Read up on Heartburn treatment options at Consumer Reports Health.

Heartburn

Key points about treatments

Everyone gets heartburn now and again. It's an uncomfortable burning feeling that starts below your breastbone and rises into the back of your throat. But if you have heartburn more than twice a week, you may have GERD. This stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease. There are some good treatments for GERD.

Key points about treating GERD

If you have symptoms, such as heartburn, several times a week, you probably won't get better without treatment.
Drug treatment won't cure GERD but it can make you feel better and may help your esophagus heal. (Your esophagus is the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach.)
Proton pump inhibitors work better than other drug treatments. They are usually prescribed when your symptoms are bad.
Drugs called H2 blockers also work. But they don't work as well or as fast as proton pump inhibitors. They may be better if your symptoms are mild.
Proton pump inhibitors are more expensive than H2 blockers but you may not need to take so many of them. This may make proton pump inhibitors cheaper in the long run.
Antacids are medicines that you can buy over the counter. They seem to help some people with mild symptoms.
If you stop taking medicine, your symptoms will probably come back.
Surgery can be used to cure GERD. It works but it has risks.
Self-help remedies such as cutting down on fatty foods and giving up smoking are good for your health, but we don't know if they help symptoms of GERD. There hasn't been enough research to tell us.

This information was last updated on Jan 07, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

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