European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 19, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Heartburn by Jane Brody new York times his is the season that puts millions of digestive tracts to the acid lest. Combine overwork and the Holiday Rush with Rich Lood and drink an Ever lightening Waistband and perhaps overindulgence in co fee to help keep you going and you be set the stage for acid indigestion. While heartburn As the problem is commonly called has nothing 16 do with your heart it can certainly feel like a lire in your Chest. And this can Dampen your Holiday spirits and cramp your culinary celebrations no can think about indulging in egg nog Pate minced meat pie Plum pudding or even spiced hot cider when heartburn strikes Plain Rice or hot Oatmeal would be Lar More appealing. Even in heartburn rarely bothers you the rest of the year the indulgences and tensions typical of the Holiday season can trigger attacks. The problem is Likely to be even worse Lor those who depart from a More wholesome Tow Tat diet they typically consume. For them the sudden flood of Las and other irritants can upset even a cast Iron stomach you May have had a foretaste of what s 16 come after your thanksgiving feast or hanukkah Celebration of potato latkes Fried in More Oil than it takes to Light a menorah Lor eight Days topped with sour Cream As fatty As whipping Cream perhaps with a Side order of Fried onions or pickled herring. It you think heartburn is a Small Price to pay for Holiday dining pleasures you can Stop Reading now. Bui for those who wish to reduce or avoid digestive discomfort some practical measures can help. Acid indigestion is a burning sensation near the base of the breastbone that results from a backflow of stomach acid into the oesophagus. Some of the sour lasting Reflux May even reach the Mouth. Older symptoms can include nausea burping a bloated feeling or even a sore Throat caused by acid Reflux during sleep. Sometimes the pain of acid indigestion mimics a heart attack. Medical experts estimate that to percent of patients who come to Hospital emergency rooms thinking they Are having a heart attack actually have heartburn. On the other hand Many who Are really having heart attacks delay seeking help because they dismiss he discomfort As indigestion Tho backflow of Slomach add typically results from a drop in pressure in lha lower oesophagus or a malfunctioning of the lower esophageal sphincter the muscular ring where the oesophagus joins the stomach. Tie sphincter usually keeps food going in Only one direction Down toward the intestines smoking and Coffee among other things Are thought to trigger a Erma Bumbeck decrease in esophageal pressure and big meals and certain foods can weaken the sphincter. Some people experience heartburn Lar More Ollen than others. About 20 percent of americans suffer heartburn regularly. Susceptibility increases greatly during pregnancy. Older people those who Are overweight people under undue stress and smokers also Ara More Likely to Sutler. Certain loads and circumstances can greatly increase the risk of heartburn even in those with otherwise Normal esophageal function. Foods that typically trigger heartburn Are irritants and those that stimulate acid secretion including deep Fried and other Greasy or fatty foods chocolate co fee even decaffeinated and acid neutralize alcohol milk Citrus fruits and juices Tomato products and various spices and flavourings. Other common offenders Are hot peppers Chili powder cumin Nutmeg Ginger cinnamon allspice spearmint Peppermint garlic and onions excess pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter can also cause heartburn. Such pressure can Resul from eating too much at one time wearing a Belt or clothing that is too Light and bearing Down on the Abdomen. For those who wish to reduce or avoid digestive discomfort some practical measures can help. Lying Down exercising vigorously or bending Over. Loo soon after Ealing can also cause problems As can prolonged stress or Evert momentary tension perhaps because they slow he emptying of the stomach. Certain drugs including aspirin also irritate the stomach obviously if you know which foods bother you try to avoid them. This can be a Little Tricky at a Holiday parly where you May be unable to find out what is in various offerings. -. " still you can steer Clear of common troublemakers. Like deep Fried hours d oeuvres and pastries pates. Cheeses and Rich dips you might also avoid sauces and gravies spice cake Citrus fruits and juices Candy canes and Aller dinner mints alcohol especially liqueur Gas producing foods and carbonated drinks. Ii you Are preparing the foods yourself you can make. Reasonable substitutions such As using Low fal or non fat Yogurt or blender sized Low fat cottage cheese in place of sour Cream Mayonnaise or Cream cheese. Try raw vegetables Lor dipping instead of potato chips although some party goers May have to avoid Gas producing vegetables like Broccoli and cauliflower or offer a non alcoholic punch or such Low acid juices As Apple Cranberry and grape and nectar As Well As Mineral  might also replace High fat sausages and cold cuts with skinless poultry lean meats fish and shellfish and serve fruit for dessert instead of lat Mictl cakes cookies pies and pastries. As a Bonus this anti heartburn menu is also tar healthier than traditional tatty Are. Avoid lying Down within three or Lour hours after eating a meal. Even then try sleeping on several pillows in a Semi silting position or raise the head of the bed about six inches. Don t smoke or exercise right after eating. Eat slowly and moderately. Don t go to a party ravenously hungry you la be More Likely to eat everything in sight and too much of it. If you know you re feeling tense you would be Wise to eat Little or nothing until you Calm Down if preventives fail and acid indigestion threatens antacids sold Over the counter can often bring Relief. Those sold As liquids Are usually More effective than the chewable variety which should be chewed very thoroughly. Even an Ordinary piece of hard Candy that can be sucked but that a not mint Flavoured can stimulate saliva flow to help neutralize acid irritation. Milk on the other hand stimulates acid How in the stomach and is not a Good treatment. If the indigestion you experience is unusually severe if it is accompanied by breathlessness sudden nausea or vomiting tainting palpitations heavy sweating or a cold Clammy feeling seek medical help immediately. Your indigestion May be a heart attack requiring emergency care. Also seek medical attention although no on an emergency basis ii the heartburn pain is very severe it you have difficulty swallowing ii Lood seems to stick in your Chest or if it hurts to  heartburn occurs three of More limes a week it can cause inflammation scarring and constriction of the oesophagus and May even set the stage for the development of cancer. Or it could be & symptom of a peptic ulcer. \ your doctor should examine your upper digestive tract using such tests As an a Ray performed after swallowing barium called an upper go ser test or. Endoscopy in which a thin lighted lube is swallowed to permit a direct View of your inside. The doctor May prescribe medication to reduce acid secretion of ease a   tract ,. Chronic indigestion May sometimes require surgery to strengthen the esophageal sphincter or to reconstruct the entire area using Muscles irom the Abdomen,1. Greetings Christmas revellers. Once again it s time to Salute the winners of the Christmas newsletter Barf off  from the bumper crop of. Entries sent in 1938. Most of you know the rules. These newsletters must be cranked out by the thousands sent to people who barely know you and report on events that have nothing whatsoever to do with Tho spirit of Christmas. They cannot be personalised in any Way each year i think bad taste cannot be topped. Each year i am wrong. It s hard to believe these Are the runners up an entry that rambled on for a Page ending in we re eager to hear your news was sent to a couple who were not Only deceased but the senders had attended their funerals you can t get decent help to address labels anymore a two pager describing intricate details of a couple s memorable 16,283-. Kilometre trip through Europe. Caution do not read while driving a car As drowsiness ensues. And the longest entry live computer pages on 9-by 15-Inch paper on How the author tall about life Hie was for it. But enough leasing. The third place Winner is a woman who gets right to ii the accomplishments of her four kids. No Happy holidays or Small talk. She lists each of their names and underneath their accomplishments of particular interest under her eldest daughter has dated 10 outstanding boys has five boyfriends now one who Calls her two or three times a Day and lots her drive his Mercedes any time she wants and is a methodist. She included a copy of a yearbook Page with her daughter s boyfriends circled -. Second place goes to a dog who nips on a rum cake while a is writing the newsletter and in Nifte last paragraph says we really Hope that you will enjoy a prosperous and Shuper new year and ail that Stuffl and "p.s. I d really like to apologise for what Pra Shor and Dansher did to your roof last  there s nothing like a Drunken dog to get you into a festive mood this year s first place  t even a close Call. For sheer Holiday sentiment no one lopped the details of the birth of a son who according to this newsletter came by a Section with Dwayne and  hand. He was posterior the baby not Dwayne and stuck on my cystic sic nerve giving me Page 16 the stars and stripes monday december 19,1988 incredible Back labor. Lamaze never prepared us for that. Dwayne found the birthing quite an experience. When the couple went on vacation they shared i pumped for two weeks in Advance and froze my milk Dwayne. Brought Home this rented breast pump and announced that i was now a member of the Dairy association the pump weighed 50 pounds.-1 Felt like  one woman who was critical of my stand on newsletters admonished. Could t you have a bake off Lor the Besl Well done newsletter no Send in your Barl Olf entries for next years Competition. Remember ii you really want to know How Good your life is ,., read your own Christmas newsletter. It 19heoti Santa