(EMAILWIRE.COM, January 04, 2011 ) Greenville, SC – Frequent heartburn afflicts one-third of people in the U.S., and acid reflux about 3-7 percent. Symptoms of the latter include a rising, burning sensation in the chest, a sour or bitter taste from regurgitation of stomach contents, and difficult or painful swallowing. Whereas traditional medicine aims at elimination of bothersome symptoms, Functional Medicine looks for and treats underlying causes, asking why the patient has the symptoms in the first place. In the case of heartburn and acid reflux, Functional Medicine expert Dr. Ron Grisanti, D.C., recommends testing for three systemic causes of the symptoms (www.yourmedicaldetective.com ).
“The most common cause of acid reflux or GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), as it is also called, is food allergies,” says Dr. Grisanti, D.C., creator of Functional Medicine University, which trains medical professionals in the scientific detective work of tracking down causes, with largely natural treatments for chronic conditions. “The second possible cause is infection with Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria that is implicated in stomach ulcers. The third possible cause is infection with Candida, a yeast-like fungus.”
When medical treatment focuses on eradicating symptoms with drugs, Dr. Grisanti points out, patients often must wrestle with side effects of the drugs, as well as the fact that when the patient stops taking a drug, symptoms come back. “Drugs not only prolong a condition in many cases, they can also open the door to far more serious disease. The undeniable satisfaction in stopping the pain can worsen the underlying conditions responsible for the discomfort. So it just makes sense to tackle the cause instead of the symptoms.”
Besides training chiropractors, acupuncturists, medical doctors and others in Functional Medicine, Dr. Grisanti maintains the consumer health information site YourMedicalDetective.com, which provides easy-to-understand reports and articles on medical problems. For a free membership in YourMedicalDetective.com, visit http://www.yourmedicaldetective.com .
