Heartburn Medicine – Popular Heartburn Medications
Some people use herbal treatments and others prefer homeopathic remedies but conventional heartburn medicine remains to be one of the most popular choices when it comes to treating this common digestive problem. There are dozens of different heartburn medications that you can choose from, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. To figure out which will work best for you, it would be wise to learn a thing or two about each of your options.
Heartburn Antacids
By far the most popular heartburn medicine, antacids are usually available over-the-counter, which means that you can buy them even without getting a prescription from your doctor. They work by stabilizing the excess acids in the stomach, preventing them from rising into the esophagus.
There are two ways of using antacids as a heartburn medicine. The first is to provide instant relief from painful heartburn symptoms, which will happen if you take the pill as soon as the pain begins. Another way is to use it as a preventive medication. If you already know that you are prone to heartburn attacks, you can take an antacid immediately after eating in order to stop the heartburn attack before it happens.
Antacids do give almost instant relief from heartburn but this is only a temporary solution. Oftentimes, the pain will recur after an hour after taking the medication. Furthermore, the habitual use of antacids as a heartburn medicine can result in negative side effects in the long run, and it may even cause serious health complications for some individuals.
Heartburn Home Remedies
If you don’t have antacids on hand and you really need to get relief from painful heartburn symptoms, you can try making your own heartburn medicine by mixing baking soda with water. This home remedy is an excellent solution to heartburn problems but should not be taken on a regular basis because it can increase blood pressure.
Natural Remedies
There are also many natural heartburn relief remedies, you will find on this website. Many of them help ease the digestive problems as well as provide the relief. After all you are better off treating the underlying health problem than just the ‘top’ few symptoms.
Alginates
This is another effective heartburn medicine that works like an antacid but with longer-lasting effects. You might need to have a doctor’s prescription before being able to purchase this medication.
H2 Blockers
Also called H2-receptor antagonists, H2 blockers work by regulating the production of acid in the stomach. They are systemic remedies that have very high success rates but may take a little longer to deliver results than alginates or even baking soda. Familiar names of H2 blockers include Zantac, Pepcid and Tagamet. These heartburn medicines are available in very low doses and may be purchased without a doctor’s prescription.
Proton Pump Inhibitors
Another popular type of heartburn medicine, proton pump inhibitors or PPIs work by modifying the proteins in the stomach, reducing the risk of acid overproduction. They are considered to be one of the best long-term treatments for heartburn today.
Common Causes of Heartburn and Treatments
For a condition that comes with rather severe symptoms, the common causes of heartburn are actually quite ordinary and easily avoided. Two of these causes are an unhealthy diet and improper lifestyle habits. Practically anyone is capable of avoiding these causes and thus reducing their risks of suffering from heartburn symptoms and finding heartburn relief. The only reason why millions of people are still experiencing heartburn is their lack of information regarding these causes.
Easy Remedies for Heartburn Relief
The best way to treat most heartburn cases is by using preventive measures that will help you avoid the condition altogether. You can do this by carefully watching what you eat. It is best to avoid foods that are acidic, fatty, starchy, sugary and highly processed, as these are among the most common causes of heartburn. You should also improve your eating habits by reducing the sizes of your meals and eating at a slower pace. Experts recommend eating several smaller meals a day instead of 3 large ones especially if you already know that you are rather prone to heartburn.
Heartburn can also be caused by lying down soon after eating an especially large meal, or by using a very low pillow for your head while you sleep. If you don’t want to wake up with heartburn pains in the middle of the night, you should avoid eating too close to bedtime, and make sure that your head is sufficiently elevated when you lie down to sleep.
You may also want to reduce the consumption of caffeinated and carbonated drinks, as these are also common causes of heartburn. Highly acidic drinks like pure citrus juices should also be avoided by individuals that are likely to suffer from heartburn.
In addition to food and eating habits, certain lifestyle practices can also increase the risk of heartburn. For example, if you are frequently subjected to stress and anxiety at home and at work, which is also among the common causes of heartburn, your stomach might react by producing an abnormally high level of acids, which can lead to heartburn. Smoking also increases your chances of developing heartburn because it weakens the lower esophageal sphincter, whose job is to keep the digestive acids in the stomach where they belong.
In most cases, these changes are enough to stop the common causes of heartburn in their tracks but if they do not work, there are many other effective remedies to consider such as the use of antacids or other heartburn medications. For really severe cases, surgical procedures may be recommended by your doctor.
