April 9th is International Stomach Protection Day. When it comes to protecting the stomach, many people's first reaction is to avoid certain foods, but they often overlook the importance of avoiding bad breath. If you always feel a burning sensation in your chest, acid water occasionally surging up, and taking medications such as omeprazole and rabeprazole does not improve, it is not necessarily that the medication is ineffective, it is likely that your stomach is causing emotional distress. Recently, the Gastroenterology Department of Jiangsu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine received a patient with "gastroesophageal reflux disease" who was angry due to tutoring assignments. Tutoring homework caused emotional anxiety, and her stomach also suffered from acid reflux and heartburn. Not long ago, Ms. Liao, a resident of Nanjing, felt very uncomfortable due to acid reflux and heartburn. She went to the outpatient clinic selected by Wu Ke, the deputy director of the Gastroenterology Department of Jiangsu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine. Gastroscopy showed no organic lesions in the esophagus and stomach, but symptoms of pantothenic acid and heartburn were present, and she was ultimately diagnosed with "gastroesophageal reflux disease". At first, Wu Ke chose to prescribe proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as rabeprazole to her according to the conventional Western medicine protocol. After eating for a month, Ms. Liao's discomfort is still evident. After careful examination by Wu Ke Xuan, it was discovered that there were two key triggers hidden behind her: emotional anxiety and passive smoking. As soon as Ms. Liao's child started school, tutoring homework became her 'nightmare'. Watching her child procrastinate on homework makes her easily anxious and angry. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is said that 'anger can harm the liver', causing liver qi to become stagnant. Over time, it can turn into heat, and liver fire can invade the stomach, leading to what is known as' acid regurgitation 'in traditional Chinese medicine. In addition, Ms. Liao's husband has a smoking habit. She has been exposed to secondhand smoke for a long time, and the nicotine in the tobacco can damage the gastric mucosa and cause the lower esophageal sphincter (cardia) to relax, which is equivalent to the "gate" of the stomach not closing tightly, and stomach acid is naturally prone to overflow. After identifying the cause, Wu Ke Xuan suggested that Ms. Liao stop using Western medicine and switch to individualized Chinese medicine for syndrome differentiation and treatment based on her "liver stomach stagnation heat" syndrome. The medicines such as gardenia, fermented black beans, and coptis in the formula can have the effects of clearing the liver, purging fire, and reducing stomach reflux. After taking the medication for two weeks, her symptoms of acid reflux and heartburn have basically disappeared. In addition, she took the initiative to adjust her emotions and stay away from secondhand smoke, and the symptoms no longer recurred. One third of stomach diseases are related to mood, and there are many patients in the outpatient department who suffer from digestive problems due to emotional factors, accounting for about one-third to one-quarter. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the spleen and stomach are the "foundation of postnatal development", but their function of transportation and transformation cannot be separated from the liver's ability to regulate and release fluids. Different emotions can cause varying degrees of damage to the stomach: patients with anger or irritability usually have a quick temper, and anger can lead to liver qi reversal, directly invading the spleen and stomach, manifested as stomach pain, bloating, and rib pain; Patients with depression and low mood tend to be introverted and always keep things bottled up in their hearts. Long term suppression can lead to spleen deficiency, manifested as decreased appetite, indigestion, bloating, and loose stools; Long term anxiety can lead to abnormal gastric acid secretion and decreased gastric motility, thereby inducing reflux. Wuke Xuan emphasizes that for emotional related stomach diseases, if using Western medicine that solely suppresses stomach acid is not effective, it may be worth trying traditional Chinese medicine for regulation. By soothing the liver and regulating qi, strengthening the spleen and stomach, unexpected effects can often be achieved. He specifically reminds that besides emotions, coffee, strong tea, sweets, and sticky foods can also harm your stomach. Stomach diseases not only rely on "treatment", but also on "nourishment". The term 'nurturing' here includes both dietary taboos and emotional management. (New Society)