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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Blogs Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Road Cams Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend November 20, 2006 Acid reflux caused by weight more than age EDITOR'S NOTE: This weekly column by reporter Bill Kettler answers readers' questions about topics of general medical interest with information provided by doctors from PrimeCare, Jackson County's independent practice association. Citrus fruits and tomato sauces started giving me indigestion in my mid-40s, but I never had any problems with them in my earlier years. Is this age related? -- Mindy T., Medford Indigestion is a problem for surprisingly large numbers of people, but age itself is less likely to be a major contributing factor than weight gain — especially when it starts for the first time in the 40s, says Dr. Greg Winters, a Medford gastroenterologist. Winters says 10 to 20 percent of people in the United States have two or three weekly episodes of "gastric reflux," the technical term for what happens when food comes out of the top of the stomach and irritates the esophagus. It's common among people who have gained too many extra pounds. Advertisement Weight gain often tends to happen when we hit our 40s. Our metabolism slows and our activity level declines, but we keep on eating as though we're busy 20-somethings, and the pounds start to accumulate. Winters says it's easy to visualize gastric reflux if you think about the stomach like a paper bag. Sphincter muscles keep the bag closed on top and bottom. The upper sphincter is by far the weaker of the two. When we gain too much extra weight, the fatty tissue presses against the bag, (especially when the bag is full after a big meal) and the top pops open. When the top stomach sphincter opens, stomach acid irritates the sensitive tissues of the esophagus. This is the "acid reflux" that makes medicines such as Prilosec so popular. Many people have gained enough weight by the time they hit their 40s to make gastric reflux a recurring problem. Winters says acid foods, such as citrus juices and tomato sauces, do increase the acid level in the stomach and can increase the level of irritation if there's an episode of reflux, but for most people, excess weight is more likely the underlying source of the problem than any particular kind of food. Winters says gastric reflux can be caused by a number of factors, such as an esophagus that doesn't clear itself of food efficiently. Smokers may have more reflux problems, too, because they don't produce as much sodium bicarbonate, which moderates the stomach acid. People who drink alcohol may be more vulnerable, because alcohol paralyzes the upper sphincter. People who lie down after a large meal, or go to sleep soon after eating, are also more likely to encounter indigestion problems. Lying down puts the stomach in a straight line with the esophagus. Without gravity to keep the acid inside the stomach, irritation is more likely to occur. People who tend to overeat at mealtime also seem more likely to develop reflux problems than those who nibble or graze throughout the day, simply because the sphincter on a full (or extra full) stomach is more likely to open. Winters says losing weight can be an effective way for most people to resolve their gastric reflux problems. He tells patients who are looking for the best way to lose weight that the only way they will ultimately succeed is to take in fewer calories than they burn. "It's an easy concept," he says, "but it takes a whole heck of a lot of work to do something about it." For those who can't lose weight, medicines such as Prilosec and omeprazole (generic Prilosec) are a safe and effective way for the vast majority of patients to take the "acid" out of acid reflux. He says anyone who has had reflux problems for more than five years or develops additional symptoms should see a physician to make sure it's not a more serious problem. Call Bill Kettler with your medical questions at 776-4492, or e-mail them to: [email protected] or send them to: Mail Tribune, Ask Your Doctors, P.O. Box 1108, Medford OR 97501. Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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