Please suggest products for my acid reflux, Glaucoma, and Hypertension?

Q. I have a Hiatal Hernia and as a result suffer from terrible acid reflux. Other complaints are Glaucoma and high blood pressure. Can you recommend something to take from your line of products?

A. Advanced Hiatal Hernia often has to be treated surgically. Fundoplication is a surgery used to help correct gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). If a sliding hiatal hernia has contributed to the development of GERD, the hernia will be fixed during this surgery. In this case, the hernia is pulled down from the chest and stitched (sutured) so that it remains within the abdomen. The hiatus (the opening in the diaphragm that the esophagus passes through) may also be tightened to help strengthen the lower esophageal sphincter and connective tissue to keep it from sliding open when food is in the stomach.

If you have shortness of breath or pain in the area of your breastbone, you need to make sure it is not caused by a heart problem. The burning sensation caused by acid reflux usually occurs after eating. Pain from the heart is usually felt as pressure, heaviness, a weight, tightness, squeezing, discomfort, or a dull ache that occurs most often after activity.

Traditional treatment for mild symptoms of Hiatal Hernia begins with making lifestyle changes and doctors often recommend taking nonprescription antacids, acid reducers, or acid blockers, however, as people age they often experience decreased secretion of digestive juices and decreased motility of gastrointestinal tract. This actually slows the rate which the stomach empties and can also be a problem in the development of the conditions your mother is having. When this occurs, traditional treatments often can cause a worsening effect on digestion, though relieving symptoms in the short-term.

For the heartburn, you can make changes to your lifestyle to help relieve symptoms of heartburn. Here are some things to try:

• Change eating habits
  - It’s best to eat several small meals instead of two or three large meals.
  - Limit beverages during meals to no more than 4 oz per meal.
  - After you eat, wait 2 to 3 hours before you lie down. Late-night snacks aren't a good idea.
  - Chocolate, mint, and alcohol can make heartburn worse. They relax the valve between the esophagus and the stomach.
  - Spicy foods, foods that have a lot of acid (like tomatoes and oranges), and coffee can make heartburn symptoms worse in some people. If your symptoms are worse after you eat a certain food, you may want to stop eating that food to see if your symptoms get better.
• Do not smoke or chew tobacco.
• If you get heartburn at night, raise the head of your bed 6in. to 8in. by putting the frame on blocks or placing a foam wedge under the head of your mattress. (Adding extra pillows does not work.)
• Avoid or reduce pressure on your stomach. Do not wear tight clothing around your middle. Lose weight if you need to. Losing just 5 to 10 pounds can help.

To aid in improving digestion, the following are recommend for now:

• Plant Digestive Enzymes (all links will open in a new window) - start with 1 pill with each small meal and snack. Any larger meal, take 2-3 pills. If these along with the above recommendations do not completely resolve the Hiatal Hernia and GERD, then this is recommended:
• Betaine HCL - take 1 pill before a meal to start. This may be taken in addition to the plant digestive enzymes for the best effect. Sometimes 2 or more Betaine HCL pills are needed for larger meals, however, you should be eating small frequent meals EVERY DAY.

For High Blood Pressure, recommendations:

• Cardio HTN by BioGenesis - for support of healthy blood pressure regulation. Take take 2 capsules per day with a meal. This formula also has an ingredient (Coleus forskohlii) which has good scientific evidence in improving glaucoma (so this could be a 2 in 1 benefit).
• HTN Complex - 2 caps a day (only). This is for additional nutritional support in to help regulate BP (these are not found in the BioGenesis product, and are also very beneficial). recommending half the dose for now.
• If your diet is lacking in fruits and veggies, recommendation: K+2 Potassium.
• It is important to limit sodium in the diet to less than 2000 milligrams a day, and increase potassium rich foods, like bananas, cantaloupe, watermelon, mango, potatoes of all kinds.

For eye health, these foods are recommended and this product:

• OcuForce - 2 caps a day
• Green vegetables, egg yolk, kiwi fruit, grapes, orange juice, zucchini, squash, and corn.

In regards to glaucoma without treatment, the loss of vision usually gets worse over the course of many months or several years. Loss of vision in glaucoma is permanent, but with early treatment, the damage to vision can be minimized. Early treatment can help protect the eyes against vision loss. Treatments usually include prescription eye drops and/or surgery.

Here are our sections for Healthy Seniors and GERD, which you may like to review.