A Guide To Acid Reflux Treatment

Acid reflux treatment can be a simple as a standard antacid indigestion treatment, or something more complex for those that have a chronic condition.  Acid indigestion, or acid reflux as it is known, is something that we all suffer from at times, and are all very familiar with. Some people tend to suffer more often than others, especially those with asthma, diabetes, are overweight, pregnant or have a very hurried lifestyle. Pity the poor woman who's expecting twins, has a tendency to put on weight, has both diabetes and asthma, has to juggle two children a home and her own pregnancy and has a fondness of Mexican food.

We all think we know what the solutions and remedies are for indigestion and acid reflux, and a quick pop down to our local chemist or pharmacy is usually all that's needed to get the symptoms under control. Of course, there are three issues here. The first is that we are predominantly tackling the symptoms, rather than the original cause, and so in the long term we are doing little to help reduce the tendency to suffer in this way, or reducing the damage caused by long term repeated acid reflux.

The second issue is that over time these over the counter medicines tend to have less and less effect, and so with each new bout of indigestion we have to reach fir progressively stronger medication, which in itself is no good thing, and eventually leaves us with much long term damage, and a very severe problem that we cannot buy a solution for ourselves.

The third issue is that of the long  term complications. Treating the symptoms of acid reflux is to largely ignore the cause, and progressive or repeated acid reflux, particularly when there is no very clear indication of why it might be occurring, could be indicative of gastroesophageal reflux disease or something even more severe - in the worst case this could even be a sign of cancer.

So what are the medications that we can buy, what do they do, and what are the options available for longer term or more sever cases of gastroesophageal reflux disease? The most common response to acid indigestion is over the counter medications such as antacids, and as the name suggests, they help to neutralize the acids found in the stomach. By coating the esophagus, the antacids help to remove the harmful and corrosive effects of any acid left there, and reduce the amount of acids in the stomach itself.

An alternate approach is to simply reduce the amount of acid produced by the stomach in the first place, and this works as much as a proactive cure as a reducer of symptoms. These types of medication are known as H2 receptor antagonists. There is a third type of over-the-counter acid reflux treatment that combines these two approaches, helping to both neutralize the acids and at the same time inhibiting or reducing the amount of acid the stomach produces.

Although these medications may work well for those who suffer only very occasionally from acid reflux, and even then, only relatively minor symptoms that go away fairly easily, there are cases where people suffer far more regularly, or more severely, and so a visit to your doctor is recommended. Typically, your doctor will prescribe something called a proton-pump inhibitor, and these almost entirely block the release of stomach acids.

This is clearly going to have an effect on the overall efficiency of the digestive system, but is often considered a small price to pay for the relief from the heartburn and other unwanted effects of the acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease. Some examples of proton-pump inhibitors include Nexium and Prevacid, and Nexium in particular helps to heal the damage caused in the esophagus by the acids.

There are three possible options beyond this as far as your doctor or hospital is concerned, and these all involve surgery of one kind or another. The first is known as the Stretta procedure, and involves electrical stimulation of the lower esophageal sphincter to increase its strength and therefore its effectiveness. The second is endoscopic suturing, which involves inserting stitches around the lower esophageal sphincter to pull the lower esophagus tighter, and therefore reduce the chance of reflux. The third is fundoplication, which actually involves entwining the top of the stomach with the lower esophagus to prevent reflux altogether.

However, there are also a number of alternative acid reflux treatments, the majority of which are proactive rather than dealing directly with the symptoms, and are therefore suited more to those who suffer regularly from the condition. Typically these can focus on diet, recommending eating foods which are more alkali in nature and therefore help to naturally counter the acids in the stomach. Examples of these include ginger, herbs such as fennel, some herbal teas, and fruits and vegetables - although avoiding those fruits which are highly acidic, such as citrus.

Additionally, raising the head of the bed, eating slowly, not eating too much, taking it easy after eating and trying to keep calm and not less stress overwhelm you are also recommended methods of reducing the likelihood of a bout of acid occurring.

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