| |
| |
|
Medicine Information |
|
|
|
Acid Reflux - Symptoms and Treatment
Acid reflux (also known as GERD or heartburn) is a common condition -- Over 60 million Americans experience it at least once a month. For some, acid reflux is a temporary phenomenon experienced only when eating too much, or eating particular types of food e.g. spicy foods. But for many others, acid reflux can be a painful and persistent condition. What Is Acid Reflux? Acid reflux occurs when the lower oesophageal sphincter (that normally closes after swallowing to prevent stomach contents from escaping) malfunctions and allows stomach acid to travel up the oesophagus. When this occurs, a painful sensation is felt. What are the Symptoms of Acid Reflux? The symptoms of acid reflux are a painful "burning" sensation in the upper chest and/or regurgitation of acid into the mouth. Some patients will even develop nausea although this is less common. Although often called "heartburn", the pain should not be mistaken for that associated with a true heart attack or cardiac arrest which would be accompanied by tightness of and pounding in the chest, weakness and feeling faint. What are the Treatments for Acid Reflux? Fortunately there are many treatments available for acid reflux. Antacids are usually the first port of call for many acid reflux sufferers. For short term and infrequent attacks of acid reflux, these provide much needed temporary relief. However, as a long term solution they are not suitable and alternatives should be sought. Any sufferer of regular acid reflux should keep a diary of everything they eat and drink. Over time, patterns can be established and many people report elimination or reduction of acid reflux symptoms after changing their diet accordingly to eliminate problematic food or drink. If dietary changes have little or no effect, there are various families of drugs that are available over the counter and on prescription. PPIs, or proton pump inhibitors, are often prescribed and successful drugs. These work by inhibiting production of the stomach acid that causes acid reflux. They have relatively limited side effects. H2 blockers are a different family of drugs that have the same effect but work in a different way. For the vast majority of long term acid reflux sufferers, PPIs and H2 blockers are a successful drug therapy. Some people, however, fail to respond to treatment with PPIs and H2 blockers and their only option are more radical drugs known as promotility agents. Unfortunately, these can have very severe side effects and are therefore rarely prescribed. Lastly, for those who fail to respond to drug treatment, or simply want an alternative to the daily inconvenience of taking drugs, surgery is an option. New techniques are constantly being developed, some of which include procedures such as Enteryx Procedure, Stretta Procedure, Nissen Fundoplication and Endocinch. Your doctor will be able to give you more advice on these surgery options. For more information and in-depth analysis of the treatment of acid reflux, visit Acid Reflux Treatment.
MORE RESOURCES: This RSS feed URL is deprecated, please update. New URLs can be found in the footers at https://news.google.com/news
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Arthritis Pain Relief : Questions To Ask Your Healthcare Provider A great place to begin taking charge of you arthritis pain relief and prevention planning is by making an appointment with your healthcare provider and finding out more about your condition and treatment options.Make sure to jot down questions ahead of time, and take them along in your journal or notebook, armed with a pencil to fill in his or her replies. A Look at the Different Acid Reflux Symptoms Acid reflux symptoms vary in degrees of discomfort, from person to person, and within different age groups. The most common and persistent symptom is a burning sensation centered in the middle of the chest and/or throat, brought on by stomach acid that churns up onto the lining of the esophagus. First Responder Human Hibernation Units In the next few years paramedics, first responders and military medics will have instant hibernation devices. These devices will come in small canisters of the gas to slow the body down after replacing lost blood and/or stopping bleeding. Bextra Withdrawal Could Be Just the Beginning for Pfizer The pharmaceutical industry is a tremendously profitable one, as anyone who reads the business pages of their newspaper can see. Although it can take years to develop a new drug and bring it to market, the profits obtained from a breakthrough drug can be staggering. 22 Inside Tips on How You Can Make Your Arthritis Medicines Work Twice as Effectively in Half the.. This report will give you 22 important tips to make sure that you're getting the very best out of your arthritis treatment program.1. To Buy Pain Meds Online, a Dangerous Move Many people want to buy pain meds online simply because it is cheaper for them. Recently, thousands of online pharmacies have popped up offering for people to buy pain meds online without a prescription. Ulcers Are No Laughing Matter Peptic ulcers, which are in the stomach and the duodenum (the first part of the intestine leading from the stomach) can occur at any age and affect both men and women. Untreated, sufferers can look forward to a long siege with them. Modern Medicine Has Extended Life - BUT 9 Out of 10 People Say Its a Miserable Extension! Sit down in a quiet place alone and take a minute to notice how you really feel inside and out? Would you consider yourself in good health or living a slow death you call life? As you sit quietly observing yourself, pay attention to the signs and symptoms of your body. Notice the things you've been ignoring such as a low-grade headache that rarely ceases, aching joints, slightly blurred vision, a bulging stomach, sagging chin, no zest for life or maybe a definite feeling of being bone tired and constantly in pain somewhere. 7 Tips to Keep Your Fluid Down on Dialysis As any dialysis patient will tell you, keeping your fluid gain between dialysis sessions in check is not only important to your long term health, it is a major factor in your immediate well-being.Keeping fluid level gains as low as possible between dialysis treatments will minimize the risk of congestive heart failure, pulmonary oedema, and hypertension. The Highway to Health - Bumped Heads I recently had a reader send me this comment:"As a full-time dad I have to deal with just about every minor illness my two children pickup, everything from a bump on the head to chicken pox. I found the Highway to Health ebook very useful and it's one of the first things I reach for when something goes wrong!"Mr John Bradbury United KingdomIt got me thinking - although the Highway to Health does cover headaches, perhaps going into a little more detail about 'bumps on the head' would be useful. Electric Wheelchairs When you search online for Electric Wheelchairs, like any other things, you will face a situation, where you will need to choose a provider out of so many companies that offer the service. The search engines will bring you thousands and thousands of results when you type the phrase "Electric Wheelchairs. Diagnosis and Treatments of Cerebral Palsy Before a child can be appropriately diagnosed with cerebral palsy, their doctor must first have to look closely at both the child and the mother's medical background to see if there are any known causes of cerebral palsy present in the case. The doctor will very carefully check the baby's motor skills and the reflexes, and then will be tested by a physician, also they will try to determine the Childs hand preference often a child with cerebral palsy will use the hand that is not always the most practical to them due to the fact that depending on the brain damage one side of the body will be much stronger than the other side that is affected. Joint Pain Relief If you joints are constantly killing you, here are three suggestions:1. Traumeel is a product that has been used for years in Germany to relieve pain. Talking Money with Your Doctor: Drugs and Tests for Less Would you buy groceries without knowing their prices? I suspect not. You probably compare the costs of different boxes of cereal in order to get the best deal. Phentermine Price Watch: Comparison Shop To Buy Phentermine At The Best Values Online When compared with the other prescription diet pills, Phentermine is the best buy if you're looking for a way to just finally get a handle on your weight loss without embarassing gas problems or dangerous blood pressure levels. When you begin taking Phentermine, you'll enjoy another huge benefit: Unlike other diet pills that block fat, Phentermine stops your cravings so you can focus on eating healthy foods in healthy portions. Adaptogens for Life - The Science Behind the Discovery of Adaptogens Modern civilization has produced an unusually stressful environment to humans and animals, with extreme high demands on our physical and mental abilities. The last one hundred years have brought unique new challenges for all. 5 Risks to Avoid When Purchasing Discount Medicines Online With the increasing price of prescription medications, many consumers are finding it more difficult to afford the price of prescriptions. Due to this, a large number of such consumers are looking for alternate ways to find affordable medications. Bextra and Vioxx Withdrawal Spurs Price Increase Among Rivals The market for painkillers is huge. People don't like pain and inflammation, and last year Americans spent nearly $4 billion on just two of them - Vioxx and Bextra. Onychomycosis - One Of The Many Nail Fungus Out There Many natural changes in fingers and toenails come with age. Fine ridges, for example, may start developing from the cuticle of the nail tip. Coumadin Users Can Avoid Unnecessary Complications By Wearing Identification The police arrive at the accident scene promptly. A driver has run his automobile into a guardrail while exiting a highway.
|
| home | site map | Dr. Thad Thomas |
| © 2006 |