What is the Best Acid Reflux Disease Treatment?

Before diving into the best acid reflux disease treatment, let's explore what acid reflux disease is. Acid reflux disease is also known as GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease) and more commonly as heartburn.

In a normal human body, there is a sphincter called the lower esophageal sphincter which allows food to pass through to the stomach and stops the stomachs digestive acids from coming back up through the esophagus.

For various reasons that sphincter can become impaired, allowing the stomach acid back up through the esophagus and causing severe pain. Left untreated, this pain can lead to more serious issues such as cancer.

Now that we know what acid reflux disease is, what is the best acid reflux disease treatment? Unfortunately there is no single best answer to that question as there are a variety of treatments that you can pursue:

1. Dairy products - many people take milk and/or yogurt as a preventative measure or after a flare up has occurred. The dairy seems to coat the esophagus.

2. Water - again before or after an episode. The water seems to dilute the stomach acid making it less harmful.

3. Over the counter medication such as Tums or Maalox. Again, these types of medications can be taken before or during an episode. They do have medicinal ingredients that make them more effective than dairy or water but they also contain chemicals and medicine which many people these days are trying to avoid.

4. Prescription medication such as Zantac, Prilosec, Prevacid etc. The medications absolutely work better. They are taken daily to prevent the acid reflux from occurring in the first place. Zantac has proven to be the best acid reflux disease treatment for me and many others but you should consult your physician.

5. Herbal remedies. Many people do not like the side effects of prescribed medications or simply do not like to take pills. There are many herbs that have been known to help with acid reflux. Some of these are ginger root, meadow sweet, peppermint, fennel and many more. These herbal remedies seem to be effective on some individuals and not so effective on others.

As you can see, there is no one best treatment for acid reflux disease. I recommend starting with water and dairy products if your reflux is not too severe. Next, I would move into the over the counter medication. If that is not effective, perhaps one of the many herbal remedies will do the trick. Finally, if all else fails, prescription medication may be your last resort.

In any event, whichever route you choose, you should always be under the guidance of a qualified physician so you can make informed decisions about what to do with your body.