Troubling heartburn

OVER the last two years, KC Lim, 56, has been experiencing a burning sensation in his chest, which has been gradually worsening. After every meal, Lim feels a liquid rising up from his stomach into his mouth that tastes sour. Numerous times, his wife has also told him that he has bad breath.

Late one evening, Lim had chest pains. It got so bad, he thought he was having a heart attack. His wife managed to get him to the hospital where tests showed that it wasn’t a heart attack but a stomach condition known as gastroesoΩ phaegal reflux disease or GERD. Lim was prescribed acid-blocking medication, which did help relieve the symptoms for awhile. However, his condition always returned. He also had a lot of gas in his tummy, which felt even more uncomfortable than the reflux. and up the throat. Chronic heartburn can lead to a condition called GERD, which happens when there is continuous damage to the esophagus lining by the stomach acid.

Over the last decade, there has been a significant rise of GERD, which is likely attributed to the the prevalence of smoking and obesity. GERD is not only a burden to one’s quality of life Ω affecting a patient’s enjoyment of food, sleep and ability to focus Ω but also increases the risk of esophageal cancer. kidney damage, pneumonia and osteoporosis.

It has been noted in the Journal of the American Medical Association that the “adverse effects of PPIs outweighs its benefits.” In 2016, the Malaysian Ministry of Health issued a directive for healthcare professionals to practise caution concerning long-term use of PPIs. Current guidelines recommend that PPIs be used for only four to six weeks after which it should be stopped and replaced with a lesspotent therapy. The reality is however, patients continue taking PPIs indefinitely as symptoms tends to recur.