Medication for heartburn can make acid reflux worse

Acid reflux medications

The number of people suffering from acid reflux, which is called gastroesophageal reflux disease in medicine, is very high, which encourages many companies to manufacture various medicines to treat this disease and its symptoms, among which is heartburn. Nexium is one of the drugs used for the treatment of heartburn and it is estimated to be among the most frequently sold medicines, which means that it brings a lot of money to its manufacturers.

The number of those suffering from acid reflex is constantly increasing, especially due to the unhealthy diet and lifestyle, which are typical for the modern society we are living in. Therefore, GERD medicines are produced in large quantities and they are very easily obtained since many doctors immediately prescribe them when one comes with the acid reflux symptoms. Many acid reflux drugs can be also found in almost every pharmacy and one can get then without the prescription.

We see that the medicines for GERD are easily obtained and that they are affordable, but the main question is whether they are effective and whether they really cure the condition or they just relieve the symptoms.

The GERD medicines

The GERD medicines exist in four different types. The acidity in the esophagus is reduced by antacids, but their effect is just temporary and lasts for a couple of hours. Reflux is also reduced by the alginates, which are the drugs that create the ark around the stomach contents so that the reflux is not possible. H2-receptor antagonists are the drugs that prevent the stomach cells to produce the acid, whereas proton pump inhibitors also affect the stomach cells so that they cannot release the stomach acid.

Side effects of heartburn medicines

While one uses these drugs to alleviate the symptoms of acid reflux (like heartburn), other problems may emerge due to the consumption of the drugs. Diarrhea, headaches and even osteoporosis are the main adverse effects of the heartburn medicines.

If one only uses medications to treat acid reflux, he/she will not cure the condition since it will return once the medicine are not used anymore because the drugs only address the symptoms and not the triggers of it.

Acid reflux can only be cured permanently by the means of a holistic treatment, which means that the whole body should be treated with a healthy diet high in vitamins. Furthermore, the detoxification of the body is also very important, as well as control of the fungi Candida.