Treatments and Medications for Acid Reflux - Acid reflux is not a serious medical condition. Simple medications, lifestyle changes and other treatment options like surgery helps you overcome acid reflux problems. Variety of foods triggers acid reflux.
Treatments and Medications for Acid Reflux
New York (USA), June 19, 2013
Treatments Options for Acid Reflux
Acid reflux is not a serious medical condition. Simple medications, lifestyle changes and other treatment options like surgery helps you overcome acid reflux problems.
Lifestyle Changes
Diet: Variety of foods triggers acid reflux. However, triggers are not the same across all. Common trigger foods include spicy food, coffee, black pepper, tea, garlic, alcohol, chili powder, citrus fruits, vinegar, tomatoes, sauces, ketchups, sodas, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, beans, and broccoli. Avoid having few big meals in a day. Instead, opt for many smaller meals to overcome acid reflux problems. Quit smoking, sleep on the left side, wear loose garments, and avoid wearing tight belts to improve acid reflux symptoms.
Position: Keep head at an elevated level while sleeping to prevent stomach acids from flowing up. Normally elevation of around six to eight inches is necessary. Use wooden or plastic bed risers or a therapeutic bed wedge pillow. An inflatable mattress lifter that fits between mattress and box spring, similar to an elevated hospital bed, can prove beneficial. Ideally have meals two to three hours before bedtime. Nap on inclining chairs during afternoons.
Body Weight: Adopt proper weight loss measures to reduce body weight and alleviate acid reflux symptoms.
Medications for Acid Reflux
Histamine2-receptor antagonists like Tagamet, Pepcid, and Zantac reduce inflammation thereby blocking extra production of acid within stomach. Hence stomach acid does not flow backward. Proton pump inhibitors like pantoprazole, omeprazole, lansoprazole, esomeprazole, and rabeprazole reduce acid production in stomach by acting on cells of stomach walls. Prokinetic agents like Reglan (metoclopramide) prompt faster emptying of stomach thereby restricting stomach from staying overfull. Antacids neutralize stomach acids and prove effective in treating mild acid reflux problems.
Surgery
Surgery is the last resort if medications and lifestyle changes do not improve your condition and symptoms affect your life severely. Surgeons either make a small incision in your chest or abdomen or adopt a laparoscopic procedure. This procedure creates an artificial valve atop your stomach by wrapping upper part of stomach around LES. This restricts acid reflux and repairs hiatal hernia condition.
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