G.E.R.D. treatment
To prevent heartburn, avoid foods and beverages that can trigger symptoms. For many people, these include:
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
- Carbonated drinks
- Chocolate
- Citrus fruits and juices
- Tomatoes
- Tomato sauces
- spicy or fatty foods
- The high-fat dairy products
- Mint
- A variety of mint
If other foods will cause heartburn regularly, avoid them as well. Also, try the following changes in your eating habits and lifestyle:
- Avoid bending over or exercising just after eating
- Avoid clothing or belts that fit tightly around your waist
- Do not lie with a full stomach. For example, avoid eating within 2 to 3 hours before bedtime.
- Do not smoke.
- Eat smaller meals.
- Lose weight if overweight.
- Reduce stress.
- Sleep with your head raised about 6 inches. Do this by tilting the entire bed or using a wedge under your body, not just with normal pillows.
You can use the-counter antacids after meals and at bedtime, but do not last long. Common side effects of antacids include diarrhea or constipation.
Others counter drugs and prescription drugs can treat GERD. They act more slowly than antacids but give longer relief. The pharmacist, doctor or nurse can tell you how they should take.
- Inhibitors of proton pump (PPIs) are the most potent acid inhibitors omeprazole (Prilosec), esomeprazole (Nexium), iansoprazol (Prevacid), rabeprazole (Aciphex) and pantoprazole (Protonix)
- H2 antagonists, famotidine (PEPs), cimetidine (Tagamet), ranitidine (Zantac) and nizatidine (Axid)
- Drugs that promote motility: metoclopramide (Reglan)
Anti-reflux operations (Nissen fundoplication, and others) may be an option for patients whose symptoms do not disappear with changes in lifestyle and drugs. Heartburn and other symptoms should improve after surgery, but may still need to take medicine for heartburn. Likewise, there are new therapies for reflux that can be performed through an endoscope (a flexible tube passed through the mouth to the stomach).
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