I am no doctor! Just a normal guy. At one time I was apart of the 15 million club, that’s the amount of Americans that suffer daily attacks of heartburn. Let’s not forget to mention the 60 million Americans that report being a victim of heartburn at least once a month. The sad thing is that the average person like you and me ignores the pain. Well it got to the point where I said, “Enough is enough” and decided to take action.
Of course like so many people would, I went to my family doctor. After a few checkups I was told to try some over the counter medicine before I was prescribed anything. Of course I’ve already tried over the counter medicine for heartburn relief, come on who hasn’t? So I talked my doctor in to prescribing something a little stronger.
That landed me with a prescription for Nexium, I’m sure you’ve heard of it, you know, the once a day purple pill. Well anyway, at first the pill was great, it actually worked I was free from the pain for the first time in a long while. Then came the terror, like most prescription drugs they come with this long list of nasty side effects and not only did they hit me, they hit me hard. It felt as if I traded the dynamite for the C4. Heartburn was gone, but in comes abdominal pain and constipation.
So, in this category you will learn how to cope with heartburn with variety of treatment such as Ranitidine, herbal, orange peel extract, Prilosec and other alternative cure.
If you think about how many prescription and over-the-counter heartburn medicines there are, you’d guess that everybody in American suffering from heartburn.
It is true. A Gallup Organization national survey discovered more than 60 million Americans experience heartburn symptoms every day. But, there is good news orange peel extract can work to relieve heartburn pain safely and effectively and without side effects. Many people tell about its great success in their lives.
What causes heartburn?
There are many causes for heartburn. The esophagus has an important function to allow humans to swallow. When we swallow, small muscle fibers contract creating a movement called peristalsis. The slowing down of esophageal peristalsis happens with age and heartburn can develop.
Overeating can also cause heartburn, because the food has overfilled the stomach which allows acid to come up. The acids can also cause heartburn when bending over, lying down, or lifting heavy objects.
Foods can cause the discomfort of heartburn. Foods and beverages such as: chocolate, tomatoes, raw onions, citrus fruits, garlic vinegar, black pepper, citrus juices, caffeine, carbon, and alcohol. Smokers are also more prone to heartburn because it relaxes the LES which opens to let the acid out.
Who else is prone to developing heartburn?
There are three major types of people who are more apt to having heartburn. People who are overweight get heartburn because their fat adds pressure to the abdomen. Also pregnant women get heartburn because of their pressure on the abdomen from the baby. Doctors also say that a woman’s changing hormones can cause the muscle valve to relax. An overwhelming 25% of women have heartburn during their pregnancy.
Heartburn is also known to show up in people with hiatal hernias because in this condition, the stomach slides above the diaphragm, a thin muscle that keeps the stomach away from the chest. Food and the acid are now able to flow back into the esophagus, which causes heartburn.
What side effects do many heartburn medications have?
No medications can cure heartburn, but they can relieve the pain for a period of time. Some medications are known to impede some vitamins and calcium absorption, as well as interfere with digestion and stomach secretions.
Heartburn medications work for some people most of the time, but for some they lack a consistent relief. This allows for many people to switch brands to find the one that will work the best for their body.
Antacids use substances to neutralize stomach acid, but now the hydrochloric acid can not do its vital functions, like digesting food, inhibiting bacterial growth, and absorbing vitamins and nutrients. Also, when the acid is neutralized, our body reacts by creating even more, which would cause even greater heartburn. This cycle is known as “acid rebound.”
Antacids also have many side effects. Food poisoning is more apt to happening because bacteria can survive longer with the antacids.
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) restrain the acid from creating. Actually, it practically shuts down the stomach’s ability to produce acid.
The most common heartburn medications, such as Nexium, Prilosec, and Prevacid are actually supposed to be used short-time, but people are using them as a long-term medication. Using the orange peel extract is a safe alternative because it has no side effects.
How does orange peel extract work?
Orange peel extract is being researched and there are several possibilities as to how it stops heartburn. Some believe that it helps food move through the stomach, forbidding food to stay in the esophagus for a long period of time. This minimizes the chance for heartburn. It can also work as a surfactant, which reduces the surface tension of a liquid and would decrease the potential for the hydrochloric acid to splash.
How much orange peel extract should I take?
It is recommended that 1,000 mg be taken every other day, which was used in the scientific studies. Look for a product with 98.5% purity of d-limonene, found in the orange peel extract.
How does orange peel extract cure heartburn?
Almost 90% of the participants in the studies said that their heartburn was happening less after two weeks and about one-third said that they had a resolution of the heartburn after about two days. Even better, participants said that although they stopped take the orange peel extract, two weeks after they hadn’t felt heartburn. On a scale of 1-10 (10= mild and 1= severe), the study participants had an average rating of 7.8 and two weeks after the end of taking the orange peel extract they stopped having any heartburn. Seldom, some people felt heartburn after eating the foods that they previously avoided, but a single orange peel extract pill solved the problem.
Is orange peel extract safe?
It is an all-natural product, which makes it safe for many people. You should always follow the directions on the bottle.
You shouldn’t take it if you are pregnant or nursing or if you have an ulcer. Ulcers will create a burning irritating sensation. Children shouldn’t be given the orange peel extract because it has not been tested on them yet. Orange peel extract has been used in cancer studies for many years, and scientists haven’t found any adverse effects.
Does orange peel extract affect cancer?
Research has discovered that orange peel extract has prevented cancer activity by inhibiting the way cancer cells divide and grow. Some cancers that the orange peel extract has prevented are breast, skin, liver, lung, pancreatic, colon, and stomach cancers, in laboratory studies.
One study had 32 cancer patients take the orange peel extract, and no toxicity was observed. Blood analysis revealed that the orange peel extract was absorbed in to their bodies very well. More research is needed on orange peel extract and cancer.
Some important last notes
Frequent heartburn could mean a more serious condition and if this is you, you should consult a professional health physician.
Conclusion
Heartburn can be very serious. It happens to millions of Americans who spend billions of dollars on medications. Orange peel extract is an inexpensive and safe way to relieve heartburn pain. Orange Peel Extract can be found at any health food store.
Mention of the words alternative medicine use to bring images of medical quacks. The modern medical community usually considered any form of herbal medicine only a joke. Doctors only prescribed drugs never an alternative like an herb.
Times have changed! Patients actively seek alternative medical options where 15 years ago it was unheard of.
The world being filled with superbugs, bird or avian flu and numerous other disease and afflictions are making people looking at natural alternatives. Doctors regularly refer patients to aromatherapists and acupuncturists combined with their own medical recommendations.
What’s in the Bottle?
People who suffer from heartburn are especially eager to find any possible cure for their symptoms - alternative medicine or not. How many time have you taken medication without reading the label? Raise your hand - we all have. Some of the potential side effects make you wonder if you may be in worse shape after taking the medication. This is equally true of any remedies you may be taking to treat acid reflux disease.
Digestive System Shut Down
For example some antacids hamper the body’s ability to absorb vitamins and calcium, which could lead to future problems. Many living with heartburn take certain antacids that reduce the discomfort of stomach acid heartburn by shutting down the acidic secretions in the stomach. This only mask the problem - giving relief for a a short while. One antacid or medication may be very effective on one person and totally ineffective on another.
This makes people try several different brands and types of medication in a short space of time. Talk about a bad idea!
At this point alternative therapies come into play. Normally one type of treatment can to resolve the symptoms currently experienced. A single herbal tea or herb capsule may be enough to clear up the patients problems. The basic logic is simple - fewer treatments or medications a patient has to take to cure one problem the better. Drugs are toxins and your body - no matter how strong you may think you are can only handle so many foreign compounds at any one time.
The short list of chemicals used in the production of antacids:
These all effect and neutralize the hydrochloric acid in your stomach.
Hydrochloric acid is required for the proper food digestion. When it is reduced or disabled your brain tells the body to produce more acid to replace it. It all started because of the antacids you took.
Acid Rebound!
A condition called “acid rebound” comes about when the body ends up with more stomach acid than actually needs.
Herbal Medicines are they Effective?
Faith practitioners and users themselves usually are devoted to herbal medicines. Faith should not be discounted - especially if the products actually work.
Alternative therapies rarely cure acid reflux but do help the body better deal with the symptoms. Simply strengthening the digestive system or making diet changes can severely minimized reflux conditions.
Herbal treatments come in many forms - tea, juice, capsules and food supplements all claimed by the herbal suppliers to be 100% safe. If in doubt it never hurts to do a Google search on the ingredients and ensure they are 100% safe, along with any negative web or newspaper reports on them.
In taking any medication or herbal treatment, read the label and follow instructions.
Author: Jill Seimer
Prilosec is the trademark brand name for omeprazole, an antacid drug that suppresses or decreases the amount of gastric acid secreted in the stomach. Prilosec is used for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), including duodenal and gastric ulcers. By blocking an enzyme in the stomach wall that stimulates the secretion of gastric juices, Prilozec reduces the amount of such acid from being pulsed into the esophageal passage in a reflux reaction. It is generally thought that an overabundance of acid in the stomach will contribute to the acid reflux, as will obesity, pregnancy, or the wearing of tight fitting clothes. Therefore, a reduced quantity of acid sent up to the esophagus should cause less damage or irritation.
To fight acid reflux with Prilosec, look out for such symptoms as burning discomfort in the chest, difficulty in swallowing, and chronic chest pain. If you have heartburn more than once per week, you become more susceptible in contracting GERD; and so a course of treatment with Prilosec is advised. However, an occasional heartburn is not an uncommon thing and does not pose any risk of getting GERD.
Prilosec is not a prescription drug and so is readily available over the counter. Still, Prilosec is meant primarily for people who have frequent heartburns, such as getting it 2 to 3 times a week.
Do not overdose on Prilosec. While it is generally true that high acidity in the stomach can lead to acid reflux, the opposite is ironically true as well. A lack of acid in the stomach can also prevent the stomach’s exit valve to the small intestine from opening up. Instead, the contents in the stomach get to roll back up to the esophagus, and what little acid present may still cause irritation. For Prilosec, one pill a day is enough to relieve heartburn for up to 24 hours, and this is part of a recommended 14-day course of therapy. This Prilosec treatment may be repeated once every 4 months if necessary, but not more than that. When undergoing a course of treatment, do not stop taking Prilosec even when you start to feel better. Your symptoms have improved and that’s a good thing, but the condition still exists and so you need to carry through with the full length of treatment before this condition is considered as fully treated. If the heartburn condition does not improve or even worsen, you would need to consult with your doctor. However, this is not the only time you seek out your doctor.
As with all medicines, OTC or not, before taking Prilosec, always let your doctor know if you have any instance of painful swallowing, difficulty in swallowing, vomiting blood, and bloody or black stools. Furthermore, if you have heartburn that has lasted three months or longer, or experience heartburn combined with wheezing, arm pain, jaw pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, chest pain, dizziness, lightheadedness, or sweating, make sure you let your doctor know before taking Prilosec.
Contact your physician if you experience frequent chest pains, inexplicable weight loss, vomiting, nausea, or stomach pain while taking the medication.
Disclaimer: The information above should not be interpreted as medical advice. Please talk to a qualified professional for more information about Prilosec.
Author: Heather Colman
Heartburn specifically affects the esophagus and the stomach. The esophagus is a tube that delivers food into the stomach. It has a valve that opens and closes, allowing food into the stomach, while keeping it down during digestion. This valve can become overwhelmed by too much food or too much acid. This condition causes stomach acids to reflux or spill back up through the valve onto the esophagus, causing discomfort within the center of the chest.
Is There a Cure for Heartburn?
Well…yes and no. Yes, because it can be treated and relieved effectively, but also no, because researchers cannot find a root cause of heartburn and it can re-appear at any time. Heartburn treatments can range from medications, lifestyle changes and even stress management. Depending on the severity of your condition, heartburn can be curbed with as little as only a few behavioral modifications such as quitting smoking and eating better. If those options don’t work for you, you can try powerful heartburn medication treatments. (Under a physician’s supervision of course.)
Heartburn Medications vary in how they defend the body. With serious, recurring heartburn, a physician may recommend your medications to include histamine antagonists that suppress acid secretions triggered by histamine and gastrin. Your doctor might also prescribe you a proton pump inhibitor. The pump inhibitor is a newer compound designed to block the last step in acid production. Prokinetic agents make up another group that, unlike the first two, does not block or suppress acid production, but instead aims to increase the pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter, helping to push food through faster.
Is there a Heartburn Treatment?
In many cases, minor lifestyle changes can provide you with a great deal of relief from heartburn related symptoms. We mentioned some of these lifestyle changes earlier in the article, but here are a few more:
Exercise is highly effective in relieving heartburn symptoms because it aids in speeding digestion and stifles one of the peskiest acid reflux culprits–being overweight. Also be sure to check out specialized pillows. These are pillows shaped into wedges that elevate your head higher than your stomach so acid stays where it should while you sleep.
Another popular heartburn treatment is natural herbal remedies found in health food stores. These herbal remedies consist of all-natural ingredients that relieve heartburn symptoms and tend to be milder than medical treatments. Prescription medications are the most aggressive heartburn treatments and are designed to provide relief for those who suffer from serious, chronic heartburn or acid reflux disease.
You may have to try more than one acid reflux or heartburn treatment in order to find one that’s effective for you. Remember to consult your physician on any medical concern, and always stay educated and proactive when it comes to your health.
Author: Kristen Eichmann
During pregnancy, common everyday ailments tend to feel worse, especially during the first and third trimesters. Heartburn is no different. Heartburn is a common ailment, and during pregnancy it tends to surface even more. Most women experience heartburn in pregnancy at some point during their nine-month journey. However, some can be affected worse than others. Fret not — there are things you can do to limit the severity of heartburn during your pregnancy.
During the third trimester the baby grows big enough to put pressure on your stomach. This causes the acid in the stomach to reflux. This can be easily avoided, however by avoiding binging and by eating small meals. This will keep acid reflux at bay. Instead of eating three large meals, try to eat five to six smaller meals spread throughout the day.
Your sleeping position can also cause acid to reflux. Sleep with your head and torso elevated to keep the food down in your stomach. Keep yourself comfortable by putting a pillow under your head and your back. Also, try to avoid going to bed within two hours of eating. Wait at least two hours before lying down to give your body some time to digest the food. As a general rule, go to bed two to three hours after you eat to mitigate heartburn in pregnancy.
Watching your posture can help prevent heartburn from occurring. Putting pressure on your stomach can cause heartburn in pregnancy. When you sit, do so in an upright position to keep the pressure off your stomach. When you stand or walk, keep your posture erect for the same reason.
A less common way to alleviate heartburn is to wear loose clothing. (Though you probably do this already.) This will also ease the pressure in your stomach. Wearing tight clothing puts unnecessary strain on your stomach and can encourage acid to come up into your espohagus, causing heartburn in pregnancy.
Perhaps the best way to avoid heartburn all together is to stay away from foods that are known to cause heartburn. For obvious reasons, alcohol should be avoided at all costs during pregnancy. Also on the restricted list are chocolate, citrus fruits, tomato-based foods, soft drinks, coffee and acidic juices.
Sipping water throughout your daily activities as opposed to chugging it occasionally can also help. Avoid fried food, food rich in fat and vinegar as well. Large quantities of water can actually increase heartburn in pregnancy. By eliminating these foods from your daily diet, you can alleviate the symptoms of heartburn in pregnancy.
Author: Kristen Eichmann
Ranitidine belongs to a group of drugs called histamine-2 blockers. It is used to treat and prevent ulcers in the stomach and intestines. It also treats conditions in which the stomach produces too much acid, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and other conditions in which acid backs up from the stomach into the esophagus, causing heartburn. Ranitidine works by reducing the amount of acid your stomach produces.
How is Ranitidine taken?
Should I avoid anything while taking Ranitidine?
You should not consume alcohol. It can increase the risk of damage to your stomach.
Does Ranitidine have any side effects?
You should stop taking Ranitidine and seek emergency medical help if you have any of signs of an allergic reaction, such as:
Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur, such as:
If side effects persist or worsen while taking Ranitidine speak with your doctor.
Author: Ashlynn
My good doctor informed me I would most likely need medications indefinitely for heartburn, so I thought I had better look into it a bit more and I might as well share my results.
Medications only change the acidity level of stomach acids, so there is less burn.
Medications like Gaviscon form a barrier of foam between the stomach and esophagus.
These medications, mainly made of calcium carbonate, aluminum and magnesium, neutralize the acid in the stomach. It’s been found that with chronic GERD, over-the-counter medications (such as Zantac, Pepcid and Tagamet — each with their own respected trademarks) are not as effective as proton pump inhibitors. And for some people, the acid reflux may be so severe that they’ll need to have surgery and then follow up with medications to really get a handle on it.
One of the most common types of medications for heartburn is those that are called antacids. But these medications are ideal for use when you are experiencing lower levels of intensity in the heartburn. Along with the popular medications such as antacids, H-2 receptor blockers and proton pump inhibitors, physicians used to recommend prescription strength medications to minimize its manifestations, besides avoiding certain types of foods that trigger your heartburn.
Ongoing, intense heartburn that doesn’t improve with medications may be an indicator of Barrett’s esophagus.
Preventing and treating heartburn will protect the esophagus from further damage, but sometimes medications are necessary to promote healing, when damage has already been done. Chronic heartburn that is not relieved by over the counter acid reducing medications could be a symptom of a more serious medical condition. Some see no problem with taking prescription medications indefinitely, but these were actually designed to be taken only for a few months.
Heartburn chest pain is not related to heart disease, but there are certain heart medications that may increase your risk of heartburn problems. It is for this reason that there are so many different herbal remedies, over the counter and prescription medications for indigestion and heartburn relief. Most prescription medications are designed to be taken on a daily basis to prevent chronic heartburn, but some people still need an over the counter product to provide indigestion and heartburn relief on an occasional basis.
Treatment plans still generally include the lifestyle changes and eating more safe foods for heartburn sufferers, but other medications may be recommended with prescription medications being designed to help prevent chronic heartburn and/or heal the esophagus.
Heartburn herbal remedies, over the counter medications and even lifestyle and dietary changes may not be what helps with heartburn for everyone. Some use Fennel as an ingredient in some over the counter medications for heartburn relief. Ginger or ginger root is also an ingredient in some over the counter medications for heartburn relief.
Meditation, deep muscle relaxation, as well as anti-anxiety medications have reduced the number of heartburn symptoms experienced in some cases. It is usually treated by regulating the diet, modifying the lifestyle and taking medications like antacids, H2 blockers and Proton Pump Inhibitors. Medications to treat respiratory problems, heart problems, blood pressure, arthritis, osteoporosis, anxiety, depression, insomnia, Parkinson’s disease and cancer are also known to cause heartburn.
The doctor can also prescribe medications that stop acid production or help the muscles that empty your stomach. In case of persistent heartburn even after change in lifestyle and medications then further investigations may be necessary to identify the exact problem. The treatment has to be a combination of medications and changes in lifestyle and diet.
If you experience frequent or very severe heartburn, or if non prescription medications do not work for you, consult your doctor immediately.
Commercials for heartburn relief medications haven given stomach acid a bad rap. These include well-known over the counter medications such as Tums and Rolaids. Chronic GERD is difficult to live with, and experimenting with both traditional medications and natural remedies may be the best solution.
Some other medications can actually aggravate acid reflux symptoms. Even though both of these medications can be purchases over the counter at a lesser dose, consultation with a doctor is highly recommended.
Author: John Noble
Do you feel a burning sensation in your chest? If that is what you are feeling right now then you are most likely suffering from acid reflux, also called GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease).
I have listed some of the natural cures for acid reflux which do not pose any side affects below.
Hot Herbal tea is an effective way to treat acid reflux.
Your diet should not include drinks and foods that intensify the level of GERD. Such foods include greasy foods, spicy foods, alcohol, acid based foods and caffeine.
Being overweight is really bad and leads to many serious problems like diabetes, heart problems and other digestive problems. So you should maintain a proper diet along with proper weight because the extra weight in your stomach will push the acids upwards leading to acid reflux.
Peppermint and lavander can also be used to treat digestive conditions or heartburn along with treatment of ulcers or gas problems in your stomach. Lavender is an excellent stomach aid that is known for it’s vast healing activity for your body.
Take a glass of water and put one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into it and drink the mixture slowly during your meal. This remedy should reduce your acid reflux pain within a few minutes.
Fruit such as pineapple contain enzymes that reduce inflammation. Fresh pineapple juice has a high enzyme level that helps to reduce the pain of acid reflux.
Author: Julian Bates
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