There are only 2 ways to treat Acid Reflux

If you have had heartburn or any heartburn symptoms for a while, you may have already tried various medications that have failed - otherwise you wouldn't be here!

We just want to help you decide which type of treatment is best for you. Basically there are only 2 choices! Drugs or natural remedies.

Drugs, whether they are prescribed or purchased over the counter are the most commonly used, yet they certainly don't produce the results you would expect.

Natural Remedies are safer and have no negative side effects. These generally aim at removing the cause of the condition, yet there are some that emulate drugs in that they only treat the symptoms.

Instant Relief + Side Effects

Drugs can give instant relief, but they do they have numerous bad side effects. Natural products have no side effects, but it may take a longer to get relief.

The BIG difference is that drugs are designed to treat symptoms on an ongoing basis (and with an ongoing expense). A good natural remedy will remove the cause, which means there won't be any symptoms left to treat (and no more ongoing expenses!)

Depending on how severe your condition is, your choice between these 2 types of treatment may be limited if surgery becomes necessary. Luckily this is very rarely the case!

Natural Remedies

These are so much less complicated than Drug Therapies. There are many options here and some make big claims and promises.

We highly recommend natural remedies for the most pain free way of treating Acid Reflux, simply because they are free from negative side effects.

Until now there has been no actual cure for Acid Reflux, and drug treatments all come with a host of negative effects that you really don't need to add to your existing problem with Acid Reflux.

The good news is that a brand new natural treatment has been released into the public domain and hundreds of patients have already benefited from this proven treatment.

Based on information collected from a range of digestive health experts, our Natural Health Team has just released 'The Acid Reflux Report' which details this new method of treatment. You to can benefit from the inside information contained in this report.

Click here to get a FREE copy of 'The Acid Reflux Report' now

The Pitfalls of Drug Treatment

You could start by trying over-the-counter antacids, which you can buy without a prescription. You may get relief, but it is best you know right now that they aren't going to cure you!

Or you may decide to visit your doctor. The acid reflux treatment your doctor prescribes will include medications that stop acid production or other medications that can strengthen the muscles that help to empty your stomach.

Antacids such as Alka-Seltzer, Maalox, Mylanta, Pepto-Bismol, Rolaids, and Riopan, are usually the first drugs recommended to relieve heartburn and other mild acid reflux symptoms. Antacids, however, have side effects that can be quite unpleasant. Common ingredients like magnesium salt can lead to diarrhea, and aluminum salts can cause constipation.

Most of these medications are the same as those used for stomach ulcer pain relief. Calcium carbonate antacids, such as Tums, Titralac, and Alka-2, are also used as an acid reflux treatment and can be a supplemental source of calcium as well - but they can also cause constipation.

• Foaming agents such as Gaviscon, work by covering your stomach contents with foam to prevent reflux. These drugs may help those who have no damage to the esophagus.
  
  
• H2 blockers such as cimetidine (Tagamet HB), famotidine (Pepcid AC), nizatidine (Axid AR), and ranitidine (Zantac 75), slow down acid production. Many people get temporary relief at bedtime from taking H2 blockers in combination with a proton pump inhibitor. This is a commonly used acid reflux treatment.
  
  
• Proton pump inhibitors include omeprazole (Prilosec), lansoprazole (Prevacid), Pantoprozole (Protonix), rabeprazole (Aciphex), and esomeprazole (Nexium), which are all available by prescription. These are more effective as an acid reflux treatment than H2 blockers as they can relieve symptoms in almost everyone who has acid reflux.
  
  Notice that only symptoms can be relieved - this form of acid reflux treatment is not a cure! In fact Proton pump inhibitors relieve your symptoms so well that you could easily develop a strong dependence on them for ongoing pain relief. (Great for the shareholders in those big pharmaceutical companies!)
  
  
• Another group of drugs, pro kinetics, can help strengthen the sphincter and makes the stomach empty faster.
  
  

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WARNING!!

Stopping acid production means that you can't digest your food properly and this can leave you undernourished. Reducing the acid in your stomach also weakens your stomachs natural defense system against infections and increases your risk of food poisoning.

This is a typical example that demonstrates how pharmaceutical companies don't disclose everything all the time, and how they will always give their profits and shareholders priority over your well-being.

The bottom line is that drugs like Prilosec, Nexium, Tagamet and Zantac may be OK for temporary relief of symptoms, but they are useless as a real cure for the underlying cause of acid reflux.

What if symptoms persist?

The bad news is that if your heartburn does not improve with any of the above acid reflux treatments, then you may will probably be sent for one of the following tests (that is if you follow your doctors orders)...

• A barium swallow radiograph uses x rays to help spot abnormalities such as a hiatal hernia and severe inflammation of the esophagus. With this test, you drink a solution and then x rays are taken. Mild irritation will not appear on this test, although narrowing of the esophagus—called stricture—ulcers, hiatal hernia, and other problems will.
  
  
• Upper endoscopy is more accurate than a barium swallow radiograph and may be performed in a hospital or a doctor's office. The doctor will spray your throat to numb it and slide down a thin, flexible plastic tube called an endoscope. A tiny camera in the endoscope allows the doctor to see the surface of the esophagus and to search for abnormalities. If you have had moderate to severe symptoms and this procedure reveals injury to the esophagus, usually no other tests are needed to confirm acid reflux. The doctor may remove a small piece of tissue for biopsy. A biopsy viewed under a microscope can reveal damage caused by acid reflux and rule out other problems.
  
  
• In a pH monitoring examination, the doctor puts a tiny tube into the esophagus that will stay there for 24 hours. While you go about your normal activities, it measures when and how much acid comes up into your esophagus. This test is useful in people with acid reflux symptoms but no esophageal damage. The procedure is also helpful in detecting whether respiratory symptoms, including wheezing and coughing, are triggered by reflux.
  

Surgery - is it a viable option?

Some people resort to surgery when medicine and lifestyle changes do not work. Surgery may also be a reasonable alternative to a lifetime of useless drugs and discomfort. The problem here is that because most doctors are unaware of natural solutions that are available, nor have they advised their patients to explore these avenues before they decide on surgery.

Considering Implants? Be very careful....

Recently the FDA approved an implant that may help people looking for an acid reflux treatment, but who want to avoid surgery. Enteryx is a solution that becomes spongy and can keep stomach acid from flowing into the esophagus. It is injected during endoscopy.

The implant is designed for people who have acid reflux and who require and respond to proton pump inhibitors. The long-term effects of the implant are unknown. Therefore, be very careful of this option if it is recommended!

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