Treatments For Acid Reflux

Did you know that antacid sales increase 20% the day after the Super Bowl each year? The enormous feasts and high level of fatty or caffeinated foods ingested during holidays — and even sporting events — can be a recipe for disaster when it comes to chronic heartburn sufferers.

Over 15 million Americans suffer from reflux symptoms and some of those people will have a more severe form of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, which frequently causes food to either come back up or produces restrictive chest pains. However, there are several treatments for acid reflux.

If you want to find the best treatment for acid reflux, then change a few bad habits. Most people don't realize that all the kitchen cleaning after the meal contributes to acid reflux, or that laying down within three hours after eating can create a whole world of problems. More than half of the people who suffer from chronic heartburn also have some form of "supine reflux," which affects people in their sleep. For supine acid reflux sufferers, the symptoms can sometimes be subtle. They may toss and turn, have difficulty breathing, sweat profusely, have coughing fits and wake up feeling hoarse (from breathing in the stomach acids).

Most people also know that greasy and fatty foods are terrible for the digestive tract. Often the stomach needs to produce more acid to break down the greasy layers and protein-based food. Then, on top of that, some fatty foods are simply insoluble and they putrefy in the stomach, rotting and causing a build-up of "unpleasantries," from gas to reflux. It can be shocking to people when they've been able to eat certain foods their entire lives but as they age, those same foods become a problem. Citrus fruits like oranges, tomatoes, spearmint, peppers and red wine can all be nasty triggers for attacks.

The most common treatments are antacids. This heartburn medication will help sufferers treat the immediate symptoms of acid reflux for fast-acting relief. Hardcore antacids include Reglan and Gaviscon, which aim to improve overall digestive coordination, speeding up the digestive process and creating foam barriers to prevent acid from seeping up unexpectedly. There are often over-the-counter options that work just fine or prescription-based variants for the people with severe GERD symptoms.

The second category of heartburn medication is the Histamine 2 Receptors. Histamine 2 Receptors, like Pepcid AC or Zantac, work by reducing the amount of acid in the stomach, which is sometimes cited as a contributing factor.

For preventative measures, a third treatment includes Proton Pump Inhibitors, which suppresses excessive acid production during those big feasts. Drugs like Prilosec or Nexium are said to work best.

For the occasional sufferer, any drug store will carry a calcium carbonate like Tums, Rolaids or Maalox. These bind to and neutralize acid for immediate reprieve. A fourth treatment are the effervescent products (like Alkaseltzer), which comes in handy when that restrictive feeling in the chest and intense abdominal pain signals real digestive trouble.

Treatment for acid reflux covers dietary changes, behavioral changes and heartburn medication. If you're finding that these treatments do little to help you, there may be a larger gastrointestinal problem. Kidney stones, gallbladder issues, lactose intolerance, esophagus damage and diabetes are all health hazards to which your GERD symptoms are calling your attention.