Medication and Lifestyle Changes for Overcoming Acid Reflux

Posted by Aric Scott on December 30th, 2017

Acid reflux is a condition that results when the stomach acid flows up the esophagus. There’s a valve that ensures stomach contents don’t flow back to the esophagus. The valve is known as the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and is usually too relaxed or weaker in patients with acid reflux.

The recurrence of acid reflux is known as GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) and its trigger is excessive acid concentrated in the lower esophagus and stomach. The symptoms of GERD are bloating, heartburn, sore throat, stomach pain, a sour taste in the mouth, and dry cough.

Treating acid reflux requires both medication and lifestyle changes.

Medication

Those with acid reflux can use over-the-counter medication which includes:

• Antacids to neutralize stomach acid–Antacids like Tums, Mylanta, and Rolaids can provide fast relief. However, antacids alone won’t heal a hurting esophagus damaged by stomach acid. Besides, overusing antacids might cause side effects like kidney problems and diarrhea.

• Medications that reduce acid production – Also known as H-2-receptor blockers, these medications don’t give fast relief like antacids. However, they offer longer relief and may reduce stomach acid production for up to 12 hours. Examples include cimetidine, nizatidine, and ranitidine.

• Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI) - Are stronger acid blockers and work to heal the damaged esophageal tissue. Examples of such drugs include omeprazole, and lansoprazole. Although relatively safe, PPI drugs have been linked to a higher risk of stroke, heart attack and early death. To help avoid these side effects, don’t use these drugs for a long period of time.

Lifestyle Changes

To reduce the symptoms of reflux, it’s important to adopt several lifestyle changes:

• Avoid reflux triggers – It’s important to stay away from triggers such as chocolate, coffee, alcohol, spicy foods, fatty foods, soda and tea.

• Use alkaline water and try the Mediterranean diet –Alkaline water temporarily relieves reflux by neutralizing the enzyme pepsin’s acidity in the throat. On the other hand, the Mediterranean diet, which mainly includes plant proteins, tends to produce less pepsin. The reason is the digestion of plant proteins occurs mostly in the intestines, whereas animal protein digestion occurs in the stomach – where pepsin is produced.

It’s worth noting that acid reflux can be dangerous, as long-term reflux may lead to a disease known as Barrett’s Esophagus, and this can in turn cause esophageal cancer. If you experience any of these symptoms, it is wise to contact your doctor to get the help you may need.

About Author

Abdominal Surgery Specialists, a part of the Nicholson Clinic, is led by Dr. Nick Nicholson, one of the most experienced laparoscopic surgeons in the country.