PPIs
are a group of prescription medications that is
used to treat acid reflux
symptoms. Before, we discuss how PPIs work to treat
acid reflux, its potential side
effects and the healthier alternative, let’s talk
about acid reflux disease in general.
The
human body requires acid in the stomach to digest
and assimilate food. Stomach acid also keeps
dangerous bacteria in check and protects the
gastrointestinal tract from infection. But the
stress of modern living with deteriorating dietary
habits has caused this stomach acid to reflux into
the esophagus causing irritation to the sensitive
lining of the esophagus resulting in heartburn
irrespective of age, sex, and race. Left unchecked
it may eventually progress to cancer of the
esophagus.
Proton
pump inhibitors (PPI) are a group of medications
that decrease the amount of acid in the stomach.
Doctors prescribe PPI to treat people with acid
reflux, GERD, ulcers in the stomach or intestine,
or other digestive disorders that may cause excess
stomach acid. Proton-pump inhibitors reduce the
production of acid by blocking the enzyme in the
wall of the stomach that produces acid. The
reduction of acid prevents ulcers and allows any
ulcers that exist in the esophagus, stomach and
duodenum to heal. The proton pump is an enzyme
that takes non-acidic potassium out and replaces
it with an acidic hydrogen ion. By putting more
hydrogen ions in the stomach, the pump makes the
contents of the stomach more acidic. But PPI stop
the action of the pump, stopping the acid
secretion.
There
are five types of PPI all similar in their mode of
action. They are raberprazole (Aciphex),
esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid),
omeprazole (Prilosec), pantoprazole (Protonix).
They differ in how they are broken down by the
liver and how they interact with other
medications. Effect of some PPI may last longer
than others.
Both
PPI and H2 blockers suppress gastric acid
secretion. But they do it in different ways. PPI
shut down the proton pump in the stomach while H2
blockers block the histamine receptors in
acid-producing cells of the stomach. PPI have
delayed onset of action and work for up to 24
hours. H2 blockers on the other hand start working
within an hour but their effect lasts for only 12
hours.
PPI
have been a tremendous therapeutic advance,
transforming lives of patients with intractable
acid reflux. Yet, they too have serious side
effects on long-term usage. They include headache,
diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, nausea,
and rash. The artificial blocking of stomach acid
interferes with the ability of the body to fix
calcium resulting in osteoporosis. Increase in
prevalence of pneumonia caused by Clostridium
difficile, acute nephritis, enteritis has also
been linked to the use of
PPI.
While
the efficacy of PPI in treating acid reflux has
been proved beyond doubt, they have serious side
effects and cannot be used for more than 8 weeks.
Additionally, they merely take care of the
symptoms without treating the disease. The only
way to get cured of disease is by holistic
therapy. As noted earlier, acid reflux is a
lifestyle disease so modifications of dietary
habits, behavioral therapy, stress relief, weight
management, are all very essential. Holistic
medicine takes care of all aspects of the body
treating it as a whole to get rid of the
disease.
