Problems With Acid Reflux In Infants

We’ve all heard about adults suffering from acid reflux disease, and it is in fact fairly common, but reflux is actually commonly suffered by babies as well. Of course, the image of a baby puking all over the parent holding him is all to familiar, but believe it or not, this is really a very natural thing as most infants experience regurgitation in the first three months after their birth; in fact, this is common amongst more than half of all normal infants. This reflux can occur during the various actions that a baby will experience such as coughing, straining, burping, or crying.

Read more about Problems With Acid Reflux In Infants here

Heartburn Remedies

To stop the burning sensation and the bad taste that follows, use remedies for immediate relief. To avoid the heartburn from returning there are some changes that can be made immediately or over a period of time.

Options for immediate symptom relief:

* Over the counter medications
* A couple tablespoons of aloe vera juice
* One tablespoon distilled white vinegar
* Eat a carrot, potato, or an apple
* Peppermint tea or candy
* Club soda or baking soda mixed in water

Quick changes:

* Eat smaller meals
* Loosen pants or belt to relieve pressure on the stomach
* Avoid foods that are known triggers
* Don’t bend over too soon after eating
* Remain upright and don’t lie down immediately after a meal

Long-term relief of heartburn:

* Stop smoking-it increases stomach acid production
* Reduce weight-to relieve pressure on the stomach

The types of foods most likely to trigger heartburn include fatty fried foods, alcoholic beverages, caffeine, spicy foods, and chocolate. Keeping a journal of what you eat and when heartburn strikes will help to identify personal triggers. Stress can cause heartburn because the hormones that are released trigger acid production.

Untreated heartburn can damage the esophagus, causing burns and sores.

Heartburn Myths and Facts

Myth: My heartburn is my fault.
Fact: Too many heartburn sufferers believe that they are to blame for this painful malady. While it is true that certain lifestyle habits and the foods and beverages you eat and drink may aggravate your heartburn symptoms, many people make significant lifestyle changes to prevent heartburn and still experience heartburn. Heartburn is a medical condition with real biological causes, and heartburn sufferers need not compound their discomfort with shame and guilt.

Myth: Heartburn is a fact of life that I can't control.
Fact: People with heartburn don't need to suffer in silence. Changes in diet and lifestyle as well as a fast-growing range of over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications can provide relief for most sufferers. Surgery or newer non-surgical techniques may be appropriate treatment options for some.

Myth: Heartburn is just a minor, trivial complaint.
Fact: Heartburn is common, but it is not trivial. In fact, frequent heartburn can severely impact the productivity, daily activities and quality of life of those who experience it. In addition, persistent heartburn could be a symptom of a more serious condition called GERD which, if left untreated, can cause or contribute to a wide range of problems such as ulcers of the esophagus, asthma, chronic cough, and in rare cases, cancer of the esophagus. These complications may be avoided with proper monitoring from a physician.

Myth: After-dinner mints offer a soothing way to drift off to sleep.
Fact: Mints on the pillow are generally not a good way to ensure a peaceful night for heartburn sufferers. In fact, bedtime mints combine three common heartburn triggers—chocolate, mint and lying down—making them more likely to inspire heartburn than pleasant dreams for some sufferers.

Myth: Antacids aren't real medicine.
Fact: Many people believe that since antacids are sold without a prescription (OTC) that they are not real medicine. In fact, they are medicine, and you should be sure to read and follow the package directions carefully before using them or any drugs. If used in moderation and occasionally, antacids are generally safe. However, frequent use of certain antacids can cause diarrhea or constipation. Also, since some antacids cause interactions when used with other medications, be sure to let your health care professionals know that you are taking antacids if they are recommending other medications.

Myth: I have to live with my heartburn.
Fact: Many people don't believe that heartburn can actually be prevented, but some of the newer OTC medications can actually prevent heartburn as well as provide complete symptom relief. H2 blockers reduce acid for up to 12 hours. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), more effectively inhibit acid production — and effectively treat heartburn symptoms for 24 hours with one daily pill.

Myth: If I take a drug to suppress acid, I won't be able to digest my food.
Fact: Our bodies produce acid that helps break down food in the stomach and kills harmful bacteria. Acid works together with other substances in the stomach called enzymes to break down food. Even OTC proton pump inhibitors, which work directly on active acid pumps to significantly inhibit acid production, allow enough acid to be produced so that normal digestion of food occurs.

For more articles like this one, and all kinds of general heartburn info, click here.

Heartburn drugs are worth risk, some say

Despite link to hip fractures, 'what's the other choice?'

By Chris Emery
sun reporter

Originally published January 8, 2007

When a recent study found that a popular class of heartburn drugs might weaken bones, Dorothea E. Kilner was alarmed, but not just because her medication could contribute to a hip fracture.

For Kilner and the millions of Americans who suffer from chronic heartburn, the greater threat may be losing access to prescription drugs such as Prevacid, Prilosec, Protonix and Nexium. They're far more effective than earlier generations of heartburn medication, according to doctors and to patients who rely on them for relief.

"The real question is, what's the other choice?" said Dr. David B. Posner, chief of gastroenterology at Mercy Medical Center. "Most people who take these drugs know that once they stop taking them their pain is going to come back."

Kilner has already made up her mind. "I'm going to continue taking my Nexium because it works for me," said the 72- year-old Timonium resident. "The quality of life has improved for me by taking it."

Posner said the benefits of these drugs, known as proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs, outweigh the risks. While the study results announced Dec. 27 suggested that older people who take the drugs might want to take extra precautions to prevent bone loss, the link between hip fractures and the drugs is inconclusive, he said.

For the complete article, click here.

Blocking stomach acid doesn't raise cancer risk

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Overall, the use of drugs that reduce stomach acid, such as H2 blockers and proton pump inhibitors, do not increase the risk of cancer of the esophagus or stomach, according to a study reported in the journal Gut.

Common H2 blockers are ranitidine (Zantac) and cimetidine (Tagamet); and a common proton pump inhibitor is omeprazole (Prilosec).

"There have been concerns regarding the safety of long-time gastric acid suppression," senior investigator Dr. Mats Lindblad told Reuters Health. "I think our large study clearly suggests that long-time gastric acid suppression does not increase the risk" of cancer of the esophagus or stomach.

Lindblad and colleagues at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm evaluated 7 years of patient data entered into the UK general practice database. The team identified 287 patients with esophageal cancer and 522 with stomach cancer. These subjects were compared with 10,000 randomly selected subjects without cancer.

The authors found some conditions for which acid-suppressing drugs are used, such as acid reflux disease, hiatal hernia and Barrett's esophagus, were associated with an increased risk of stomach and esophagus cancer. However, no apparent cancer risk was seen with other conditions, including peptic ulcer, gastritis, and indigestion. They found no evidence that the drugs themselves increased the risk.

These findings are in line with those of previous studies, continued Lindblad. The new information is that the cancer risk is probably due to underlying conditions, rather than an independent, harmful effect of these drugs.

In an interview with Reuters Health, Dr. Kenneth E.L. McColl, author of an accompanying editorial, agreed that the findings are consistent with such a conclusion.

However, McColl of the Western Infirmary, Glasgow, UK added that "a major weakness in the study is the relatively short duration of acid suppressive therapy examined. The development of cancer in humans is a slow process."

The period in question "is really too short to identify or exclude any direct effect between acid suppressive medication and" stomach or esophageal cancers.

SOURCE: Gut, November 2006.

© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.