How To Treat And Prevent
Heartburn and Acid Reflux
That burning, pressurized sensation in your chest after eating has
a
lot of different names:
heartburn, indigestion, acid reflux, GERD
(Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease).
Whatever you call it, it amounts to pain and discomfort for millions of
people every single day. It keeps them from enjoying their food and
even prevents some sufferers from sleeping well at night.
In the past, all you could do was self medicate with antacids and hope
the heartburn went away quickly. Now, the focus has shifted towards
prevention with products like Nexium entering the market and proving
effective.
What Causes Heartburn and Acid Reflux
When stomach acids back up, they inflame and irritate the
esophagus,
the tube between the throat and stomach. Because the esophagus is just
behind the heart, the condition came to be known as heartburn. (It''s
also why the pain of heartburn is sometimes mistaken for a heart
attack.)
These factors can increase your risk of having acid reflux:
Smoking.
Drinking alcohol.
Obesity.
Slouching, poor posture.
A poor diet.
Eating large meals shortly before bedtime.
Certain medications.
Certain health conditions like pregnancy, diabetes and hernia.
Having heartburn once in a while is normal. But having heartburn
frequently (twice a week or more) could indicate that your esophagus
has been damaged by stomach acids and you should seek treatment.
Heartburn / Acid Reflux Treatments
For minor heartburn, popping an antacid tablet might work just fine.
But for serious acid reflux disease, you may need to try something more
long term such as lifestyle changes and prescription medication.
Medical science has provided us with products that not only treat acid reflux, but help prevent it.
Preventing Acid Reflux Disease: Nexium
Nexium is a once-a-day pill that prevents acid reflux / heartburn
attacks by reducing the amount of acid in the stomach. That, in turn,
prevents stomach acids from backing up into and damaging the esophagus.
Nexium has been shown to be more effective than other prescription and
over-the-counter formulas because it works for almost everyone. Other
products only help about half of the people and only give short-term
relief.
Nexium is tolerated well by most patients over short and long term use.
Nexium also helps heal damage to the esophagus that can result from
acid reflux disease. And now it''s been proven to help prevent stomach
ulcers associated with taking certain kinds of pain relievers.
Lifestyle Changes
Another way to help prevent heartburn / acid reflux and alleviate the
painful symptoms is to make some changes in your habits -- changes that
will also improve your overall health:
Quit smoking.
Lose weight.
Reduce or stop drinking alcohol.
Eat smaller meals.
Don''t lie down immediately after eating... wait at least 3 hours.
Don''t wear tight-fitting clothes.
Raise the head of your bed about 6 inches off the floor so you''re lying at an angle.