Drugs to Treat Heartburn

Heartburn is a severe and serious problem. To treat heartburn different medicines and drugs are being worked out. Only diet is not capable of controlling the problem and it is necessary to take the prescribed drugs to treat the ailment.

Heartburn is experienced when the food acid present in the stomach which helps in the digestion, comes back in the esophagus, the pipe that transports the food to the stomach. It can be felt as a pain or burning sensation in the chest. The esophagus is not protected by any lining like stomach to prevent the pain caused by the acid.

Drugs to Treat Heartburn

If you experience heartburn once in a long time and a mild one at that, it can be cured with diet and antacids. However, if the heartburn occurs with frequency and persists with regular pain, a physician should be consulted and proper drugs should be taken.

Some of the drugs to cure heartburn are:

Antacids

They are the most common drugs prescribed by doctors for mild heartburn. They are easily available from chemists and supermarket and can be obtained without a prescription. They help in neutralizing the acid in the stomach for short term. However, they are not for permanent use as after a while they will not be effective in relieving heartburn.

Antacids may cause diarrhea or constipation but apart from that cause no side effects.

H2 Receptor Antagonists

They help in reduction of heartburn by reducing the amount of acid produced in your stomach. They should be taken after consulting a doctor especially if you are taking medicines for asthma or to thin the blood. They are usually taken the time before you expect the heartburn to occur.

They can be obtained by prescription as well as without it, but their use should be monitored. Some other drugs do not combine well with H2 receptors so it is better to consult a doctor.

Protective Drugs

These drugs help in forming a protective lining inside the stomach and esophagus to that the stomach acid cannot damage the esophagus.

The protective drugs float on the stomach contents and bring a relief to the burning sensation that is caused by stomach acid.

Antispasmodics

Peppermint oil and alverine citrate are forms of antispasmodics and treat heartburn by reducing the tension in the muscle wall of the stomach. They are also helpful in reducing the feeling of bloatedness that is associated with heartburn. They are natural drugs and cause no side effects.

Although, a lot of drugs are used to treat heartburn, yet, they do have some side effects and should be taken only after consulting a doctor. In some cases, long time usage of these drugs may also render them ineffective.