Herbal Medicine Center

Archive for January 19th, 2010

Drugs and medications for acid reflux are readily available. They are to be seen in adverts, some medications for heartburn are sold over the counter, and most doctors are happy to prescribe them on a promise of immediate termination of the crippling pain of acid reflux. After all that, you are surely asking yourself of medications for acid reflux are in any way effective when it is a matter of fixing the real cause of your condition of acid reflux and if the temporary respite justifies the side effects.

Heartburn, also known as GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), comes about when the valve in the esophagus (the LES or lower esophageal sphincter) becomes weak and instead of acting one-way, lets stomach content flow back into the esophagus. Usually, after glutition, the LES opens to let food into the stomach before closing to prevent acid from returning into the esophagus. The backward flow of acid coming from this acid reflux is often noticed as a burning sensation that is called heartburn. Therefore, acid reflux patients often experience a particular burning feeling under the breastbone, often coming at night.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a menacing condition necessitating immediate diagnosis and treatment. If unattended, GERD can badly corrode the lining of the esophagus causing continual inflammation and possibly even esophageal cancer. Persistent GERD with its concomitant symptoms of heartburn can be distracting and painful enough to ruin your daily activities and seriously impinge on the esophagus.

Acid reflux medicaments are not imperatively the remedy of choice, even if they appear to be the most readily accessible treatment for heartburn. There are four principal classes of medicaments for use with GERD:

1. Antacids take effect by neutralizing acid in the esophagus and do this for up to a few hours. They can be bought in different formats such as liquid, chewing gum or tablets and so on.

2. Alginates encapsulate stomach contents and reduce reflux.

3. H2-receptor antagonists imitate the production of stomach acid in order to put a block on your gastric system. They take 30 to 60 minutes to start working and can then produce this effect for up to 12 hours.

4. PPI (Proton pump inhibitors) inhibit the release of acid in the stomach by acting on the stomach cells.

These medicaments all have a common element, even if they vary in the way in which they work, as well as for their duration and effect:

1. They are of temporary effect. Acid reflux is complicated, being created by a group of factors of the environment, lifestyle and diet. However, most acid reflux medicaments focus on treating the immediate short-term causes of acid reflux, so they only bring temporary relief and sidestep the real causes of heartburn.

2. Using these drugs for a long duration can produce multiple side effects. Prolonged usage of antacids can worsen the damage from long duration acid reflux: gastric acid is necessary for good digestion and immunity and continually ingesting antacid interferes with these processes. PPI therapy usually does more good than harm for side effects. Its most frequent side effects including serious headaches and diarrhea, PPI have also been associated with osteoporosis.

Most medications for acid reflux will do no more than bring temporary respite but with many side effects. This is because conventional medication therapy for heartburn is based on the approach that, in comparison to the holistic approach, does not care for the body, but seeks only to remove the disease’s symptoms. Alternative treatments for acid reflux such as homeopathic solutions, changes in lifestyle and diet, herbal remedies, and detoxification, will sort out the cause inside of acid reflux to safely and effectively prevent it from returning.

Jeff Martin is an author of the best-selling e-book, “Heartburn No More- Open The Door To an Acid Reflux Free Life”. To Learn More About His Unique 5-Step Holistic Acid Reflux Cure System Visit: Heartburn No More. For further information visit: Heartburn and Acid Reflux