Did you know that Acid Reflux can be linked to anxiety?
GERD can all be linked to anxiety? Science is still trying to unravel the connection, but this is what we do know.
Heartburn is quickly explained as a burning sensation or bitter taste at the back of the throat. The feeling starts in the stomach acids that back up along the esophagus. We have most likely all felt this at one time or another when consuming a heavy or overly spicy meal or lying down right after a heavy meal. If it happens a few times a week, doctors refer to minor heartburn as acid reflux. If left untreated, acid reflux can turn into GERD, a more advanced form of the illness.
We know that symptoms of anxiety can cause further anxiety. The cyclical nature of anxiety is one of the reasons that it is so hard to manage. This is also the case with anxiety and heartburn (acid reflux). Heartburn can cause numerous symptoms that can lead to anxiety or make anxiety worse.
Anxiety can trigger heartburn in several ways, from muscle tension to digestion changes to hormone alterations. It can also be a trigger for anxiety, especially in those with hypersensitivity as a result of panic attacks or health fears.
Some experts believe that a specific brain chemical, cholecystokinin (CCK), which has been linked to both panic disorders and gastrointestinal disorders, may be a factor in causing GERD. Anxiety may also affect contractions occurring in the esophagus, which propel food toward the stomach. If these contractions become irregular, it can lead to reflux
When a person experiences anxiousness, the body's systems slow down to respond to allow other hormones and actions to speed up to manage the perceived threat, digestion is one of the symptoms that slow down, which is why you sometimes feel nauseous when anxious. As digestion slows down, food waste is not broken down or appropriately eliminated, increasing stomach acid. When a person is overly anxious, they tend to tighten muscles as part of their defence process, including the stomach muscles. The tightening or pressure on the stomach muscles can also cause or worsen heartburn symptoms.
Not everyone that has heartburn will experience anxiety, and vice vera not everyone with anxiety will get heartburn
Medical treatment for heartburn and acid reflux usually starts with over-the-counter medications and moves into prescription medication only when the situation worsens. However, these treatments only physically manage the symptoms, so there is still a need to manage the underlying anxiety disorder; otherwise, the heartburn will keep recurring
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f you are under medical treatment for either GERD and are feeling overly anxious or under prescribed medications for an anxiety disorder, discuss the correlation with your healthcare provider treatment may require medication to treat both conditions.
Can any of this be managed naturally?
Mild to Moderate anxiety and Acid reflux can be managed with supplementation as long as you are not presently taking prescribed medications for either.
Supplements to Manage Anxiety
Veeva Anxiety is the first natural product of its kind to be licensed specifically to relieve anxiety, reduce nervousness, promote relaxation and strengthen resistance to stress.
Natural Factors Ashwagandha contacts the patented form of KSM-66 Ashwagandha extract to help increase resistance to stress and anxiety. It is also used as a sleep aid and nerve tonic
Natural Factors Stress Relax Serenity not only contains KSM-66 Ashwagandha. It also includes supporting herbs to help relieve symptoms of stress and anxiety, emotional stress and mental and physical fatigue. The unique herbal combination also helps to reduce cortisol and C-reactive proteins, the biomarkers of physical stressd
Supplements to Manage Acid Reflux
PURE LAB aPure pH contains two components that the body naturally uses to balance acidity in the body. Chronic stress will slowly deplete alkaline reservoirs causing the body to be more acidic. AlkaPure pH, when taken between meals, rebalances gastric acid and replenishes the body's buffering systems
BELL Acidic Stomach Alkaline Balance helps to restore your natural pH-neutral, alkaline body state. It is ideal for individuals suffering from heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach or a sour stomach associated with excess stomach acid
ST FRANCIS HERB FARM Acidux Acidux uses a unique blend of 6 herbs that help to relieve inflammatory conditions of the digestive system. Calendula and meadowsweet offer antacid anti-inflammatory effects. Chamomile, licorice, and ginger settle the stomach, even as marshmallow soothes the tissues of the digestive tract in a powerful combination that helps to quench the fires of heartburn.
NEW NORDIC Frutin Gastro Gel is a natural antacid It works by creating foam when it comes in contact with acid. So in the stomach, this foam not only neutralizes excess stomach acid but also floats to the top of the stomach, creating a "lid" on the acid, thereby effectively relieving you from heartburn.
