What’s with the Enablers on “My 600 Pound Life” ?
Do the enablers in “My 600 Pound Life” have a mental illness?
They must have as much of a psych issue as do the super morbidly obese people they continue to bring enormous amounts of food to.
How often have you heard an enabler of one of the subjects of “My 600 Pound Life” say something like, “I bring her the food because it makes her happy”?
One must wonder what kind of parents these enablers would or do make. It’s easy to picture the following scenario:
“I let eight-year-old Mindie play alone in the street after dark because it makes her happy.”
“I let Johnnie skip school all the time and watch TV all day instead because it makes him happy.”
When 24-year-old Adele, the enabler to her 800-pound mother, Marla, said, “It makes her happy,” in reference to why she keeps bringing her bedridden mother gigantic portions of junk food, I thought:
“Will YOU be happy when you soon become the cause of your mother’s death?”
“Will your mother be happy in her final moments when she’s struggling to breathe from a heart attack?”
TLC should come out with another show called “My 600 Pound Life: Inside the Mind of the Enablers.” Or, we can just shorten that: “My 600 Pound Life: The Enablers.”
This popular show, for which I watch every episode, should have a spinoff series about the enablers.
The psychological forces behind the mind of an enabler to a 600 pound person would make an utterly fascinating series.
It’s just mind-bending how someone could be “afraid” of the person they enable, even though that person is:
- NOT providing financially to the enabler in some cases
- NOT capable of physically harming the enabler due to mobility limitations
- NOT capable of getting the enabler fired from a job
But in order for TLC to generate a spinoff series from “My 600 Pound Life,” they’d have to find enablers who are willing to be followed.
Questions Views Ask About the Enablers
What drives people like Adele, or the voiceless Dillon who enables his mother Pauline, to devote their entire lives to doing things like lifting the heavy folds of fat to clean out all the infected, pus-filled sores beneath them; to spend inordinate amounts of time shopping for junk food, then serving it to their parents, spouses or significant others — and sometimes the 600-pounder is a grown child, and the parents are the enablers.
What compels these enablers to have no life, to give up school, a social life, a romantic life, the possibility of a career?
They come across as devoted and loving, but they are in need of psychological help, and their behaviors are destructive—they are key contributors to the slow suicide of their loved-ones.
People do not become 600 pounds overnight.
In “My 600 Pound Life,” there has been an occasional subject who was mobile enough to require little enabling.
Chuck was one of them – able to get into a vehicle at will and drive out for fast-food. He was so mobile, in fact, that he even participated in loading a vehicle for his trip to Houston to see “Dr. Now.”
But in nearly all the other cases, there is at least one enabler. How can someone live like this?
I realize it’s more difficult for the enabler to cease this destructive behavior if they began taking care of a super morbidly obese parent during childhood.
But in some of the shows, the parent begins piling on weight (according to the subject’s story telling) when the enabler is either an older child or approaching young adulthood.
Furthermore, what’s going on with the enablers of spouses or significant others?
We can’t blame childhood patterns on this, since these enablers were not taking care of their spouses (or girlfriends) as children.
Maybe as children, they were taking care of a super morbidly obese family member, and that started the pattern.
There has to be something that went significantly awry in the emotional development of the enabler during childhood.
What they do is akin to repeatedly bringing alcohol to an alcoholic with liver disease.
- What kind of childhood potentially begets an enabling mindset?
- How is it that they are eventually drawn to the 600-pound subject’s way of thinking?
And the question specifically pertains to three types of enablers:
- The adult who’s been “taking care of” the super morbidly obese parent since childhood (we can see Liam, the very young son of the non-compliant Penny, being groomed to be her caregiver/enabler as he gets older).
- The adult who began “taking care of” the 600-pound parent at an older age or young adulthood
- The adult who hopped on the enabling train only after entering adulthood, because the subject is a significant other or spouse.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained clients of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
Itchy Scalp Causes Include Shampoos, Brushing, Diabetes
An itchy scalp has many possible causes, including your shampoo, hair dyes, diabetes and dermatitis.
“Itchy scalps are usually caused by either dandruff or allergies,” says Dr. Joel Schlessinger, MD, board certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon with a private practice in Omaha, NE.
“Dandruff is often caused by a yeast overgrowth and can be coincidental with other dry, scaly issues such as facial dermatitis (seborrheic dermatitis) or even a slightly red rash on the chest area.”
The itch from seborrheic dermatitis may also have a mildly stinging component to it.
“If itchy scalp is due to ingredients in shampoos, there is a line, Free and Clear, that contains very few of the offensive ingredients (LovelySkin.com/Freeandclear). This line also has a conditioner and hair spray.
“Without having patch testing done, it is very difficult to determine whether this is allergy or, if it is an allergy, which ingredient is the culprit.
“Hair dyes are a very common cause of allergies and it is also important to realize that permanents can cause a variety of allergic or sensitivity reactions.
“If you suffer from itchy scalp it is best to seek treatment first from a dermatologist before undergoing coloring or other hair treatments.
“Generally, in my patients an exam can determine whether it appears allergic or dandruff related, but sometimes it is unclear initially. Treatments such as medications will often help to clarify the cause.
“If there isn’t any rash present, that is sometimes due to nerve related issues and that is an entirely different medical treatment process.
“Additionally, if there are sores or other situations such as lice or infections, your treatments may be quite different, but this is something that should be evaluated at the time of the appointment.
“Lastly, as far as other medical causes, while there are definitely some issues such as diabetes that can cause scalp irritation and infection, the root (no pun intended) of the problem is usually treated alongside the condition by your internist or family doctor.”
Additional Causes of an Itchy Scalp
Aggressive hair brushing can cause the scalp to become irritated, and hence, itchy.
The aggressiveness is in the form of pressing the bristles hard into the scalp.
Or, simply over-brushing (spending too much time doing this) can cause the irritation. Pressing a comb too hard against the scalp can do the same.
Do you use minoxidil (Rogaine)? The insert actually states that a possible side effect is an itchy scalp.
Lastly, not washing your hair enough can cause the scalp to itch — from accumulated grime.
Dr. Schlessinger, founder of LovelySkin.com, has 25+ years of experience treating many skin conditions including melanoma. He’s founder of the Advanced Skin Research Center, a clinical facility that investigates new medications and treatments.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
.
Top image: ©Lorra Garrick
Scabby Dry Mole: Possible Melanoma or Benign?
A dermatologist answers if it’s possible for a scabby dry mole to be normal, or is this most likely a sign of melanoma?
“A scabby, dry mole can really be any number of things, including melanoma, but generally it is not melanoma,” says Dr. Joel Schlessinger, MD, board certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon with a private practice in Omaha, NE.
He further explains, “Other things that it can represent are seborrheic keratosis, which is a benign, familial growth or simply an irritated mole.”
A seborrheic keratosis can look like a melanoma, and in fact, this can very much resemble a mole, especially if you can’t get a good close look at it (i.e., it’s located on your back or the back of your neck).
Seborrheic keratosis
Not only that, but a seborrheic keratosis can suddenly start changing in appearance after looking the same for a very long time — making you think that the “mole” is changing and thus has transformed into melanoma.
“If you have something on your body that is changing and shows odd symptoms such as this [scabby dry mole], especially if it bleeds, it is time to see your dermatologist for an evaluation.”
Concerning Signs in a Mole
It’s beginning to develop a scabby appearance.
It’s becoming elevated when it’s always been flat.
It’s getting darker or changing into a different color.
It’s bleeding — epecially for no apparent reason.
It’s developing a crusty look to it.
It’s getting bigger and especially if it’s becoming more lopsided or losing its original shape.
The inside of it is disappearing.
Tiny new moles are forming very close to it. These are called satellite moles. See the image below.
WLE stands for wide local excision of original melanoma. The satellites are the local recurrence lesions.
Dr. Schlessinger, founder of LovelySkin.com, has 25+ years of experience treating many skin conditions including melanoma. He’s founder of the Advanced Skin Research Center, a clinical facility that investigates new medications and treatments.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
.
Top image: Freepik
Can Grey Hair Be Caused by Minoxidil?
Grey hair indeed can result from the use of minoxidil; you aren’t imagining it.
The next question then is: Is this grey from rapid aging or just a harmless stain?
“I haven’t seen the phenomenon of Rogaine [minoxidil] causing grey hair, but it is always possible that upon application it is spurring hair growth that encompasses grey hairs as well as regular colored hairs,” explains Dr. Joel Schlessinger, MD, board certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon with a private practice in Omaha, NE.
He continues, “There are two formulations of Rogaine, and the foam is a much better tolerated form. The liquid forms contain propylene glycol and that tends to cause scalp irritation.”
If you think your new grey hairs are from minoxidil, then have a dermatologist take a good close look at the area in question.
It may be difficult for you yourself to get a close-enough look to properly inspect the hairs on your scalp.
It can be difficult to tell if the grey hairs are new growth or hairs that were growing there anyways, with or without minoxidil.
Below are some grey hairs where I apply the drug. But after shampooing, these always wash out.
Dr. Schlessinger, founder of LovelySkin.com, has 25+ years of experience treating many skin conditions including melanoma. He’s founder of the Advanced Skin Research Center, a clinical facility that investigates new medications and treatments.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
.
Top image: Shutterstock/Chutima Chaochaiya
Hair Falling Out? Could Be Your Clip-in Extensions or Braids
It’s no myth: Clip-in extensions and braids can damage hair and cause it to fall out: hair loss, and the damage could be permanent.
One: to add volume to hair
Two: to add length
Three: to add color, either as an under-layer or throughout.
Hair extensions actually come in a blazing array of neon colors, like blue, violet, magenta, purple, green, orange/red and pink.
Hair Loss from Clip-in Extensions
“Clip-in hair extensions can cause a variety of problems; the most important one to remember is that of hair loss from tension and pulling,” says Dr. Joel Schlessinger, MD, board certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon with a private practice in Omaha, NE.
“Hair is very fragile in general, and even an extension can cause it to degrade from chemicals and glues that are applied,” says Dr. Schlessinger.
“This is especially true in the case of thinning hair and with repeated application and reapplication of extensions.”
Braids Can Cause Hair Loss — if Worn Tight
“Traction alopecia [hair loss from traction] is often noted when hair is braided tightly (sometimes in order to prepare hair for extensions),” says Dr. Schlessinger. “Alopecia” means hair loss.
“Clearly, there is no benefit from braiding hair tightly; it is a very significant cause of hair loss in my practice, so it is best to avoid if at all possible.”
If you want to volumize your hair by wearing braids overnight, first put the sections that you want to braid in a loose ponytail.
What this means is, the rubber band is loose, and the rubber band is NOT right against the scalp: So what you then have is a floppy ponytail.
Then you braid below the rubber band. This way, there will be virtually no traction between the rubber band and the scalp.
If you feel the braid “snagging” or “pulling” while you’re lying in bed, gently bobby-pin the tip of the braid to the top of your head to relieve the pulling sensation.
It’s not news that any woman wants to hear, but over time, those fabulous clip-in extensions that you love so much will cause some degree of hair loss.
Just how much of your hair will fall out — beyond what’s normal in a typical day — depends on variables such as how hard you brush, how often you wear the extensions per week, for how long the clip-ins are in your hair in a given day, and how tightly you have the track’s teeth embedded into your scalp.
Braids are so cool, and tight braids are common with certain hairstyles…but unfortunately, they will stress the hair root as well.
So to prevent as much of your hair as possible from falling out, limit your use of clip-in extensions and tight braiding.
Dr. Schlessinger, founder of LovelySkin.com, has 25+ years of experience treating many skin conditions including melanoma. He’s founder of the Advanced Skin Research Center, a clinical facility that investigates new medications and treatments.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
How This Muscle Twitching Syndrome Wreaks Havoc on the Mind
Imagine a doctor walking into the office where you’ve been waiting to hear the results of your muscle twitching worries. He’s not smiling.
Clipboard in hand, he pulls up a stool and licks his lips, eyes lowered a moment.
Then he makes eye contact and says, “I’m so sorry. The test came back positive.
You have ALS – Lou Gehrig’s disease. There is no cure, and life expectancy is usually two to five years after diagnosis.”
How would you feel? Well, this is pretty much the feeling experienced by many healthy people who suffer from benign fasciculation syndrome (which includes muscle twitching).
This harmless condition really messes with the mind, because a lot of people who have an annoying muscle twitch or twitches will invariably do an Internet search, not because they already fear the worst, but because they are merely seeking relief from bothersome twitching.
They expect perhaps to find some dietary or supplement advice, or maybe something about a salve or cream that can be applied to the twitching area.
Instead, their search takes them to ALS sites.
“Muscle twitching” is a symptom of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a muscle wasting, fatal disease caused by progressively degenerating nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
We all worry at some point or another in our life that we have a killer disease.
Who hasn’t worried they have cancer after noticing a strange birthmark on the back of their leg, or having a persistent cough, stomach cramps, a missed period or strange pain in the knee?
Who hasn’t feared diabetes when they awaken one morning with tingling toes?
Who hasn’t feared a brain tumor from a headache or an imminent heart attack from some chest discomfort?
But some people with benign fasciculation syndrome (BFS) go way overboard.
This is no laughing matter. The anxiety and fear of ALS is overwhelming.
Many sufferers have NOT — I repeat — have NOT had any other hypochondriasis involving other medical conditions before.
The ALS scare is their first. Victims can be any age, including 20s, even though ALS is extremely, extremely rare in this age group (cdc.gov).
So obsessed and profoundly shaken up do BFS sufferers become, that they typically spend inordinate amounts of time conducting strength tests, since muscle weakness is a hallmark ALS symptom.
These home tests can be as follows:
- Continuous standing up and down on one’s toes, on one foot
- Pulling at the feet, toes, fingers or hands to measure resistance strength
- Repeatedly climbing up and down stairs to measure possible weaknes
- Picking up heavy items
- Unscrewing tight jar lids
- Prolonged staring at the twitching area
- Excessive visual examinations comparing the twitching side of the body to the non-twitching side
- Continuous getting in and out of chairs in an attempt to detect leg weakness — and the list goes on.
Shutterstock/Boris Bulychev
The victim thinks of death constantly, worries how family will get along without them, starts imagining life in a wheelchair, life with a trach tube in the throat to breathe for them, what their last breaths will feel like while family members watch, etc.
They visit ALS clinics for exams, and sometimes, one round of negative tests isn’t enough to reassure them that they are healthy.
Many BFS sufferers take antidepressant drugs, because these drugs have been shown to alleviate symptoms of hypochondria, anxiety and obsessive thought processes.
But the drugs do only so much, and drugs aren’t an option for people who want to live naturally without putting drugs in their body.
The anxiety makes BFS symptoms worse, and the symptoms, besides muscle twitching (the biggest twitches are called “thumpers”), can include fatigue, a drained feeling, tingling, cramps (ALS symptom), buzzing, pins and needles sensations, and “perceived weakness.”
Because the sufferer thinks he has ALS, his imagination plays tricks on him and he thinks his muscles have weakened.
This can set off a chain reaction of continuous obsessing over home strength and balance tests in an attempt to reassure himself.
Don’t try funky balance tests for reassurance — tests that even perfectly healthy and fit people would struggle to do! Freepik
I began suffering from this malady some years ago, but I recovered quickly and no longer suffer.
It generally takes at least a year, sometimes several years (but sometimes NEVER), for a BFS sufferer to finally feel assured that they are healthy and nothing’s wrong.
My cure came after spending some time in cyberspace.
I never had any medical tests. My twitching became markedly subdued after only 12 days from when it started up.
I’ve always had a twitch here and there, but nothing like in those first 10 or 12 days.
If the twitching ever fires up again, I won’t tail spin into an insane fear of a killer disease.
However, many BFS sufferers who go into “remission” will experience a resurge of twitching, sometimes in new areas, many months after the remission, and will revert back to living in constant fear of ALS.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
.
Top image: Shutterstock/fizkes
Sources: mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis/basics/symptoms/con-20024397 and cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss6307a1.htm
How to Lower Blood Pressure Naturally without Drugs?
Lowering blood pressure without drugs is perfectly safe, cheaper and has no nasty side effects of conventional medicine.
If you want to lower blood pressure naturally, but are already on drugs to lower blood pressure, make sure you arrange with the prescribing doctor about weaning off conventional medicine for your high blood pressure.
Never quit blood pressure medication without consulting with your doctor.
If your doctor insists you use only conventional medicine, and that natural treatments for lowering blood pressure don’t work, find another doctor.
Conventional medicine for lowering blood pressure is something to be leery at because the “medicines” are actually drugs.
The body is not designed by nature to efficiently process a foreign chemical substance.
The results are side effects and chemical imbalances in the body.
If you have high blood pressure, something is not right inside your body. A drug treats symptoms and does NOT make you healthier.
Side effects of “medicine” for lowering blood pressure include:
Death to an unborn baby if a pregnant woman takes the “medicine.”
Cardiac arrest
Kidney problems
Skin rash
Headache, dizziness, nausea, fainting
Insomnia
Depression
Pneumonia
Impotence
Breast enlargement in men
Many more potential side effects exist.
This article assumes you’ve already been diagnosed with high blood pressure; here’s how to lower blood pressure without conventional medicine:
“When dealing with high blood pressure, the most important thing you can do is eliminate the drivers,” says Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a board certified cardiologist and founder of Preventive Cardiology Clinic.
“There are multiple factors that contribute to blood pressure going up.”
Exercise. Just a 10-minute brisk walk will lower blood pressure. But don’t stop there.
A more permanent lowering of blood pressure will occur in only a few weeks of consistent exercise: 30-60 minutes a day at least four days a week. Exercise lowers blood pressure by lowering blood volume.
Dr. Klodas says that regular physical activity will decrease blood pressure by 4-9 mmHg.
Mistake: Thinking work you do around the house or yard or with your car counts towards your daily exercise quota. WRONG.
Shutterstock/Monkey Business Images
The 30-60 minutes of exercise must be scheduled exercise time, in addition to any work around the house or on the job.
If you have high blood pressure, all your housework obviously has not prevented it.
Exercise should consist of cardio and strength training, both challenging enough to get you winded but not gasping; and your muscles pleasantly burning but not hurting.
DASH diet: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (high blood pressure).
Permitted is an occasional portion-controlled non-DASH food such as a donut, roast beef and gravy, or fried chicken. A healthful diet will lower BP by 8-14 mmHg, says Dr. Klodas.
Also recommended is the Mediterranean diet.
It boils down to whichever one fits best with your lifestyle.
Cut sodium. Sodium should be limited to 1,500 to 2,400 mg a day.
Lowering sodium lowers blood pressure because less sodium means reduced blood volume.
Too much sodium constricts the tiniest of our arteries. This, plus high blood volume, forces the heart to work harder in a very unhealthy way.
Myth: Most sodium comes from the salt shaker.
Fact: Most sodium comes from processed and frozen packaged foods, including frozen seasoned vegetables that come in a box!
Myth: You don’t have to worry about sodium content of condiments.
Fact: Some condiments are loaded with sodium! A teaspoon of mustard can have 50 mg of sodium.
Read labels of every food and beverage. What you think may be low in sodium may be off the charts. Flat-out avoid cured luncheon meats, bacon and sausage.
Don’t add salt; use spices and herbs. Rinse canned foods, even low-sodium varieties, with water.
Lastly, your water softener may be adding sodium to your water. Make sure it doesn’t. If it does, use a different purification system. Cutting sodium will reduce BP by 2-8 mmHg, says Dr. Klodas
Get a dog. If you’ve been tinkering around with the idea of getting a dog but keep putting it off, you now have no more excuses: Studies show that petting a dog lowers blood pressure.
If you own a dog, think of all the daily petting you’ll do. A loving dog in the house will help de-stress you, and stress management is yet another way to naturally lower blood pressure.
Reduce stress. How you react to events is what makes the stress, not the actual event. Change whatever you can to de-stress your life.
Freepik.com Yanalya
If you hate your job, look for another one. If you’re in a toxic relationship, end it. If you’re always screaming at your kids, choose your battles wisely; let the messy bedroom go.
Buy a punching bag and wail on it every day for 10 minutes. Cut back on work hours if you can afford to.
Take assertiveness training classes. Make a to-do list for the next day, every night before going to bed so you can sleep well.
Stress raises blood pressure because if enough stress (how you react) occurs on a chronic basis, chemical changes occur in the body, because your reaction tricks the body into “anticipating” an emergency situation.
Chemically, the body gears up for this — but — no physical exertion (that can counteract the chemical changes) ever happens, because the emergency situation is usually a situation in which you CAN’T fight or flee; i.e., being trapped in a traffic jam, being trapped in an office cubicle working for a tyrant; arguing with your teens at the dinner table; balancing the checkbook, etc.
The sedate, trapped body under stress will result in chemical imbalance = high blood pressure.
In addition, losing weight can lower blood pressure by 5-20 mmHG, and lowering alcohol intake 2-4 mmHG, says Dr. Klodas.
“So put it all together – and you can realize anywhere from a 20 to 55 mmHg drop on your own,” she says.
“That’s the same results you’d get from being on a bunch of medications!
“And because sodium is so hard to avoid, being especially diligent in this regard is critical.”
Trained at Mayo Graduate School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins, Dr. Klodas believes in first changing the diet, rather than taking pills, to improve cholesterol profile. Her clinical interests include prevention of heart disease and non-invasive cardiac imaging.
Chocolate for Lowering Your Blood Pressure
Freepik.com
A study from the University of Surrey suggests that dark chocolate, apples and grapes may benefit heart health.
These items contain naturally occurring compounds shown to help lower blood pressure and improve blood vessel function.
Published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology (2025), the study reviewed 145 clinical trials.
It found that regular intake of dark chocolate can modestly reduce blood pressure, especially in people with high or borderline-high readings.
In some cases, the effect was similar to that of certain medications.
The study paper points out that chocolate should not replace medical treatment and that further research is still needed.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Top image: ©Lorra Garrick
Coughing, Lump or Pain in the Throat: It’s LPR
LPR (laryngopharyngeal reflux) affects 50 million Americans, and you may be one, as it causes many symptoms and can lead to cancer.
LPR is frequently misdiagnosed as an allergy, sinus infection or asthma.
Below are links to articles about this common problem that sometimes presents with frightening symptoms such as a choking sensation or difficulty inhaling.
Of course, it’s vital to realize that you just can’t assume with 100 percent confidence that your symptoms mean LPR.
LPR can mimic other conditions; you need a professional diagnosis.
LPR symptoms like chronic throat clearing and a lumpy feeling there are distinct from typical acid reflux.
But a definitive diagnosis involves specialized testing.
An example is the 24-hour dual probe pH-impedance study; this will show the presence of acid and non-acid reflux in the throat.
But keep in mind that acid refluxing into the throat is a common situation.
Your symptoms may likely mean LPR. However, if they persist or if they don’t respond to over the counter medication and especially a prescription medication for reflux, you should see an E.N.T. physician.
I interviewed an E.N.T. physician for these articles.
Telling the difference between LPR and cancer of the throat
Can an LPR choking episode be fatal?
What to do about the acid reflux in your nose
Vocal vord dysfunction: real or fake?
Is your LPR a pain in the neck (literally)?
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
.
Top image: Shutterstock/Andrey_Popov
What Helps a Sore Throat from Acid Reflux?
An E.N.T. doctor explains what you can do to help your sore throat from acid reflux (LPR)—naturally and pharmaceutically.
What are the best drugs for helping relieve a sore throat from acid reflux?
“The best medications for acid reflux are the proton pump inhibitors,” says Dr. Stacey Silvers, MD, of Madison ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery in NYC, who is board certified in otolaryngology.
“Many of these medications are found over the counter in lower doses than can be found in a prescription.
“These medications include Nexium, Prilosec, Prevacid, Zegerid and omeprazole.
“Some patients may require these medications 2 x per day in order to manage their symptoms.
“There is no ‘best’ medication, as different people prefer and benefit from different things.
“If the first medication is not successful for you, then a second one may work better.
“Ideally these medications are not taken forever, and natural, dietary measures are taken and are successful.”
What are the best natural solutions for the sore throat caused by acid reflux?
Dr. Silvers explains, “These natural measures include first and foremost not eating three hours before bed.”
This is a difficult rule for many people to stand by, especially people trying to build muscle who believe that eating protein, even complex carbs, close to bedtime will turn an 11-hour fast into an eight-hour fast.
“Lying down with a stomach full of acid will lead the acid to go up with gravity from lying down,” says Dr. Silvers.
“It is not enough to elevate the head of the bed with a wedge, though this is a helpful natural measure.”
If you’re experiencing symptoms of acid reflux, including those affecting the throat, despite sleeping on a wedge, take note of what and when your last meal was before you got into bed.
“Foods that are high in acid should be reduced including tomatoes, chocolate, onions, alcohol, caffeine, mints and spicy food and citrus.
“If you smoke, QUIT. Some natural methods that are successful for some are apple cider vinegar 3 x per day and aloe. Individual results will certainly vary.”
If your sore throat persists despite these measures, acid reflux may not be the cause; see your doctor.
An NYC expert in ear, nose and throat care, Dr. Silvers has been named among America’s Top Physicians and Surgeons in facial plastic surgery and otolaryngology numerous times since 2003. Dr. Silvers is an expert in the field of minimally invasive rhinology, resolving patients’ breathing and sinus problems with simple in-office procedures.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
.
Top image: Shutterstock/Audrey_Popov
Does Vocal Cord Dysfunction (VCD) Really Exist?
“VCD does not exist,” says E.N.T. physician Dr. Stacey Silvers.
Dr. Silvers, of Madison ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery in NYC, who is board certified in otolaryngology, explains that “No one has done EMG on vocal muscles to show that the nerve is not functioning during these sudden ‘episodes.’”
An EMG (electromyography) is a nerve conduction test to see how well, if at all, electrical nerve impulses are firing to make muscle fibers contract.
So then, just what is going on when someone experiences what they believe to be a problem or “dysfunction” with their vocal cords?
Dr. Silvers explains, “The symptoms of ‘VCD’ are the exact symptoms of silent reflux. It is the swelling from the acid leading to the scary symptoms. It is not paralysis or weakness of the vocal cords.”
Silent reflux is also known as LPR (laryngopharyngeal reflux disease).
The term “vocal cord dysfunction” is actually ambiguous. What Dr. Silvers is saying is that there truly is a disorder suffered by many that involves the vocal cords: LPR.
But this is not a problem with the muscle fibers of the vocal cords. Hence, the term “vocal cord dysfunction” is misleading.
“VCD is a misnomer,” says Dr. Silvers. “The symptoms of difficulty breathing, coughing, wheezing, throat tightness, hoarse voice are all symptoms of LPR.
“The term VCD has been coined by allergists and pulmonologists who do not have the ability to view the vocal cords.”
You may have read somewhere that a doctor can look down your throat and diagnose VCD, but that in order for the doctor to do this, the patient would have to be experiencing an “attack” right at that moment. What are the odds of that occurring?
LPR can produce ongoing symptoms such as throat discomfort, the hoarse voice, very frequent coughing, a sensation of mucus trickling down the throat and a constant feeling of a lump in the throat.
But that sudden “attack” of feeling that your airway has instantly been shrunk to the diameter of a straw … it’s just not likely that this will occur right when the physician is peering down at your vocal cords.
And if it did…the doctor would see acid on the vocal cords making them swell.
“The symptoms can be sudden; they can wake you from sleep and make it feel like you cannot breathe,” says Dr. Silvers.
“Laryngopharyngeal reflux is acid coming up into the back of the throat. The throat (laryngeal or post cricoid) swelling is a result of the acid irritating the tissues leading to swelling.
“Therefore, people experience throat tightness and hoarseness.
“It’s the swelling of the larynx and even just below the larynx that is a result of the corrosive stomach acid that leads to the wheezing and throat tightness.
“These patients are not developing a nerve issue or vocal function problems. If the reflux is treated, the symptoms will resolve.”