Could a supplement called MSM be the answer?
Acid reflux or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is a condition in which fluid splashes from the stomach into the esophagus. This fluid contains mostly acid with some pepsin and bile. All three of these fluids are potentially hazardous to sensitive esophageal tissue, with acid being the most damaging. This refluxed fluid can inflame and damage the lining of the esophagus (esophagitis). If this condition is allowed to become chronic, over time it can develop into Barrett’s esophagus, which is the precursor to esophageal cancer.
Up to 15 million Americans experience acid reflux daily. People of all ages are susceptible to this condition. Older people who suffer from acid reflux tend to be more severely affected than younger people. 13,000 people are diagnosed with esophageal cancer each year. At least 12,000 people die from it. The overall survival rate is very poor. Acid reflux is the biggest known risk factor for developing Barrett’s esophagus, which can develop into esophageal cancer.
Barrett’s esophagus occurs when chronic acid reflux or esophagitis is not controlled. Through constant inflammation and damage, the normal cells that line the esophagus, called squamous cells, become specialized columnar cells. Columnar cells are not normally found in humans and can become cancerous.
Although this can happen to anyone, it usually occurs in people over the age of forty who have had regular bouts of heartburn for more than five years. Some of the symptoms are difficulty swallowing and waking up at night from the pain of heartburn. Some people have no symptoms at all.
Scar tissue can develop from the constant attack of acid on the sensitive lining of the esophagus. The tissue can thicken and harden, causing the esophagus to narrow. This can make it difficult to swallow food or even water.
I am a firm believer in natural cures over conventional medicine. When I go to the doctor it is for diagnostic purposes only. Then, instead of subjecting myself to a barrage of harmful pills and painful procedures, I try to cure the condition myself using alternative methods. I found that MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) has the ability to soften scar tissue, making it flexible and permeable. I believe that by taking MSM on a regular basis, it is possible to avoid the serious problems associated with chronic acid reflux.
MSM has been touted as the greatest natural healing agent since vitamin C. It seems to have the power to reduce pain and inflammation. It is currently being used to treat a wide range of ailments, including rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and gout. It is even being used as a treatment for snoring and constipation. MSM has been used with great success in horses and dogs to control inflammation associated with allergies.
I use MSM to relieve summer allergies for my twelve year old Jack Russell Terrier, Jack Pot. It works like magic. By giving her a gram of MSM in some cheese twice a day, I have minimized her itchy and watery eyes, which are associated with airborne allergies.
I also use MSM eye drops. It clearly has the power to reduce, if not prevent, cataracts. It seems to dissolve them. My mother had cataracts in both eyes. Her ophthalmologist removed one. When she told me that she had one, I immediately put MSM drops on her. When she returned to the doctor for her second eye pre-surgery exam, they found that the other cataract had completely disappeared.
Aren’t cataracts a form of scar tissue? I think the scar tissue and Barrett’s esophagus have an important connection. So if MSM does, in fact, have this beneficial effect on scar tissue, it may be able to prevent, or at least ameliorate, Barrett’s esophagus. Perhaps MSM can help prevent this type of cancer? I don’t know, but I will continue to take it instead of undergoing so-called “modern medicine”.
If you must go the allopathic medical route, the diagnosis of Barrett’s esophagus involves an endoscopy. The doctor inserts a long mechanical tube down the throat to look at the esophagus and perform a biopsy. It can’t be a very pleasant procedure. And if the results are negative? Most likely, the doctor will prescribe medications that have harmful side effects. Some of these drugs include H2 blockers like cimetidine, ranitidine, and famotidine. Or he may prescribe the drugs omeprazole and lansoprazole, which are proton pump inhibitors.
Some of the side effects of these medications are: headache, bowel disorders such as diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain, excess gas in the stomach and intestines (flatulence), dry mouth, skin reactions such as rash and itching. , inflammation of the skin (dermatitis), dizziness, muscle and joint pain, swelling of the legs and ankles due to excess fluid retention (peripheral oedema), tingling (paresthesia), depression, agitation, confusion, difficulty sleeping (insomnia) , drowsiness, liver or blood disorders. The list goes on and on.
If the medications don’t work, he or she will most likely suggest a surgical procedure called a fundoplication, which involves removing the damaged part of the esophagus and attaching the remaining section to the stomach.
For my part, I will continue to search and experiment with natural cures for acid reflux. I think that perhaps the medical approach could be worse than the disease itself.
I was a victim of acid reflux for many years. I had disappointing experiences with the doctors, who knew nothing about nutrition or alternative medicine. Basically, doctors only know how to write prescriptions. They don’t know anything about healing. They are only taught to treat the symptoms by selling drugs that support the pharmaceutical industry.
The proton pump inhibitors, which my doctor prescribed, ultimately did not work for me. Apart from the harmful side effects caused by these drugs, no one really knows what their long-term effect is on the human body.
Since conventional medicine did not help me, I was highly motivated to explore alternative means to heal myself. After much research and experimentation, I found natural ways that allowed me to cure my acid reflux condition. MSM was one of them.