patient will start treatment by strengthening the spleen and stomach and replenishing qi and blood.

TCM conditioning: invigorating the spleen and stomach, replenishing qi and blood

Codonopsis, Atractylodes, Poria, Yam, Huangqi can nourish the spleen and nourish qi. There are many advertisements for gastroesophageal reflux. Unfortunately, many patients will mistakenly think that their symptoms are gastroesophageal reflux when they see it. Still, it may be other problems, such as bloating, stomach inflammation, or even gastric ulcer, or It’s a problem with the heart.

Therefore, if the spleen and stomach are naturally weak and have long-term stomach pain and symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux, it is still necessary to be diagnosed by a physician to avoid not prescribing the right medicine, which may worsen the symptoms.

Certain drugs for treating asthma and lowering blood pressure can easily cause stomach acid to surge. Including: anti-gastrointestinal spasm agents (anti-acetylcholine drugs or anti-parasympathetic drugs), bronchodilators, tranquilizers, analgesics (especially those containing opioids), antihypertensive drugs (calcium ion blockers and A-Type or type B adrenal antagonist)

Lifestyle and diet are still fundamental.

 Living habits and diet control are the fundamental way to say goodbye to gastroesophageal reflux. It’s like having a cold without clothes, and the doctor always prescribes medicine for him. It is ineffective.