What is GERD?
GERD, also known as gastro esophageal reflux disease is a digestive disease in which stomach acid or bile irritates the food pipe lining. This is a very common disorder. Usually, it occurs when the stomach acids or bile flows into the food pipe or makes their way from the stomach back up into the esophagus and irritates the lining. This is a chronic disease, in which a patient suffers from acid reflux, inflammation or/and heartburn after eating and worsens when lying down.
GERD can range from being moderate to severe, sometimes patients with GERD can face debilitating situations. In this situation heartburns can be very painful, one can even feel as if he/she is having a heart attack. If you feel heartburns or inflammation in your chest after eating then probably you may be suffering from GERD.
Besides, there are several other reasons due to which the stomach acid begins flowing back through the esophagus, like problematic muscle that separates the stomach from the esophagus. Common symptoms of GERD include, burping, sour tasting fluid backing up into your mouth, frequent heartburn difficulty or pain when swallowing, Burning in the abdomen, Nausea, Bad breath, Vomiting, The taste of food or stomach acid in the back of the mouth, Chest pain, Wearing away of teeth, lumps in throat, Respiratory issues, etc.
What Causes GERD?
More often than not, GERD happens when your lower esophageal sphincter becomes weak or relaxes, allowing food or stomach acid to flow back into the esophagus. There are many different factors that can cause GERD, including:
- A connective tissue disorder
- Smoking or exposure to passive smoking
- Because of certain medications such as painkillers or antidepressants
- Pressure on the abdomen due to excess weight or pregnancy
- A hiatal hernia
Other factors triggering GERD symptoms include:
- Eating a large meal
- Eating just before the bed
- Eating fatty or too spicy foods
- Eating chocolate
- Experiencing anxiety or stress or anxiety
- Drinking alcohol or high caffeine intake
- Smoking tobacco
Well, this is about the problem that people with GERD suffer from. It’s time to talk about the solution.
Here is the solution……
However, lifestyle changes and over-the-counter medications can help patients have some relief, but temporarily. In some cases, patients need stronger medication, like medical marijuana. Yes, you may be surprised to know that Marijuana Doctors prescribe medical cannabis to the patients suffering from GERD.
In fact, some of the patients have claimed that it is very effective. They have even started to gain long term relief after their cannabis doctor prescribed them medical marijuana.
How Medical Marijuana Can Help Patients with GERD
Believe it or not, medical marijuana can help patients with GERD symptoms have more relief. Here is how medical cannabis helps patients with GERD:
Medical marijuana can improve the rate of digestion. It is in fact, one of those GERD prescription medications that provides more relief to the patients suffering from GERD. Also, marijuana doctors claim that it provides more relief to people who have already tried using H2 blockers and Proton Pump Inhibitors or PPIs. PPIs can fail to completely eliminate the symptoms of GERD but medical marijuana helps patients to have the best results.
Cannabis decreases acid. Cannabis doctors prescribe medical cannabis for GERD when patients complain of GERD symptoms or stomach ulcers or even excess of stomach acids. Because, medical marijuana prevents further release of stomach and intestinal acids. Moreover, medical marijuana provides relief to the patient by decreasing acid in the stomach of a person, thereby providing relief from GERD symptoms.
Medical Cannabis reduces stress. One of the major causes of GERD is stress or anxiety. Marijuana doctors recommend medical marijuana because it can reduce stress, which ultimately provides relief to the people suffering from GERD.
Medical cannabis eliminates inflammation. Painful Inflammation of the esophagus is one of the most common symptoms of GERD. According to the marijuana doctors medical cannabinoids suppress an inflammatory response and eliminate disease symptoms. It is because of the anti-inflammatory properties of marijuana.
Medical Cannabinoids reduce the need to take pain killers. Last but not least, Marijuana Doctors prescribe medical marijuana to treat pain that patients have associated with GERD. Mostly people with GERD symptoms struggle with acid reflex, which causes pain in their chest, stomach or throat. And medical practitioners prescribe conventional painkillers like, Ibuprofen, Aspirin etc., which cause even more problems in the long run. Using medical marijuana is a safer option compared to regular pain killers, which can make GERD worse. Get Started.