![]() ![]() “Certain foods have an effect on the lower esophageal sphincter,” explains Velker. They do this by causing the valve that separates the two areas to relax and stop doing its job effectively. While some foods do indeed irritate the stomach, the true culprit is foods that escape from the stomach and into the esophagus. “It makes sense, right? There’s more pressure down below, so it’s more likely to go up.”Ĭonventional wisdom dictates that certain spicy foods cause heartburn because their acidity irritates the stomach lining. “The more weight a person is carrying, especially on the abdomen that’s kind of pushing down on the stomach, the easier it is for things to come up through the esophagus,” she explains. It isn’t hard to visualize the ways that excess weight can exacerbate heartburn symptoms, says Velker. Losing weight and improving general fitness has a positive effect on all facets of health, including heartburn and reflux. If they are, then treating with anti-reflux medications, even a PPI, is not going to fix the problem.”Īfter consultation with a doctor, if the telltale symptoms of heartburn are, in fact, heartburn and not something more serious, there are a number of ways to ease the pain that don’t involve taking prescription medications. Second thing is there’s actually bacteria called Helicobacter pylori that can cause reflux and GERD, so if that’s a possibility, we’d probably want to check that with blood work just to make sure that they’re not positive. “So first thing we would say is if you’re taking something like that, stop. “If somebody is using a lot of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Advil, they can damage the lining of the stomach and cause irritation, pain, and reflux,” she continued. “There are certain things that can cause reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and you don’t want to treat the symptoms without resolving the issue,” Velker told Healthline. Brenna Velker, a family physician and adjunct professor at Western University’s Department of Family Medicine in Ontario, as well as a blogger at the Huffington Post Canada. The best practice for anybody experiencing heartburn symptoms is to consult with their doctor, says Dr. It’s worth noting that PPIs are generally well-tolerated when taken on a short-term basis.īut ultimately, for those experiencing heartburn, there are a number of simple ways to lessen symptoms - no prescription required. The data is in line with other reported risks of long-term PPI use, including a possible increased risk of bone fractures, the development of microscopic colitis, and a higher susceptibility to pneumonia. In all, those who used PPIs had a 25 percent higher risk of death from all causes versus people who used H2 blockers. Researchers compared different groups of people: those who used PPIs and those who used histamine H2 receptor antagonists (H2 blockers), along with people who didn’t use either. Ziyad Al-Aly of the Washington University School of Medicine, pulled data on about 3.5 million people from a national U.S. But a recent study found that using these drugs on a long-term basis could be linked to a shortened lifespan. ![]()
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