At first thought you might not suspect that your sinus issues would be linked to your acid reflux, or heartburn problems.

It may surprise you, but if you visit a sinus specialist or Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) doc, you can be assured they?re going to be looking for any signs of Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) or acid reflux disease.

Well what?s one got to do with the other you might ask?

For instance, one of the worst habits some people with recurring heartburn have is lying down right after they eat. This is a sure-fire way of encouraging those nasty gastric acids to leak up into your throat, mouth and even your sinuses.

It?s true, if you feel like always clearing your throat, it could only be sinus drainage, or post nasal drip from a food allergy or hay fever.

On the other hand it could very well be a reaction to common acid reflux. As you can imagine, when your stomach indigestion repeatedly kicks up gaseous plumes of acid reflux it can easily inflame your nose and sinus linings.

When all the cards are down, it?s the ninth inning, bases are loaded and the fat lady starts to sing . . . you are your own best doctor.

That?s why so many people are learning how to be their own health detectives. Seriously, these days it?s almost a lost secret, but learning to detect the ?root cause? of your sinus or acid reflux and heartburn issues is the only way to take back control of your life.

There?s hardly anything more irritating than having to wipe your nose, sniffle, snort and clear your throat constantly.

Having constant post nasal drip, irritated vocal cords and that unhealthy odor to your breath aren?t the most socially attractive qualities either.

Sinusitis, rhinitis and acid reflux have several things in common and even though you may not suffer from full-blown gastroesophageal reflux disease, your occasional acid indigestion could be the cause of your running nose, puffy eyes and sore throat . . . you just haven?t made the connection yet.

Did you know the digestive acid in your stomach is mostly hydrochloric acid which vaporizes at room temperatures?

Your gastric acid (hydrochloric acid) made up of hydrogen chloride (HCL) gas in water, which is a highly corrosive, strong mineral acid.

When this noxious digestive acid transforms into gas due to your digestive imbalance, the first place it goes is up your throat into your sinus cavities.

Now remixing with moist air, the stinging gas gets trapped in the complex cavernous labyrinth inside your head. Trapped in a dark moist place it can mix back in with water, inflaming your sensitive nerve endings, triggering all the symptoms of a sinus infection.

The Antacid Deception

To further complicate things millions of people unwittingly add antacids to the mix, which, by the way were proven ineffective for acid reflux and heart burn back in 1986. In fact, antacids can cause your stomach to actually produce more acid reflux.

Antacids create another condition called ?acid rebound,? which makes your gastrointestinal problems even worse.

But wait, there?s more! Antacids are one of the biggest scams ever perpetrated on the American public because they also change the pH balance in your gut causing good micro-organisms (probiotics) to die, triggering the over-growth of harmful bacteria.

By now you, like me, can see there is a hidden connection between sinus problems and acid reflux, directly and indirectly.

Once the imbalance of healthy gut flora (probiotics) is overcome by the harmful bacteria and other toxic micro-organisms, you have an infection. There is evidence that antacids may be responsible for Helicobacterplyori infections, the bad bacteria that cause ulcers.

All this weakens your natural immune system function and makes the connection between acid reflux and sinus infections even more obvious.

So perhaps all those holistic doctors and naturopathic health practitioners have been right all along, everything is inter-related. Ancient healers and medicinal protocols of old all agree, you must treat the whole person and that includes even making changes in your environment as well as your diet.

So it helps to be a detective when it comes to your health, or what I affectionately refer to as a ?health ecologist.? That is, one who studies the health connections between all living things and their environments.

Live well,

Todd M. Faass?

Health Ecologist