Nowadays, you can get acid reflux relief through many avenues. You can resort to prescription drugs or over the counter medication, alternative solutions that use herbs and natural methods that help prevent acid reflux.
There are many forms of medication that provide acid reflux relief today. You can get a PPI or proton pump inhibitor, which blocks or regulates the production of excess acids in the stomach. So far, the FDA has only approved one PPI for over the counter use, which is suitable for short-term treatment. If your needs exceed beyond short-term relief, you can ask a prescription PPI drug from your health care provider.
H2 antagonists or histamine antagonists are also acid blockers which can provide relief from acid reflux. Certain brands are available over the counter, so you can easily avail of one. Over the counter antacids may also be used, as they neutralize or counter the amount of acid in the stomach.
However, keep in mind that these may come with side effects that could cause complications with your health.
A safer option would be to take alternative medicine used to treat acid reflux. Certain herbs including fennel, ginger root, and wormwood are believed to be beneficial to the gastrointestinal system.
Lastly, simple changes in your diet and lifestyle could go a long way in providing acid reflux relief. Avoid eating oily and fatty foods, certain spices, citrus fruits and acidic vegetables, chocolate and certain sweets. Instead of drinking alcoholic beverages or caffeine drinks, stick to mineral water or apple juice. And because tobacco is believed to weaken the esophageal sphincter, the muscle responsible for keeping gastric juices constrained in the stomach, you should also avoid smoking.
To prevent acid reflux, do not eat huge meals and instead, spread frequent light meals throughout the day. Do not lie down or sleep immediately when on a full stomach. Chew food properly to aid the digestion process.
These are some things you can do to get acid reflux relief. Whether you opt for prescription or OTC medication, alternative healthcare, or natural methods, it’s always best to seek medical advice.
Filed under Symptoms and Treatments for Heartburn by on Dec 15th, 2009. Comment. 
You’ve just enjoyed a heavy and hearty meal when suddenly you experience this painful sensation in your chest area. Before you panic and think you’re having a heart attack, it’s best to pay close attention to your body to determine if what you’re having is heartburn or a heart attack. Because the symptoms of the two conditions can easily be confused with one another, one should learn the difference between symptoms of heartburn and a heart attack.
Heartburn is the burning sensation one feels when acid from the stomach rise up into the esophagus. This is a result of several factors which could weaken the esophageal sphincter, the muscle responsible for keeping gastric juices restricted to the stomach.
Usually, symptoms of heartburn include a painful and burning sensation that starts from the stomach and extends to the lower chest area, usually at the breastbone, and even into the neck. This is often accompanied with a sour and acidic taste in the mouth. It could be over in a few minutes, or it could last until a few hours. Bloating and belching are also some heartburn symptoms, as well as a feeling of fullness in the stomach area.
On the other hand, the chest pain in a heart attack is a sudden squeezing or crushing pain located in the center of the chest. This is often accompanied by nausea, dizziness, sweating and shortness of breath.
Timing is also important in differentiating symptoms of heartburn from a heart attack. Heartburn usually happens after a big meal, or when you bend or lie down. On the other hand, a heart attack is most likely to occur during or after strenuous activities, physical exercise and stress, although it can happen anytime.
If you experience heartburn symptoms frequently, have a discussion with your health care provider immediately. It may be a symptom to an underlying condition, which could worsen if left untreated.
Learning more about the symptoms of heartburn will help you be more in tune to your body so you can spot its onset and learn to differentiate it from a heart attack episode.
Filed under Featured, Symptoms and Treatments for Heartburn by on Nov 24th, 2009. Comment.
Heartburn, contrary to what the name implies, doesn’t actually involve the heart, but the upper region of your digestive system. It is the burning sensation one feels when gastric acids in the stomach rise up into the unprotected esophagus due to acid reflux. It can be bothersome and a rather painful experience, and fortunately there are a lot of ways to prevent and treat heartburn. If you are not comfortable with using prescription drugs for heartburn, you can go for herbal heartburn treatment.
Normally, your stomach produces acids to help digest the food you take in. To safeguard the stomach from the acids that it produces, its walls are lined with protective mucus. Unfortunately, the esophagus does not have this feature. It relies on the esophageal sphincter, a muscle located at the mouth of the stomach, to keep the gastric juices from going up the esophagus. When this muscle weakens, acids from the stomach can seep through the esophagus, causing the burning sensation which is heartburn.
If you want to avoid using drugs and other medication which may cause side effects, herbal heartburn treatment is an alternative. BBC News reports that researchers from Korea may have found an herbal treatment to heartburn in the form of Artemesia asiatica, or wormwood. The treatment worked positively in treating heartburn in a group of rats. However, this still does not go to show that it will work as well in humans.
If you want heartburn treatment that can be found within your kitchen, you can try snacking on celery, which is known to aid digestion and relieve muscle spasm. It works well in treating acid conditions like heartburn and gout.
Fennel is also something you can try, which brings wonders to your digestive tract as it helps relieve abdominal pain, gastrointestinal tract spasms, and heartburn.
But perhaps the best heartburn treatment is still prevention, and you can do so by avoiding foods that trigger acid reflux. Some of which include citrus fruits, meats, alcohol and caffeine, dairy foods, sweet and fatty foods, and some spices. Stick to a well planned diet and herbal treatment combination and you may just bid heartburn goodbye.
Filed under Featured, Symptoms and Treatments for Heartburn by on Nov 20th, 2009. Comment.
