Heathy Esophagus and Stomach

Healthy Esophagus & Stomach

The stomach begins the process of food digestion through the production of acid. The stomach is designed to handle acid but the esophagus is not. There is a sphincter between the esophagus and stomach that usually prevents the acid from backing up into the esophagus. Irritation of the esophagus can be painful. Chronic irritation places a person a risk for developing a condition called Barrett’s Esophagus, which is a precursor to esophageal cancer. So what causes excessive sphincter relaxation and acid reflux?

First, abdominal obesity or tight fitting clothing can increase stomach pressure and push acid backward into the esophagus. Weight loss can decrease this problem. Esophageal sphincter relaxation can also be caused by smoking, alcohol, caffeine, spicy foods, acidic foods, fatty foods, chocolate, and mints. If reflux is a problem you can take the following measures to prevent esophageal irritation: lose weight, avoid tight-fitting clothes or betls, avoid excessive consumption of foods that relax the sphincter or increase acid production, elevated the head of your bed to use gravity from refluxing all the way up, and the Mayo Clinic has found that relaxation techniques can help as well. Those who have had bariatric surgery and have a smaller stomach are at a higher risk for reflux and have to be more careful about these foods that relax the sphincter. Fortunately, as they loose weight the pressure on the stomach will decrease somewhat.

The stomach can also also get irritated by excessive acid production and cause heartburn (gastritis) or even ulcers. Heartburn can be increased by the following: Helicobacter pylori (bacteria in stomach- see last week's blog), overeating, eating in a hurry, fatty foods (they linger in the stomach longer), acidic foods (vinegar in salad dressing, tomatoes, citrus, etc), caffeinated beverages, carbonated drinks (soda pop), Chocolate, spicy foods, and alcohol. Stress and anxiety can also contribute to heartburn and gastric ulcers.

The stomach should be nice and pink like the muscosa in your mouth. Imagine how your mouth would hurt if it looked like this.

Aspirin and Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen, aleve, etc) also increase the risk of gastritis and gastric bleeding. Some carry a higher risk than others. If you must take any of these medications long-term you should discuss with your physician how to minimize your risk. You may need to take a proton-pump inhibitor (prilosec, nexium, etc) to decrease acid production. You may be able to switch to a less risky NSAID (sulindac, celebrex).

All of the above foods can increase the risk for stomach cancer because they cause irritation. However, smoked foods, salted fish and meat, pickeled vegetables, and smoking have all been found to be even greater risk factors. The reason for this is because they contain nitrates and nitrites that can be converted by bacteria in the stomach into dangerous compounds that increased the risk for cancer. Many believe that the Japanese and Chinese carry a much higher risk for stomach cancer because of their diets.