Treating Heartburn, The Right Way

1. Treating Heartburn, The Right Way Introduction: Heartburn is a growing concern in modern day life as it is becoming wider spread than before. It is a condition where the person suffering from it will feel discomfort and a feeling of pain/burning sensation behind the sternum or the breastbone on different occasions. Sometimes it could be after a meal and at other times, it could be due to a sitting position. Causes The cause of heartburn is acid reflux which means the acids flowing back into the esophagus thus bypassing the sphincter. These sphincters or valves are in place in order to prohibit the bi- directional flow of foods along with the juices. But due to different reasons, when these sphincters fail to function as it should, the acids will flow back into the esophagus reason and thus causes the burning sensation along with the other symptoms. Risks There are various risks associated with heartburn which could range from mild to severe ones. Since the acids flow back into the esophageal region, hence esophagus is more susceptible to the risks than other areas of the body. 1. The acids will cause inflammation of the esophagus in the most occasions which is called esophagitis. These swelling of the walls of the esophagus could very painful if left untreated. Hence, Heartburn should be treated as soon as possible to avoid any kind of complicacy that may occur if left untreated. 2. Along with inflammation, ulcers are also not uncommon in case of heartburn. The acids will be flowing back into the esophagus will cause ulcers and sometimes bleeding will occur which could be very dangerous for the body. 3. Nausea, cough, chest pain is associated with heartburn. How to treat heartburn? When the question pops, how to treat heartburn, there are plenty of things come to mind. The treatment of heartburn depends upon how severe the condition is. The less complicated

2. circumstances require less attention and more serious condition could require a surgical procedure. 1. Diet— This is perhaps the best medicine in case of mild heartburn. Since the acid reflux disease is associated with heavy meals, balancing your diet could make your body adapt better to the acid secretions and hence less frequent heartburn. RefluxMD has various recipes which you could incorporate in your diet for a better result. 2. Antacids—The over the counter antacids will cause the acidity to be lower. And hence, the person may feel the discomfort go away. Though this is a temporary measure and shouldn’t be considered a permanent solution. 3. PPI—Proton Pump Inhibitors or otherwise known as PPI are type of acid blockers which changes the acid secretion by the body. But long-term of PPI use has its own side effects such as hypomagnesemia, the risk of fractures etc. 4. There also medicines which reduces the secretion of acid. These are known as H-2 receptor blockers such as cimetidine, famotidine. They take time to act upon the receptors but they have a long-lasting effect than the antacids. These H-2 receptor blockers are weaker than proton pump inhibitors. 5. If medication fails to improve the condition and frequent bleeding with ulcer formation does occur, then it is better to consult with the doctors and prepare for surgery. Original source : http://refluxmd.blogspot.com/2018/06/treating-heartburn-right-way.html