What's the Root Cause? by Dr Vikki Petersen

Do you take PPI medication? If you or someone you know does, please give a listen. There are some significant dangers associated with this drug that you must know about. It's a very commonly prescribed medication for acid reflux - over 110 million prescriptions annually in the U.S. A 2014 study published in the International Journal of Cardiology wanted to determine the risk of heart attack w...

90% of Americans are deficient in omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3s make up your cell membranes, your nervous and brain tissue. They are cardioprotective and are highly anti-inflammatory. There's an omega 3 index test where a high index is 8% or more, and those with a high index have a higher life expectancy by 5 years over the average American. In Japan, where they have a very high index of 10%...

Silent reflux is vastly different from heartburn, reflux or GERD, but its root cause is the same, which is important to realize. Silent reflux is also known as LPR, laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), which basically means that acid is flowing up from your stomach to your larynx or voice box. It can caause the following symptoms: - difficulty swallowing - bad taste in your mouth, especially in the mor...

Burping is normal until it becomes excessive. Normally the air we swallow dissolves a little in your stomach acid, but mostly it dissolves in the water contained in your stomach. In Hiatal Hernia Syndrome the stomach gets compressed and it's pushed up into the diaphragm and air that you've swallowed can get trapped and you'll burp. GERD (acid reflux) has burping as an associated sym...

Are you frustrated with doctors who don't really listen to you, are quick to give you a new drug or insinuate your problem is all due to stress? Are you tired of hearing that nothing significant is wrong with you despite suffering with heart palpitations, shortness of breath, anxiety and more? Of course you're happy that your doctor is unable to find a disease, but the frustration comes...

An interesting study evaluated quantity of sleep and bedtime and found interesting risk associations with not only type 2 diabetes but also cardiovascular disease. Specifically sleep deprivation (less than 7 to 9 hours per night) caused the beta cells of your pancreas (the cells that produce insulin) to become less responsive. The results in blood sugar levels remaining elevated after a meal which...

Both Hiatal Hernia Syndrome and Brain Fog have common underlying root causes and one can cause the other. Regardless of whether you have one or both, let's delve into what symptoms are associated with brain fog, causes and what you can do to correct it. Brain fog affects about 28% of the population, more women than men. Common symptoms include: fatigue, confusion, forgetfulness, trouble focus...

Why should you prioritize sleep in your life? I have a strong interest in everything and anything that affects gut health and inflammation of the gut as that can be the leading source of Hiatal Hernia Syndrome. Your microbiome affects you brain, immune system and hormonal imbalance, to name a few. A 2019 study out of Stanford that irregular sleep patterns can lead to changes in the types and abund...

Maybe you've heard that a hiatal hernia can't be corrected without surgery. We do feel that we "heal" hiatal hernia and I'll tell you why. Attend the free live webinar by signing up here: https://event.webinarjam.com/register/20/zmk0vt6 The body can heal itself if you correct the burden that has been causing the problem.  Hiatal hernias do worsen over time and they won&apo...

Is your doctor prescribing drugs that you don't actually need? Is this a surprising concept or have you already experienced this? Over 25 percent of doctors admit to prescribing medications that likely won't have therapeutic benefits for their patient. Over 1 million ER visits and 350,000 hospitalizations take place every year in the U.S. caused by adverse drug events. We see this a lot...

There have been several studies emerging showing a strong correlation between microbiome diversity (the health and number of good bacteria in your colon) and the strength of your immune system. The virus that kept us in our homes for 2 years has now been studied extensively, especially in those who got severely ill or have continued to suffer with symptoms years later. Two "good" bacteri...

I spoke earlier about the Afib link to Hiatal Hernia your Cardiologist may not know about. In this video I discuss another link to Afib for men, who are more affected with this ailment than women. Testosterone converts to DHT, the most potent type of testosterone. About 10% converts and this happens in the prostate and liver. Both elevated and very insufficient levels of DHT have been linked to Af...

Afib, short for atrial fibrillation, is a common irregular heart rhythm affecting millions of Americans. It is typically associated with the following comorbidities: high blood pressure, sleep apnea, diabetes, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, thyroid disease (hyper thyroid), and heart disease. A fib puts you at risk for stroke or sudden death. Why I want to discuss it is that here...

I wanted to share a case study of a 42 year old female who came to us with unrelenting pain and cramping in her intestinal tract. The pain was so terrible she was doubled over from it, and needless to say, was completely miserable. She also suffered from bloating, constipation (which was chronic throughout her life) and was 30 lb overweight. She awakened 3x/night, and had a very stressful job.  He...

If you've stopped consuming any honey because it's a carb and a sugar, I ask that you give me a few minutes to share 6 amazing information about honey. You'll be glad you learned this! There is an abundance of research on both rodents and humans to be found in journals such as: Letters in Drug Design & Discover, Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, F...

In this video I explain in great detail why autoimmune disease develops, there are several reasons and the great news is, something can be done about it. The causes of autoimmune disease which have created stress on your immune system to the degree that it mistakes self tissue (you) from a bad guy, are as follows: 1. Leaky gut or inflammation 2. Gluten sensitivity 3 Toxins 4. Infections 5. Stress...

Why do you feel dizzy or nauseous when you poop and is it normal? It's not normal and it's called a vasovagal response. Your vagus nerve gets irritated when you bear down and in response your heart rate goes down, your blood pressure goes down and you can feel nauseous or faint. The reason why is constipation, even though you perhaps you haven't realized it. Many Americans are const...

Regarding your healthcare, are you a lion or a lamb? A lamb goes docilely along taking whatever drugs your doctor gives you, never questioning if there's a better way, or more importantly, WHY you got this way and what can be done to resolve it. A lion is more aggressive, asks questions, doesn't take advice on face value. Our healthcare model is pharmaceutically drives, very siloed, mean...

Hiatal Hernias are common, but certainly not normal and not innocuous. They typically begin with acid reflux and when that continues, the ongoing pressure on your stomach causes the stomach to elevate and push upwards on your diaphragm until the opening where your esophagus passes through widens, thus allowing your stomach to move upwards - the definition of Hiatal Hernia. Treatment for reflux is...

Are GERD and Hiatal Hernia the same thing? Does on cause the other? Let's discuss. First let's define our terms: A Hiatal Hernia is when part of your stomach moves upwards above your diaphragm.  GERD, or gastro-esophageal reflux disease, is when your stomach moves its contents, acid, up your esophagus. When the stomach moves acid up into your esophagus you'll often feel burning, the...

Burping is normal until it isn't. It isn't normal to have a lot of burping and it isn't normal to feel uncomfortable such that you wish you could burp. And it's definitely not normal to have burping that lessens symptoms of heart palpitations, anxiety or panic attacks. There's a nervous system connection that I think you'll find fascinating, especially if you suffer f...

Are you taking a beta blocker? It's one of the most prescribed drugs in the U.S., so you're in very good company. But perhaps you don't have heart failure or high blood pressure. Perhaps you were prescribed the drug due to heart palpitations or anxiety. If so, please listen. You truly may be able to avoid the dangerous side effects of this drug while restoring your health naturally....

The connection between your stomach and your heart (called gastro-cardiac reflex) is a real one that's been well documented. Even though the connection is understood, you may very well have been told by your doctor, cardiologist or gastroenterologist that no such connection exists. You've perhaps felt the connection between your heart and your digestion, but not gotten any validation fro...

If you suffer from Hiatal Hernia Syndrome and its attendant symptoms of reflux, GERD, bloating, burping, stomach pressure, heart palpitations, shortness of breath and anxiety.... yes, a very long list - I don't need to tell you how miserable it is. With the Holidays fast approaching I wanted to give you some tip to help you get through the Holiday meals with less discomfort. 1. Stick with rea...

The human body is an incredible machine. Did you know that you have something called the migrating motor complex (MMC) which is a pattern of rhythmic contractions that occur in your stomach and small intestine between meals? It starts 3 hours after you stop eating and lasts for 90 - 115 minutes. Its purpose is to cleanse your stomach and propel undigested food, bacteria and other waste products to...