When we feel that warm burn in our esophagus and that sour twinge in our stomach, we describe it as “heartburn“ or ”acid reflux.”
Commercials for pharmaceuticals that claim to alleviate these conditions tell us that we’re feeling the results of eating spicy or acidic foods and that this excessive acid has to be eliminated before we'll feel better, but is that really what’s going on?
I'd like to think that I’m a fairly healthy eater, limiting processed foods and doing my best to focus on vegetables, protein and healthy fats. So when I started to experience a weird feeling in my esophagus that literally kept me from sleeping at night, I was immediately worried.
I headed to see my primary care physician, telling him all about the weird “lump in my throat” feeling when I swallowed, the urge to burp even though I didn’t need to, and most importantly, the shortness of breath I was feeling at night.
He said that in someone of my age and level of fitness, these symptoms pointed to excessive stomach acid that was making its way above my diaphragm. His recommended treatment? Using an over-the-counter medication like Prilosec or Zantac to manage it.
I was astonished. Always skeptical of medications meant to deal with symptoms instead of root causes, I decided to do a little investigating before heading to the pharmacy. And boy am I glad I did.
