Tackling heartburn

DAVID Wong, 38, has a stressful job as an accountant. He not only works long hours but travels often. Although he tries to have regular meals, David tends to eat in a hurry, often right at his desk. In the last two years, David’s heartburn problems have worsened. It started with a burning sensation in his chest followed by discomfort after meals. Over time, he felt acid rising back up into his mouth. Nowadays, David finds that he needs to clear his throat regularly as something always feels “stuck”. When he went to the doctor, the father of two was given an acid-blocking medication. It did help but his symptoms reoccurred when he stopped the medications. The worse is still the night time symptoms, which keeps him up at night. David hasn’t had a good night’s rest for many months now. reducing acid production to enable the digestive tract lining a chance to heal.

Current guidelines recommend that PPIs be used for only four to six weeks after which it should be withdrawn or stepped down to a lesspotent therapy. In reality, long term and often lifetime use is becoming the norm. This causes potential adverse effects and long-term harm due to its acid suppression actions.

Acid exists in the stomach for good reason. It primarily helps break down food, absorb vitamins and minerals and act as first line defence against harmful bacteria. When this acid is suppressed over weeks and months, the body’s natural digestive and defence mechanisms are compromised. medications. As a start the recommended dose for acid reflux patients is 320mg three times a day. Each dose is to be taken about 30 minutes before meals with some warm water.