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Heartburn on the rise -- and scientists aren't sure why

It could be the stress, too many trips to Starbucks or the spicy chili from the food truck. The number of people plagued by heartburn is increasing -- but scientists aren’t sure why. What they do know is that highly popular acid-blocking medications don’t help everyone. In some cases it’s because acid isn’t at the root of the heartburn –the sensation is caused by bile or food being refluxed from the stomach into the esophagus. In others it’s because people are so sensitive, they react even when the acid is greatly reduced. Still others suffer that burning pain even when there doesn’t seem to be any regurgitation at all.

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Articles of Interest

Acid Reflux: The Truth Behind Heartburn

TV commercials about heartburn are not telling you the whole truth. Displaying a bottle of acid-lowering medicine surrounded by bottles of hot sauce and chicken wings only encourages you to indulge in tempting food, then take a pill to solve the problem. Although certain drugs can be effective in relieving unpleasant symptoms of acid reflux, they don't really deal with the underlying issue.

Be Still, My Heartburn

The most common torture of my domestic life used to be waking in the night to find that my bedside stash of Tums was tapped out. Finally, after a gantlet of holiday parties a few years ago, I saw a doctor, and he tuned me in to the powers of prevention.

Emerging Type of Heartburn Defies Drugs, Diagnosis

New research suggests that in many people, heartburn may be caused by something other than acid reflux. But gastroenterologists are often stumped as to what it is and how to treat it.

Pop a Pill for Heartburn? Try Diet and Exercise

Acid reflux is a serious disorder that can and must be treated to prevent symptoms and stave off potentially life-threatening consequences. Known medically and commercially as GERD, the acronym for gastroesophageal reflux disease, repeated bathing of the soft tissues of the esophagus with corrosive stomach acid can seriously damage them and even cause esophageal cancer, which is often fatal.

Popular Heartburn Pills Can Be Hard To Stop, And May Be Risky

Her doctor diagnosed her with gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, and prescribed a drug called a proton pump inhibitor, or PPI. The drug worked, but Lafayette soon started having other problems, such as muscle weakness and severe leg cramping. Lafayette discovered she was suffering from a magnesium deficiency, a side effect of the drug. She also learned that PPIs can cause not just deficiencies of nutrients but other side effects, such as an increased risk for infections.

The Hidden Dangers of Heartburn

Few health problems are as ubiquitous as heartburn. An estimated 100 million Americans suffer from it every month; about 15 million battle it at least once a day. In fact, heartburn is so common that most people don't worry about it. But they should.

Weekly Health Tip: When Heartburn Becomes A Health Problem

Changes in diet and lifestyle can help reduce or eliminate symptoms of GERD and also lower your risk of developing the disease in the first place.

What’s new in heartburn research?

For people on PPIs, never look at it as if you have to have this kind of treatment for the rest of your life. If you have heartburn and need a PPI, you should first work on lifestyle modifications. It's amazing how many people can get off the PPI and maybe just use antacids when they need them.

Why Did the Young Woman’s Heartburn Keep Getting Worse?

EGE is thought to be an unusual type of allergic reaction to foods. Food exposure triggers the recruitment of eosinophils to the gut, but once they have a toehold, repeated exposure isn’t necessary to keep them there. The disorder was first described in a series of patients in the United States in 1993 but since then has been found to occur throughout the developed world. Because it’s a relatively new disease, and because our understanding of allergy is still emerging, it’s not well understood.

Resources

Health

Great resource for heartburn including ways to control this vexing problem.

MedicineNet

For infrequent heartburn, the most common symptom of GERD, life-style changes and an occasional antacid may be all that is necessary. If heartburn is frequent, daily non-prescription-strength (over-the-counter) H2 antagonists may be adequate. A foam barrier also can be used with the antacid or H2 antagonist.