Asthma Treatments
Asthma is a persistent inflammatory condition affecting the airways, characterized by recurrent symp…
Approximately one-third of the people in America feel heartburn one time in a month, and one in 10 individuals experience it every day. A prevalent problem nowadays in heartburn, but it is curable.
If you feel that you may experience heartburn, you must know about its causes, signs and symptoms, and management, so you can limit the lain and enhance your life’s quality.
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS OF HEARTBURN?
Heartburn is a disease where you feel a burning sensation of the chest that takes place when your stomach acid leaks in the esophagus. Usually, the stomach acid exists in the stomach through a valve, the lower esophageal sphincter, which splits your stomach and esophagus. But, if there is a defect in this valve, the stomach acid starts seeping into the esophagus.
Multiple individuals consider heartburn as a burning irritation or pain at your throat’s back. While having this disease, you may experience chest pain while lying down or bending over. A sign of heartburn is a sore throat or chronic cough. After you eat something, these signs can get severe.
There are a lot of factors that result in heartburn. Some of the drinks and foods can make the levels of stomach acid increase and decrease the esophageal sphincter for relaxing a lot. They include alcohol, coffee, citrus fruits, and tomatoes. Also, some medicines and smoking can result in heartburn. Several other risk factors are pregnancy, overeating, obesity, and a high-stress lifestyle.
TREATMENT OF HEARTBURN
Experiencing heartburn once in a blue moon is normal, but recurrent heartburn can result in multiple complications. The stomach acid can lead to irritation for the long term and harm the esophagus ulcers. If you experience heartburn daily, you can lessen the symptoms by making variations to your lifestyle and diet.
Get medications to treat your heartburn. The effects of heartburn medications are instant while it takes some time to get used to new habits. Over-the-counter medications are more convenient and inexpensive as compared to prescription drugs.
Here are the best solutions that can assist you in treating heartburn:
TUMS
It is an antacid constituting calcium carbonate that reduces the effect of stomach acid. It lessens the burning and pain if acid goes into the esophagus. Usually, it initiates working within minutes, so it is an excellent solution if you are feeling heartburn presently. It is a low-priced treatment for heartburn.
PRICE: At most of the drugstores, a bottle containing 72 pills ranges between 6 dollars and 10 dollars. Buy Tums in a chewable tablet, capsule, or liquid formulas. You can take Tums 3-4 times daily, but you do not include the medication regularly for more than 15 days.
NEXIUM
It is a PPI (proton pump inhibitor). It decreases the quantity of stomach acid your body makes and, therefore, heartburn. If your stomach has less acid, the chance of acid going to the esophagus reduces. One of the best things about Nexium is that it offers you 24-hour comfort, so you need to take a dose daily for lessening the symptoms of heartburn. You should purchase Nexium as a powder mixed into water or in capsule form.
PRICE: A packet containing 30 doses of Nexium prices about 25-30 dollars at most of the medical stores. It may seem costly; every dosage lasts for one day, so one packet should last you for a minimum of one month.
ZANTAC
Sometimes, there is excessive production of histamine in the body; it results in heartburn, leading to excessive stomach acid. Ranitidine is the active constituent of Zantac; it is a kind of histamine blocker. As PPI, such as Nexium, the histamine blockers decrease the production of stomach acid in the body. It can help you get rid of heartburn from taking place and ease the symptoms after they initiate.
PRICE: The effects continue for almost 12 hours, hence take one dose before you eat something and feel free of symptoms all day. It costs 10 dollars for a pack of 30 tablets of Zantac.
PEPCID
Pepcid is a histamine blocker similar to Zantac. But, famotidine is its strong element. Both the Maximum Strength Pepcid and Original Strength Pepcid start functioning with 15 minutes and continue for almost 12 hours. Hence, they are the best options to prevent heartburn before it initiates. The Pepcid Complete consists of an antacid that works within no time, which makes it the best medication for controlling the disease, which is already happening.
PRICE: From most of the drugstores, you can purchase a packet of 50 Maximum Strength Pepcid pills for approximately 20 dollars. It costs almost 15 dollars for a chewable Pepcid Complete of 50 tablets.
PRILOSEC
Prilosec is also a Protein Pump Inhibitor. Hence it works by decreasing stomach acid before heartburn takes place. A dose offers you relief from heartburn from 24 hours. Therefore it is a renowned choice for individuals having chronic heartburn. As compared to other medications for heartburn, Prilosec cannot give you relief immediately after heartburn starts. Hence, it takes some days for you to note a change in your condition.
PRICE: Based on a pharmacy, the cost of a 30-pack of this medication is from 15 to 25 dollars. Take Prilosec daily for almost 15 weeks. However, you must not take more than one course of drugs within four months.
CONSULT A SPECIALIST IF HEARTBURN CONTINUES
It is imperative to know that cases of heartburn differ in the level of severity. Some of the individuals can treat their heartburn with simple lifestyle changes and medications, but others may require intense treatments.
If your signs persist for more than 15 days after trying the above solutions, you should talk to your consultant. Heartburn is a painful condition, and severe cases can result in complications if not treated at the right time. Your physician may suggest you some prescription medicines that lower your symptoms if these drugs are not strong enough.