Over 60 million Americans suffer from heartburn. It is possibly the single most income-creating medical problem for the pharmaceutical companies. Heartburn is a burning pain starting behind the breastbone and spreading upwards. The stomach acid, backing up the wrong way from the stomach, enters the esophagus and inflames and irritates the esophagus. The lower esophagus sphincter, either through weakness or getting relaxed due to alcohol or drugs, allows this leak.
There are three different approaches to manage this problem. The antacids provide a simple temporary cure. These medications, mainly made of calcium carbonate, aluminum and magnesium, neutralize the acid in the stomach. They act very fast, but are effective only for short periods (1 to 2 hours). Antacids like Pepto-Bismol coat the esophagus so that the acid does not come in contact and cause heartburn. Medications like Gaviscon form a barrier of foam between stomach and esophagus.
The H2 blockers are the second type of medications used to cure heartburn. Drugs like Cimetidine, Ranitidine, Nizatidine and Famstidine provide relief from the heartburn by suppressing acid production in the stomach. They take about 1 hour to take effect and last up to 12 hours.
Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI) are the third class of medication for heartburn. PPIs like Omeprazole and Lansoprozole turn off acid production by a different method from H2 blockers. PPI interferes with the proton pump in the mucus lining of the stomach at the last stage of acid production. It is effective within one hour and the effect lasts up to 24 hours. There is also a combination medicine: antacid for fast relief and H2 blocker for longer relief.
We do not know, by any systematic study, how effective herbal remedies are or how they work. But many physicians accept and recommend them as supporting medication. Ginger root, aloe vera juice, basil leaves, bitters and aromatics all have their proponents.
Self-treating heartburn with OTC drugs is quite reasonable, up to a point. But if the problem persists for longer periods than recommended by the drug manufacturer or if the patient finds no relief with the medication, it is time to consult a physician. The heartburn could be a symptom of a more serious underlying problem.
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Heartburn
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Heartburn has nothing to do with the heart or its systems. It is a common problem with the digestive system. When we swallow food, it travels down a tube called the esophagus, passes through a one-way valve known as the Lower Esophagus Sphincter (LES), and...
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Hearburn Treatment
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Heartburn is caused due to stomach acid spilling into the esophagus and irritating the unprotected lining of the esophagus. There are quite a few causes of the problem, and the treatment has to be an integrated approach. As the problem involves the digestive system, eating...
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Chronic Heartburn
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Heartburn is a burning pain starting behind the breastbone and radiating upwards. The hydrochloric acid from the stomach leaks into the esophagus and causes heartburn. Occasional heartburn due to rich food or other lifestyle causes is classified as mild or episodic. Heartburn occurring twice or...
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Heartburn is a burning pain behind the breastbone and ribs that spreads upwards to the throat. It is caused by the acid from the stomach spilling into the esophagus and irritating the unprotected lining of the esophagus. It is usually treated by regulating the diet,...
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Cause of Heartburn
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Heartburn is a burning pain starting from behind the breastbone and ribs and radiating upwards towards the throat. Basically, heartburn is caused by hydrochloric acid spilling upward into the esophagus from the stomach. The lining of the esophagus, unlike that of the stomach, is not...
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Heartburn is a pain behind the breastbone which radiates upwards into the throat. This burning pain is caused because of digestive juices, including hydrochloric acid, spilling into the throat from the stomach and irritating the unprotected lining of the esophagus. This happens because of the...
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Heartburn is the most prevalent complaint heard about the digestive system. When the hydrochloric acid from the stomach enters the esophagus – the food tube that connects the mouth with the stomach – it inflames and irritates the unprotected lining of the tube and causes...
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Neuropathy is disease of the nervous system. One or more nerves of similar length could be damaged, thereby causing severe pain, numbness or tingling sensations. Medications are available to cure neuropathy, but these take a long time; the time taken depends on the type and...
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Medication
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Medications are drugs taken to reduce or cure medical conditions and illnesses. Medications are commonly divided into over-the-counter (OTC) medication and prescription-only medication (POM). OTC medication is generally deemed to be safe. In other words, a person consuming OTC medication has little chance of doing...
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Though the root causes are often unclear, perhaps the most prevalent acid reflux cause is a poor diet. Acid reflux occurs during digestion, when the stomach churns up acid or refluxes it into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation in the chest or throat. So...