Heartburn medications
are highly popular nowadays; one of these medications,
Nexium, has even became
the third-largest selling drug
worldwide, with sales of over $5.7 billion in 2005.
Millions of people who suffer from the distressing
symptoms of gastro esophageal reflux disease, the most
prevalent of those is undoubtedly heartburn, often use
conventional treatments to achieve relief. There are
three main explanations for this growing popularity:
1.
Continuous
rise in the number of GERD (or acid reflux) sufferers in
western countries. Approx 25 million acid reflux
patients with chronic heartburn have lived in 2006 in
the USA alone.
2.
GERD drugs
are heavily promoted, either by the drug companies using
commercials or by physicians who prescribe them to
patients.
3.
Those
drugs are more and more available to the consumers. Some
of these drugs, that were once available only by
prescription, can be easily purchased over-the-counter.
About a decade ago the Food and Drug Administration
approved the over the counter sale of Pepcid AC, Tagamet
HB, Zantac 75 and several other medications that
previously had been available only by
prescription.
Facing the
growing popularity of heartburn medications, you might
wonder whether the drugs are effective at all when it
comes to fixing the root cause of this medical condition
and whether the temporary relief is worth the side
effects. Before making a final conclusion on this issue,
let’s briefly discuss what is acid reflux disease and
heartburn- its most common symptom.
The
physiological process associated with GERD is the
abnormal duration of the esophagus exposure to digestive
juices. One of the factors that contribute to this
condition is a weakened lower esophageal sphincter
(LES). The LES is a ring of muscle that acts as a valve
between the esophagus and the stomach. In the case of
acid reflux disease, the LES does not close properly and
stomach contents splashes up into the esophagus, causing
heartburn. Another contributing GERD factor is poor
esophageal clearance of gastric
juice.
In
addition to those local acid reflux causes, there are
also genetic tendencies (which we cannot control) and
several other internal factors and co-factors, that
create the environment leading to acid reflux. Without
tackling those internal factors, there can be no
effective long-term solution for this medical
condition.
All GERD
medications can be divided into four broad
categories:
1.
Antacids,
such as Alka-Seltzer. They work by neutralizing the
acidity in the esophagus. Their effect lasts up to a few
hours. When the antacid is taken, it immediately starts
to neutralize the acidic juices in the stomach,
rendering them less offensive to the
esophagus.
2.
Alginates
create an ark that surrounds the stomach contents and
reduces reflux.
3.
H2-receptor
antagonists, such as HB, Zantac 75, and Pepcid AC. These
drugs stop the gastric system from stimulating stomach
acid production by blocking the cells' ability to
secrete acid. H2-receptor antagonists must be taken
before heartburn strikes to achieve relief.
4.
PPI
(Proton pump inhibitors), such as Nexium, which block
the system in the stomach cells (known as the proton
pump) that releases acid into the
stomach.
Trying to treat heartburn by taking
the above medications has some serious downsides. First
of all, these medications have various side effects,
including headache, diarrhea, and even osteoporosis.
Secondly, their impact is limited in time; therefore
they may create physical long-term dependency. Finally,
relying on medications in order to overcome heartburn is
a band-aid approach, mostly aimed at calming the
symptoms while neglecting the root cause of
gastroesophageal reflux disease. Neglecting the causes
of heartburn can, in time, aggravate your condition and
even lead to serious health
complications.
Did you know that your painful, distressing heartburn symptoms of GERD could be permanently and effectively eliminated without the need of heartburn medication? Adhering to the holistic approach (by taking specific herbal and vitamin supplements while following a complete set of dietary principals, detoxification and Candida control protocols) can cure your medical condition naturally and prevent its recurrence
.
