Monday, April 23, 2018

Acid Reflux Medication: Keeping Heartburn At Bay

During a typical digestive process, muscle contractions transfer the partially digested food from the stomach to the intestines. However, some people experience their stomach's contents coming back up into their esophagus. This issue is known as acid reflux.

The typical symptoms of this condition include heartburn, regurgitation, difficulty swallowing, chest pains, tooth erosion, hoarseness, asthma, dyspepsia, vomiting, and many others.

If it is not properly treated, acid reflux can last for several months. But a patient's recovery may depend greatly on their participation in drug treatment.

Some of the medications that are most frequently administered are as follows:

Antacids By neutralizing the digestive tract's acids, these drugs are mainly used to treat mild symptoms like intermittent episodes of indigestion and heartburn. By increasing mucus and bicarbonate secretion, they also help to activate our stomach's defense mechanisms. The majority of antacids may be bought over the counter without a prescription. Furthermore, these drugs are among the first that specialists have recommended to lessen the discomfort brought on by mild heartburn symptoms. Magnesium, calcium, and aluminum are the three primary ingredients of an antacid.

Another sort of acid suppressor that is widely used is histamine blockers. Histamine blockers stop the production of stomach acids by neutralizing the effects of histamine. The body's histamine molecule promotes the production and expulsion of stomach acids. The majority of people who often experience acid reflux are helped by antihistamines, which can be acquired even without a prescription. For most patients, these drugs take between 30 and 90 minutes to start acting. But they also have a six-to-twenty-four hour aftereffect. Patients may need to take two capsules every day if their symptoms are severe. Studies have shown that histamine blockers can lessen the symptoms of asthma in those who also have acid reflux syndrome.

A 2001 study found that histamine blockers may infrequently cure the symptoms of dyspepsia and heartburn.

Additionally, proton pump inhibitors are employed. They function to reduce the production of stomach acids by interacting with the cells in the stomach wall that create and release acids into the stomach. However, research has indicated that utilizing proton pump inhibitors raises some problems. Side effects can include nausea, itching, diarrhea, and headaches, albeit they are uncommon. Additionally, pregnant or nursing women should abstain from using these medications.

Another prescription that is regularly handled is the use of medicines that protect the mucus lining of the gastrointestinal tract. This kind of drug shields an ulcer crater from damage by stomach acids by sticking to it. Patients getting maintenance therapy for mild to moderate acid reflux are recommended to do so. Constipation and other similar minor side effects are present.

In addition to acid reflux, anti-spasmodic drugs can also be used to prevent non-acid reflux. Muscle spasms are often treated with gamma-amino acid butyric acid agonists, an anti-spasmodic drug. Contrary to most drugs used to treat acid reflux, it can reduce non-acid reflux and raise pressure in the lower esophageal sphincter, a muscle that separates the esophagus from the stomach and prevents stomach contents from backing up.

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