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Picking a severe Heartburn Medication

By: Steven McCarthy There are a various heartburn medications on the market today and you no longer have to endure the discomfort caused by heartburn. You should consult with your doctor and find the best path of treatment for you.

Heartburn relief generally follows one of three paths. The first is an antacid to neutralize the acid in your stomach such as tum's or rolaids. The second is a type of antacid that forms a coating between the acid and your stomach like pepto bismal.

Another good option in over the counter heartburn medicine is the H-2-receptor blockers, which are better known under the commercial names like Zantac, Pepcid and Tagamet. These heartburn medicines work by reducing the amount of acid that the stomach produces. With less acid, there is a lower chance that it will back up into the esophagus and cause heartburn symptoms. These medications work best if they are taken prior to eating a meal, because they take about 30 minutes to take effect.

However, you can also take them after a meal, in tandem with an antacid. The antacid will bring quick relief, while the H-2-receptor blocker will keep that relief going over the long term. Other types of H2 blockers of which certain drugs such as Cimetidine, Ranitidine, and Nizatidine as also Famstidine help in giving relief from heartburn. This form of heartburn medication only takes an hour or two to provide relief and this relief may last for at most twelve hours.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)

Proton-pump inhibitors lower the production of acid in your stomach. This is accomplished by "inhibiting" the enzyme in the stomach that produces acid from doing its job. As a result, there's less acid and so less heartburn, Examples of PPI include PrevAcid. PPIs are generally well received although there maybe side-effects such as diarrhea, constipation or headaches.

Why is Heartburn Different Than Acid Reflux

Heartburn and acid reflux are substantially the same thing. The difference is in how often the attack occurs. Both are the effect of acid in the stomach forcing its way into the esophagus. Heartburn can be treated with over the counter medicine due to its infrequency. Most of us already know what foods seem to set their attack off. Acid reflux requires a doctor's care because it can cause lasting damage to the esophagus and can be a symptom of a bigger problem.

HCL related medications

Severe heartburn is often associated with too much acid, but in fact the opposite can occur causing heartburn. When we eat food, the stomach produces hydrochloric acid(HCL). One of its goals is to help with digestion. However, if there is not enough HCL produced, then food ferments, putrefying in the stomach and the resulting "mixture" can result in heartburn. HCL for heartburn supplements can help resolve this issue.

What should be clear from the above is that understanding your heartburn can be fairly complex and what was said earlier is worth repeating . That is, talk with your doctor before embarking on any heartburn medication. That way all the options will be laid out before you and you can confidently choose a method that will cure your severe heartburn.

Article Source: http://www.lifeweightloss.com

Steven McCarthy has been researching how to control heartburn for years and authored numerous papers on the subject so that quickly understanding heartburn information is not something that has to be difficult for you. If your looking for answers to the questions you have been researching and not just a bunch of confusing medical jargon. Check out www.controllingheartburn.com/

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