How Doctors Treat Acid Reflux

The oesophagus has a circular band of muscle at the bottom that relaxes when you swallow to allow food and drinks into your stomach. Then, it closes to keep your meal or drink in the stomach. Stomach acid can flow back into your oesophagus if the sphincter doesn’t work as it should. So, acid reflux is an irritation of the oesophagus lining due to constant backwash or backflow of acidic stomach content. Some people experience acid reflux due to a weakened lower oesophagus sphincter. Other risk factors include hiatal hernia, obesity, pregnancy, and connective tissue disorders.

You shouldn’t be concerned if you experience acid reflux. But you’ll need reflux tablets if you have recurrent acid backflows. The backwash can cause gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and chronic inflammation of the oesophagus lining. Another complication is oesophagitis, where stomach acid breaks down tissues in the oesophagus, leading to bleeding and ulcers. Some people experience oesophageal stricture due to acid reflux. This condition occurs when the acid creates scar tissue in the oesophagus, narrowing the food pathway. So, you’ll experience swallowing difficulties and irritation of the lower oesophagus. Acid reflux tablets like Losec MUPS, omeprazole, and lansoprazole can help manage these symptoms.

Doctors use several tests to diagnose acid reflux and eliminate other medical problems. You may need a Barium swallow to check for ulcers or narrowed oesophagus. Both are associated with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and inflamed oesophagus. Your doctor can also insert the oesophageal pH and impedance monitor through your nose into your throat to determine acidity levels in your oesophagus. Other tests include oesophageal manometry, endoscopy, and biopsy for checking reflux-related issues in the oesophagus, stomach, and lower oesophageal sphincter.

Most doctors rely on acid reflux symptoms for diagnosis. One of the most common signs of acid reflux is heartburn, burning pain around the stomach, abdomen, chest, or throat. Some people experience bloating, burping, hiccups, nausea, weight loss, dry cough, and chronic sore throat. Another acid reflux symptom is dysphagia, where you feel like food is stuck in your throat. This condition can also lead to regurgitation of food or sour acids. See your doctor if you have acid reflux symptoms over two times weekly. You can also buy lansoprazole 20 mg or omeprazole 10 mg tablets for quick relief.

Doctors recommend lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of developing acid reflux. You can avoid foods and beverages that trigger your heartburn. For example, some people get acid reflux from spicy or fatty foods, chocolate, tomato sauces, garlic, onions, alcohol, coffee, citrus fruits, and carbonated drinks. Keep a record of the triggers and modify your eating habits and diet. Eat smaller meal portions, and don’t lie down 2 to 3 hours after eating. You should also avoid tight clothes and belts, quit smoking, and sleep with a pillow to raise your head 4 to 6 inches above the bed. Exercise and eat healthy diets to maintain a moderate weight. If these lifestyle changes don’t work, you’ll need acid reflux tablets to treat heartburn, nausea, regurgitation, and other symptoms.

Doctors use several medications to treat regurgitation, heartburn, and other symptoms of acid reflux disease. Your doctor can recommend over-the-counter and prescription drugs, such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), histamine receptor antagonists (H2 blockers), and antacids. H2 blockers combine with histamine receptors in your stomach to help suppress gastric acid formation. You can consume these medications as capsules, chewable tablets, or dissolved solutions. However, people over 50 years can experience hallucinations, confusion, slurred speech, and delirium after taking H2 receptor blockers. To avoid these side effects, doctors recommend over-the-counter or prescription-only PPIs.

PPIs prevent the parietal cells in your stomach from over-secreting gastric acid. Your doctor can recommend PPIs, such as omeprazole capsule and lansoprazole orodispersible. Most people combine lansoprazole 20 mg and lifestyle changes to manage acid reflux symptoms. You can get lansoprazole online from trusted pharmacists. But omeprazole tablets are the most popular PPIs for people with acid reflux. You can buy omeprazole in the UK from an online pharmacy to treat acid reflux symptoms. Omeprazole is safe for pregnant women.

Too much of anything can do more damage than good. This principle also applies to reflux tablets. Whether you use 10 mg of omeprazole or lansoprazole 20 mg, ensure you take the recommended dose. Don’t overuse any medication. Taking too many PPIs increases the risk of side effects, including dizziness, headaches, skin rash, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and upper respiratory infections.

Your doctor can recommend surgery to treat acid reflux. One surgical procedure requires the surgeon to place a LINX device on the oesophagus. This ring-like implant goes around the outside of the oesophagus to prevent backwash from the stomach. Another surgical treatment for acid reflux is fundoplication, where an artificial valve is placed on the lower oesophageal sphincter. This procedure strengthens the upper part of the stomach and repairs the hiatal hernia, reducing acid reflux. But surgery is only recommended as a last resort after reflux tablets have proven to be inadequate.

Acid reflux occurs when stomach content flows back into the oesophagus. People with acid reflux experience heartburn, bloating, burping, nausea, weight loss, dry cough, chronic sore throat, and regurgitation of food or sour acids. But you don’t have to endure these symptoms. Acid reflux tablets can help prevent these complications. You can buy lansoprazole 20 mg or omeprazole 10 mg tablets in the UK from a trusted online pharmacy to manage and treat the symptoms.