How to Treat and Prevent Heartburn and Acid Reflux

That burning, pressurized sensation in your chest after eating has a lot of different names: heartburn, indigestion, acid reflux, GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease).

Whatever you call it, it amounts to pain and discomfort for millions of people every single day. It keeps them from enjoying their food and even prevents some sufferers from sleeping well at night.

In the past, all you could do was self medicate with antacids and hope the heartburn went away quickly. Now, the focus has shifted towards prevention with products like Nexium entering the market and proving effective.

What Causes Heartburn and Acid Reflux

When stomach acids back up, they inflame and irritate the esophagus, the tube between the throat and stomach. Because the esophagus is just behind the heart, the condition came to be known as heartburn. (It's also why the pain of heartburn is sometimes mistaken for a heart attack.)

These factors can increase your risk of having acid reflux:

* Smoking.
* Drinking alcohol.
* Obesity.
* Slouching, poor posture.
* A poor diet.
* Eating large meals shortly before bedtime.
* Certain medications.
* Certain health conditions like pregnancy, diabetes and hernia.

Having heartburn once in a while is normal. But having heartburn frequently (twice a week or more) could indicate that your esophagus has been damaged by stomach acids and you should seek treatment.

Heartburn / Acid Reflux Treatments

For minor heartburn, popping an antacid tablet might work just fine. But for serious acid reflux disease, you may need to try something more long term such as lifestyle changes and prescription medication.

Medical science has provided us with products that not only treat acid reflux, but help prevent it.

Preventing Acid Reflux Disease: Nexium

Nexium is a once-a-day pill that prevents acid reflux / heartburn attacks by reducing the amount of acid in the stomach. That, in turn, prevents stomach acids from backing up into and damaging the esophagus.

Nexium has been shown to be more effective than other prescription and over-the-counter formulas because it works for almost everyone. Other products only help about half of the people and only give short-term relief.

Nexium is tolerated well by most patients over short and long term use. Nexium also helps heal damage to the esophagus that can result from acid reflux disease. And now it's been proven to help prevent stomach ulcers associated with taking certain kinds of pain relievers.

Nexium is tolerated well by most patients over short and long term use. Nexium also helps heal damage to the esophagus that can result from acid reflux disease. And now it's been proven to help prevent stomach ulcers associated with taking certain kinds of pain relievers.

Lifestyle Changes

Another way to help prevent heartburn / acid reflux and alleviate the painful symptoms is to make some changes in your habits -- changes that will also improve your overall health:

* Quit smoking.
* Lose weight.
* Reduce or stop drinking alcohol.
* Eat smaller meals.
* Don't lie down immediately after eating... wait at least 3 hours.
* Don't wear tight-fitting clothes.
* Raise the head of your bed about 6 inches off the floor so you're lying at an angle.