TMJ 'dysfunction' - Health implications

Acid reflux is an extremely common health problem affecting as many as 50 percent of Americans. Other terms used for this condition are gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or peptic ulcer disease.

The hallmark symptom of acid reflux is "heartburn"—a burning sensation behind the breastbone that sometimes travels up the throat. In some cases, this pain can be severe enough to be mistaken for a heart attack.

The image above illustrates stomach contents including acid being drawn up into the esophagus. This occurs due to chest breathing, which builds a negative pressure in the chest cavity, drawing the acid into the oesophagus. If the breathing pattern is not corrected, patients might face lasting issues like persistent cough, ulcers, Barrett's esophagus, and, in severe cases, oesophageal cancer.

To ease acid reflux symptoms, many doctors suggest dietary and lifestyle adjustments. They often recommend avoiding foods that worsen the condition, such as alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, peppermint, spicy and fried foods, citrus, and tomatoes. Additionally, weight loss and consistent exercise can help improve symptoms. However, these changes do not tackle the core problem, which is an improper breathing pattern.

As previously noted, chest breathing can trigger and exacerbate acid reflux symptoms. To address this issue, one should engage in diaphragmatic or abdominal breathing. This method requires inhaling slowly through the nose, allowing the stomach to expand outward. The abdomen should be fully inflated before exhaling. It might be necessary to practice this technique deliberately, especially during stressful periods, as anxiety and tension often cause chest breathing. With consistent practice, this deep, full breathing will become a habit, and acid reflux symptoms should reduce or disappear. Enrolling in yoga classes can also be very helpful in mastering this breathing approach.

The diaphragm is the primary muscle that assists in breathing. When you inhale, the diaphragm contracts and moves downward, increasing the size of the chest cavity and lowering the pressure within it. This process, along with the help of the external intercostal muscles, causes the lungs to expand.

At the same time, the diaphragm's downward movement creates a partial vacuum in the chest cavity, compelling the lungs to fully expand. This vacuum also helps the heart pump more efficiently and reduces the occurrence of heart palpitations, which are common in patients with GERD. Chest breathing, on the other hand, has the opposite effect and can trigger heart palpitations.

As the diaphragm descends, it also pushes against the organs below it, aiding in digestion and ensuring that other vital abdominal organs, such as the pancreas, liver, kidneys, adrenal glands, bladder, and reproductive organs, function properly. Therefore, it's essential for the diaphragm to move downward during inhalation. This happens when individuals breathe deeply into their abdomen without their chest rising noticeably. It's crucial to teach patients how to correct their breathing patterns before starting any medications, which often have serious side effects and may increase the risk of oesophageal cancer.

In medical terminology, acid reflux is often linked to an excessive production of stomach acid, resulting in the frequent recommendation of acid-blocking medications such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). This prevalent notion is a major medical misunderstanding that adversely affects many people. Based on my own experiences, doctors are usually swift to propose a PPI at the earliest indication of a stomach problem.

Typical drug list for some GERD patients
Drug name: Omeprazole
Dose: 40mg
Mode of action: for Gastric reflux.
Adverse effects of Proton pump inhibitor (PPI): Nausea, vomiting, headaches, and increased intestinal gas. Serious side effects may include: Clostridium difficile colitis, an increased risk of pneumonia, an increased risk of bone fractures, hypomagnesaemia and vitamin B12 and iron malabsorption.
The concentrations of oxycodone, tramadol, and oxymorphone may increase if they are used concomitantly with omeprazole. Chronic PPI users had a 44% increased risk of dementia compared with those who did not take any medication - (Harvard study).

Drug name: Oxycodone
Dose: 12mg *12 times a day = 144mg.
Mode of action: For pain
Main adverse effects: Oxycodone, a synthetic opioid, is a highly selective full agonist of the μ-opioid receptor. Common side effects include constipation, nausea, sleepiness, dizziness, itching, dry mouth, and sweating.
Severe side effects may include addiction, respiratory depression (a decreased effort to breathe), and low blood pressure.
On withdrawal: Anxiety, restlessness and insomnia, Abdominal cramps, nausea and diarrhoea, Flu-like symptoms, including aching and chills, elevated BP and HR, tremors, seizures and convulsions.
While marginally relieving pain, it worsens other symptoms that the patient presented with, mainly the respiratory function, which is fundamental for treating GERD.

Drug name: Morphine IV
Dose:10mg four times a day or as necessary= 40mg.
Mode of action: For pain.
Natural Opioid. May cause vomiting, Cognitive impairment, Constipation and breathing problems.
Main adverse effects: Exactly like the flu... drippy nose, diarrhoea, cramps, profuse sweating, shivering, bad body odour, restless legs, achy joints.
While marginally relieving pain, it worsens other symptoms that the patient presents with, mainly the respiratory function, which is fundamental for treating GERD.

Drug name: Ranitidine
Dose: 50mg three times a day for Gastric reflux. It is an H2 histamine receptor antagonist that works by blocking histamine and thus decreasing the amount of acid released by cells of the stomach.
Common side effects include: headaches and pain or burning if given by injection. Serious side effects may include liver problems, a slow heart rate, pneumonia, and the potential of masking cancer. It is also linked to an increased risk of Clostridium difficile colitis.

It is baffling why anyone would hastily suggest these bewildering medications that are completely unrelated to the issue at hand.

A quote from WDDTY reads:
"Regardless, money can fix anything. Hire public relations experts to create the content, then pay a scholar to endorse it, get it published in a reputable medical journal, and finally, show it to the doctor, who will feel reassured that prescribing the drug is the correct decision.

Around 75 per cent of ‘scientific’ medical trials are created that way, yet even with that level of fraud going on, the BMJ’s Clinical Evidence Handbook shows that just 12 per cent of drugs and therapies have any evidence to suggest they work, as our Special Report this month highlights. Consider fraud, and you’re down to around 3 per cent."

Now, that isn’t a science. Fancy boarding planes that crash 97 per cent of the time? But then, healing never could be reduced to a mass-production system: a shame for the shareholders, perhaps, but good news for the patient."

Other stories on the Internet:
Oxycodone
Please read Dr Mercola’s article:http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/07/18/oxycontin-addiction.aspx
“OxyContin: Time Bomb” tells the story of how this painkiller became the most widely prescribed, abused, and profitable narcotic in history:
Purdue Pharma ran an unprecedentedly aggressive marketing campaign to brainwash physicians that OxyContin was the new “miracle pill”. In 2007, Purdue pleaded guilty to deceptive marketing and was fined $600 million, but six years later, the FDA allowed them to release a new version of the drug OxyContin which is a gateway drug to heroin, leading millions down the path of heroin addiction, methadone dependence, overdose, and death”

Opioid Addiction Likely Part of Declining Life Expectancy in US
Opioid addiction appears to be one significant contributor to declining life expectancy in the U.S. In all, more than 50,000 Americans died from drug overdoses last year, a rise of 11 percent from 2014.
Heroin deaths rose by 23 percent between 2014 and 2015, deaths from synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, rose by 73 percent, while deaths from prescription opioids like OxyContin and Vicodin rose by 4 percent. Prescription painkillers alone killed 17,536 people last year.
According to Robert Anderson, who oversees death statistics at the CDC: "I don't think we've ever seen anything like this. Certainly, not in modern times."
Dr Mercola 21/12/2016

References:
Ann Thorac Med. 2009 Jul-Sep; 4(3): 115–123. doi: 10.4103/1817-1737.53347PMCID: PMC2714564 PMID: 19641641
Pulmonary manifestations of gastroesophageal reflux disease
Gajanan S. Gaude
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2714564/

© 2024 M. Amir All rights reserved
Studies indicate that a more innovative approach to medical diagnosis is warranted. Evidence shows that problems in areas like dental health can affect heart function and lead to irregularities in cardiac activity. Rather than hastily prescribing medication, it is crucial to evaluate patients comprehensively and consider all possible factors contributing to their health concerns.
© 2022 M. Amir All rights reserved.