By: Richard Bleuze
Do you constantly find yourself turning to antacids to deal with heartburn? Read on and find out why your antacid treatment may be a waste of money and a waste of time. Antacids are useful, when used correctly, but their are other options for heartburn sufferers including chemical and natural remedies.
If your heartburn is fairly regular, and pronounced enough to wake you up at night, that means that you likely have acid reflux disease or GERD. Unlike traditional heartburn, head and neck symptoms of GERD occur more often when you're upright rather than lying down. For sufferers of chronic acid reflux, usually a different type of drug other than antacid is used.
These are known as "acid inhibitors," and they work to reduce the overall amount of acid that is produced in the stomach and, in turn, prevent it from escaping upward into the esophagus. These drugs are mostly given by prescription (Nexium is one example), but some are now available over-the-counter (such as Prilosec). These drugs cost roughly $25 to $30 for 40 tablets. The tablets are usually 20 milligrams each, usually to be taken once a day.
The big difference between an antacid and an acid inhibitor is that antacids work quickly (under 20 minutes) and last for only a short time (a few hours), whereas acid inhibitors take longer to kick in (an hour or more) but last much longer (all day, or all night).
We can think of antacid as putting out the fire, and acid inhibitors as working to reduce the flammable materials in the room.
In addition, there are new drugs available also by prescription that combine antacid with and acid-inhibitor treatment. In clinical studies, these were the medical treatments that had the best effect on heartburn sufferers who were kept awake by the condition, like yourself.
But WAIT! Before you go out and buy a chemical cocktail to combat your nightly heartburn, you should also know that there are a number of research studies that have determined that acid inhibitors can have some undesirable side effects. For example, gastric acid is instrumental in helping the body absorb calcium. A recent study done at the University of Pennsylvania showed that because of the lower amount of gastric acid in the stomach, it is possible that some patients were unable to thoroughly absorb calcium from certain foods. This contributed to an increased chance of bone problems in older subjects, such osteoporosis and bone fractures.
What I would suggest doing, before you hit the drugstore, is consider many of the natural remedies that can help alleviate your discomfort. You should also get a good understanding of the most common risky foods for heartburn sufferers.
For occasional heartburn caused by overeating, don't reach for antacids unless your doctor has advised it. Instead, chew a stick of gum for about half an hour. Yes, gum! Chewing gum gets your saliva flowing and helps wash the acid away naturally.
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