Medicines Are Not The Only Way To Control Heartburn
Are you aware that medicines are not the only way to control heartburn?
Fact: About 15 percent of adults have heartburn once a week, and 7 percent have it daily.
Answer: The sphincter (SFINK-tur) muscle at the bottom of the esophagus is a circular muscle that is in a state of constant contraction. It keeps stomach acid and digestive juices from entering the esophagus, a place where those corrosive fluids irritate and cause the pain of heartburn. Only when a person swallows does the sphincter relax to allow food to pass into the stomach.
Heartburn, or GERD — gastroesophageal reflux — as it is officially called, can cause a bitter taste in the mouth, can cause coughing, can lead to hoarseness and can even precipitate asthma attacks. The disagreeable, burning pain behind the breastbone is only one of its symptoms, albeit the most common one.
Your son has a third option — changing those things that encourage the upward spurting of gastric juices. Smoking is one of those factors. If he smokes, he has to stop. Obesity is another. Weight loss is a surprisingly effective way to combat heartburn. He should not lie down after eating. He should put 6-inch blocks under the bedposts at the head of the bed so gravity can keep stomach juices in the stomach while he sleeps. He should eat very slowly and should cut back on the amount of fluid he drinks during a meal. Meals should be smaller, but he can eat more frequently so long as he keeps his eyes on the calories.
He must greatly limit or eliminate fats, fried foods, caffeine-containing foods and beverages, chocolate, peppermint, citrus fruits, tomatoes and any other food that causes him trouble. He should go easy with alcohol.
If the above changes don’t bring about relief of symptoms, then the next step is medicine. There are many that slow or suppress stomach-acid production, and they can generally be relied on to control acid reflux.
(Info from http://sun.yumasun.com/artman/publish/articles/story_16960.php)