Heartburn: Drugs and Surgery

Like you, millions of people today suffer from heartburn and most of them are constantly searching for drugs and treatment methods for relief. You have to keep in mind that heartburn is a condition that existed for thousands of years and modern medicine have yet to find a cure for this condition.

You also have to understand that heartburn is in no way related to the heart. It’s simply called heartburn because you will feel a burning sensation on your chest. Heartburn is in fact a digestive condition. This is where the stomach acid comes in contact with the esophagus causing irritation and ultimately causing heartburn. And, you will also taste something bitter or sour when you experience heartburn. This is mainly the stomach acid reaching your throat and mouth.

Most people treat heartburn symptoms through lifestyle modification and the use of antacids. But, for some people, this doesn’t work. If you still suffer from heartburn symptoms despite making lifestyle changes and using antacids, it may be a sign that you are suffering from a more serious condition where heartburn is only a symptom.

If this is so, then your health care provider or doctor may prescribe you some of these drugs.

After antacids, the next group of drugs that you may need to take for easing heartburn symptoms is histamine-2 blockers. Most drugs of this type may be purchased over the counter and what it does is that it decreases the amount of acid that your stomach produces.

Usually, they are taken twice a day and they provide relief from heartburn within 30 minutes of taking it. You have to remember that although it can be purchased over the counter, you still need a doctor’s prescription for higher doses.

If you still continue to experience heartburn, the doctor may recommend adding a drug, such as metoclopramide. This drug will empty food and acid from your stomach quickly. This will lessen the amount of food and acid traveling back in to the esophagus. It will also help tighten the LES or lower esophageal sphincter muscle to keep stomach acid inside the stomach.

Proton pump inhibitors may also be prescribed by your doctor if you continue to experience heartburn. This type of drug will prevent the stomach from secreting acid. Usually taken once a day, these drugs are usually very effective in easing heartburn symptoms. And, these drugs are usually prescribed if no other drugs helped your heartburn condition.

There are also surgical procedures that can help your problem with heartburn. Surgery is usually done if no prescription drugs helped in relieving heartburn or if you are already experiencing serious complications from heartburn. The surgery is a simple procedure and is called fundoplication. This procedure will tighten your LES muscle and the muscle will be tied in such a way to prevent acid from flowing back in to the esophagus.

This surgical procedure produced 85 percent success rate and is the last resort for treating heartburn.

These are the different types of drugs and surgery that you can consider if you are suffering from heartburn. If antacids no longer work, you may want to try and consulting your doctor about your heartburn problem. They may prescribe the mentioned drugs and may even recommend surgery if the drugs no longer work in providing relief from heartburn.