Acid reflux disease, or acid indigestion, is caused when the acidic contents of the stomach flux into the esophagus. This can lead to heartburn and a feeling of tightness or burning in the throat. In conjunction with a change in dietary habits, several medications can help treat acid reflux.
Antacids
Antacids are an inexpensive and widely-available treatment for acid indigestion. These drugs contain compounds that neutralize the acid in the stomach. When the stomach's contents have a more neutral pH, reflux does not irritate the esophagus as much. Antacids are safe enough to be taken occasionally, but the ingredients in these drugs (e.g., aluminum, magnesium) make it important to find a different long-term solution for chronic acid indigestion.
Histamine-2 Blockers
Histamine-2 blockers also are available without a prescription and are effective at treating acid reflux. These drugs work by decreasing the amount of acid your stomach produces. Less acid in the stomach means less acid available to reflux and fewer symptoms of acid indigestion. Occasionally, tolerances to histamine-2 blockers can build and render these medications less effective over time.
Proton-Pump Inhibitors
Proton-pump inhibitors are available by prescription, so they require a visit to your physician. These medicines work much like histamine-2 blockers in that they reduce the amount of acid secreted by the stomach, but they are stronger and have less potential for building up a tolerance. Proton-pump inhibitors are effective at reducing acid secretion but sometimes take up to five days to begin working.
Coating Medications
Coating drugs can be used by someone having a severe bout of acid indigestion and are available by prescription. These drugs create a coating in the stomach and esophagus, reducing the chance that acid will have to irritate these tissues. Coating drugs must be taken often and on an empty stomach, so they should not be viewed as a long-term solution to treating acid indigestion.
Promotility Medications
Promotility or prokinetic drugs are prescription medications that hasten the process of stomach emptying. Many times, acid indigestion is caused by the contents of the stomach pushing upward against and being forced out of the sphincter between the esophagus and the stomach. If the stomach is emptied more quickly, the chance of this process occurring is reduced.
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