There are many words that we hear on the tube today for acid reflux; heartburn, GERD. In any case they are all the same thing. Acid reflux can be debilitating. It is a disease that affects many Americans. I have acid reflux and have had since a teenager. Some doctors thought I had an ulcer or H-pylori but neither of these two common diagnoses were true in my case.
I am unusual in that I just feel constantly hungry if I do not treat my acid reflux daily. I know I am not hungry because I will have just had a meal. Thirty minutes can go by and I will feel famished. This just can’t be. Since we all look after our weight it is not so good for me that I should want to eat all the time. I take one little pill each morning for heartburn before I brush my teeth to prevent this unrequited hunger.
Acid reflux is more than just a nuisance. People who have untreated chronic indigestion or heartburn do not realize that the lining of their esophagus is at risk of being eaten away or worse getting cancer. In simple terms the esophagus is a tube that is approximately 9 inches long that connects your pharynx (throat) to your stomach. The reflux part of this disease is acid, bile, and pepsin that is up-chucked into your throat and burns away at the lining of your throat. My reflux just makes me feel very hungry even when I know I am not.
A quick visit to the corner druggist could be all you need to do to solve this persistent ailment. Speak to the druggist. Tell them of your symptoms and they will suggest the latest over the counter remedies. Zantac and Prilosec as well as others non prescription medications are available to treat GERD. The stores keep these expensive medications locked up and you will need a clerk to dispense them. These were once only prescribed medications. They are now available in 30-day supply packaged. The packages can cost more than thirty dollars at some drug stores but well worth the relief.
If this does not work after a few weeks then you should see a doctor. No way around it. An internist or a gastrologist, stomach doctor, is what you need to seek. Insurance plans can make suggestion of who is on your plan and in network. Word to the wise - make sure the doctor and the testing facility are both in network or you can get hosed. These tests involving stomach acids like a lower GI’s, CAT scans etc are expensive so make sure you protect yourself.
Relief could be as easy as taking a prescription pills each day and avoiding acid reflux foods. I take Prevacid, the over the counters do not work for me. Get help now!
Those that have acid reflux usually never get over it. I guess you could say there is no cure. They must learn to live with it like I did. I take one pill a day since I was 19 and sweat by it.
Generally after meal time is when most people feel the effects of acid reflux. The contents of their stomach trigger the digestive acids that are required to digest food normally. What goes wrong for sufferers is that the biles and acids are not confine to the stomach but regurgitate into the throat. It affects some people a lot more severely than what I experience. For some it is so bad it is likened to a heart attack. Why not get treated? Why would you wait around and not take care of yourself? What is stopping you?
My brother used to constantly eat Tums. He didn?t think there was a problem until I said, ?Hey! Why do you eat those things all the time?? He told me about always having acid and he takes them for heartburn. He now takes Prilosec everyday, whether he feels like it or not for acid reflux. He has not felt bad in a long time. He says occasionally he has to take two in a day when he has been gastro excessive (overeaten) or eating like a P.I.G.
