Saturday, January 19, 2008

Using Acid Reflux Medicine to Get Rid of the Annoying Heartburns

Using Acid Reflux Medicine to Get Rid of the Annoying Heartburns

Alcohol lovers would oftentimes devotion to match their drink with spicy dishes and greasy and fatty foods. The complete combination makes the drinking complete to the palate. Unfortunately though, this is bad for the esophagus and the paunch. The alcohol, the spicy dishes and the greasy and fatty foods causes acid reflux or besides recognized as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease ( GERD ). Other causes of acid reflux are gestation, genetic influences, being of disorder in the gastrointestinal tract, and the Non - Steroidal Gainsaying Inflammatory Drugs ( NSAIDs ).

The Gastrointestinal System of the body is loose of the following: the said cavity, the esophagus, the tummy, minute intestine, great intestine and the anus. The main function of the Gastrointestinal System is to digest food particles, quaff digestive juices and eliminate undigested materials which are of course the feces.

The acid reflux affects the intestines and the esophagus. This occurs when the extract from the tummy which contains pepsin, an irritating substance produced by the chief cells goes up to the esophagus passing through the cardiac sphincter. The cardiac sphincter is the opening to the innards from the esophagus. Its function is to prevent reflux of the substances in the paunch through these substances cause esophageal irritation and ulcer. If the cardiac sphincter fails to close alongside obtaining food from the esophagus, acid reflux occurs.

Acid reflux is a chronic element. Once a person suffers from irrefutable, bona fide becomes a oomph - far-reaching shibboleth. Injury in the esophagus also is a chronic aspect. Prone if the esophagus has healed with treatment and intrinsic is being stopped, the injury will return in most patients within a few months. Once treatment for uttered disorder is contemporaneous, undoubted often needs to be long indefinitely.

Normally, sap reflux in the intestines occurs to a healthy idiosyncratic. However, people with the acid reflux or GERD, has amassed acid in the liquor. This may be caused by the genetic influences, specifically, an enhanced numeral of parietal cells which produce pepsin in the stomach.
The body has mechanisms to protect itself from the harmful effects of reflux and acid. Most reflux happens during the day when individuals are upright. In said position, the refluxed liquid is more likely to flow back down into the stomach due to gravity. Moreover, while individuals are awake, they continually swallow, regardless if there is reflux or not. Each time individuals swallow the reflux liquid slide back into the stomach. The last body defense to reflux is the salivary glands in the mouth. These glands produce saliva, which contains bicarbonate. Every time an individual swallows, the bicarbonate - containing saliva slides down the esophagus. The bicarbonate neutralizes the small amount of acid that remains in the esophagus.

Basically, acid reflux medicines inhibit the production or release of pepsin produced by the chief cells and hydrochloric acid produced by the parietal cells in the stomach. Other medicines may not totally inhibit the production but they neutralize the acid.

The acid reflux medicines are the Histamine Blockers or the H2 receptor antagonists. Histamine stimulates a pump in the stomach that releases hydrochloric acid. The H2 receptor antagonists prevent the histamine from stimulating this pump. They block the production of the hydrochloric acid thereby reducing secretion and concentration into the stomach.

One of the acid reflux medicines is the Cimetidine which was introduced in 1975. It has a short half - life and short duration of action. The three most popular H2 blockers are Ranitidine, Famotidine and Nizatidine. They are more potent than Cimetidine because in addition to blocking gastric acid secretions, they also promote healing of the ulcer by eliminating its cause. They also have longer duration of action.

As the cliché goes, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, you can avoid having an acid reflux or GERD by avoiding too much smoking and alcohol, and by eating less of spicy and greasy food. When taking NSAIDs, be sure you take it after meals. Lastly, avoid stress because it stimulates the release of the deadly acid.

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