subject: Remedies for Heartburn – Can Antacids be Harmful? [print this page] Author: Jim Rees Author: Jim Rees
Heartburn affects more than 60 million Americans. Consequently, for the pharmaceutical industry it is one of their biggest money spinners. As there are many prescribed and over-the-counter remedies for heartburn, which one do you choose? More importantly, can any of these remedies be harmful? If you only suffer from mild doses of heartburn then you will probably choose to take some type of antacid medication, which is widely available and does not require a prescription. Basically, antacids work by neutralising the strong stomach acids which are the cause of your heartburn. They work very quickly to bring relief, hence their popularity. However, the relief that they produce is relatively short lived, generally lasting one to two hours. So, if you are still suffering from heartburn, you generally take another dose. But are these antacids harmful? Well if taken only occasionally then there should be no problem, although they can produce some unpleasant side effects. These depend on what the actual active ingredient of the particular antacid medication is. Antacids that contain calcium, while initially they will act to neutralise stomach acids and bring relief, if taken for extended periods can actually stimulate acid production, which of course is what you are trying to control. If, however, the product is based on magnesium, then if too much is taken, there is the distinct possibility that it will cause diarrhea. If you take too many of those antacids that have aluminium as the active ingredient, then this can produce constipation. While these complaints are relatively harmless, a potentially more serious and particularly harmful situation exists for people with kidney problems. Aluminum, from aluminium containing antacids, can accumulate in the body and this could prove toxic. To summarise, antacids are the most popular choice of the many remedies for heartburn available, for those who suffer mild heartburn. They are easy to obtain, work quickly and if taken only occasionally, should not cause any harmful side effects. Nevertheless, problems can occur if too much of the product is taken, although, generally, these problems are simply a minor ailment, though they can be more serious if the heartburn sufferer also has other medical conditions, particularly kidney problems. So care should be taken. Hopefully this has helped relieve the concern of those sufferers who do take antacids, in moderation. However, there is an alternative course of action which you can take, which would remedy your heartburn and provide complete peace of mind. In the field of natural remedies and treatments there are many totally natural remedies for heartburn that are rapidly gaining in popularity, due to their effectiveness and the fact that they do not create adverse side-effects. Isnt this worth further investigation? Finally, if you are open minded enough, then you could consider following a totally natural program, that has provided permanent relief from heartburn for thousands of very happy former sufferers. Permanent relief, how good would that be?About the Author:
Most conventional remedies for heartburn are temporary because they treat the symptoms and not the root cause of the problem. So, if you want to successfully and permanently rid yourself of your heartburn then you must address all the factors that contribute to the problem i.e. you must treat it holistically.
A revolutionary new program does exactly that and in 5 unique steps shows you how to permanently cure your heartburn and acid reflux.
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