The One and Only REAL Treatment for Heartburn

A free article on Health and Fitness

By: Jeff Martin

To banish your heartburn, the main thing is to choose the correct and most effective solution for you. That means obtaining precise information about the genuine causes that are behind heartburn symptoms. Overall, there are three ways to handle heartburn: doctors' classical treatments, surgical actions and natural/holistic cures. These methods have major differences in the way they are put in place and how they deal with different causative factors, as well as in their effects over a long duration.

Heartburn is the external manifestation of acid reflux or GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease). GERD is what happens when the muscular valve between the esophagus and the stomach is weakened. This valve is also known as the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). When the LES is in a normal, healthy state, it allows food to pass one way into the stomach, but shuts afterwards to prevent acidic stomach contents from being pushed back the opposite way. It is when this muscle relaxes at the wrong moment that acid content refluxes into the esophagus and causes the pain and burning that is known as heartburn.

Physicians habitually treat heartburn and associated problems by prescribing medications, some of which can be bought over the counter. These drugs to treat acid reflux can be further divided into three categories:

1. Antacids that neutralize stomach acid by creating a covering that envelops the food content, examples being Maalox, Rolaids, Mylanta and Tums.

2. H2 blockers to reduce acid creation and diminish acid production in the stomach, examples being Pepcid AC, Axid AR and Zantac 75.

3. PPI (Proton Pump Inhibitors) which act by blocking the stomach cell mechanism that releases acid, examples of these being Nexium, Protonix and Prilosec.

The Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery published information in 2004 to show that PPIs do not combat the frequency of reflux attacks for GERD sufferers. Instead, PPIs simply transform acidic contents into alkali ones. The reflux still occurs in the esophagus, but with an alkaline bile that may in fact be worse. Although short-term alleviation of discomfort can be brought by such drugs, long-term usage can be highly problematical. These drugs do not treat the real causes but only the external signs. They do this by changing the chemical composition of the stomach. These drugs typically only have a temporary effect and can also make a patient dependent on them in the long term, not to mention the many undesirable secondary effects.

The next option to drugs is surgical operation. This is designed to stop the valve opening when it should remain closed, so as to stop the flow back of gastric contents into the esophagus. The surgeon wraps the upper part of the stomach around the lower esophagus in order to reinforce the muscular valve at the junction of the esophagus and the stomach.

A patient who relies on this alone is likely to be frustrated as without the proper lifestyle or diet alterations, heartburn symptoms will probably return. Other risks associated with this solution include diarrhea, nauseous feelings, cramps in the abdomen, bloating and problems in swallowing.

The major drawback of these classical methods for resolving heartburn is that they all target local GERD symptoms and give solutions only for reducing the symptom, and not the real cause. They try to decrease the quantity of acid produced, or neutralize the acid or tighten mechanically the LES. Yet in no case are the real causes being addressed.

Inner body balance can also be severely impacted by Candida infection as well as lifestyle and bad diet habits, including major stress and incompatible sleep patterns, leading to excess acidity, fermentation and toxin overstocking. For a real measure of progress, it is the underlying causes that must be dealt with be rid of GERD and heartburn. Acid reflux is the direct result of the simultaneous existence of diverse medical and lifestyle elements. Genetic weakness, high fat food intake, excessive weight and particular lifestyle and nutrition factors all band together to strip the LES of its muscular force which stops it from closing correctly. The only possibility to really get rid of acid reflux and to prevent it from happening again is to suppress these root causes directly.

Information about the Author:

Jeff Martin is a certified nutritionist and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, Heartburn No More . To Learn More About Heartburn Visit: What is Heartburn

Health and Fitness Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com

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