Is Heartburn Medicine Working?

" An estimated sixty million Americans experience heartburn. That means many trips to the drugstore and supermarket for over the counter medicines."

" Oh I think most people do self medicate is very hard to know exactly how -- people are self medicating but. Certainly the surveys on this issue do you suggest that most people with harper are self educated."

" With scores apart from products available how it's a person to know which one will bring him or her the best relief. One test is very simple. If your symptoms are."

" Provoked by me but meals by eating and you take the pill. With the meal or just before the meal and then the symptoms that predictably happen don't happen anymore or that happened to a very reduced severity of the you know that they are working."

" Working when it comes to heartburn relief has several measures. One is concept and the quickest relievers are usually antacids. "

" The benefit -- an asset is that it works immediately you don't have to wait for that drugs be absorbed by the body it works quickly."

" Another measure of relief is how alone. Drugs called H two blockers and proton pump inhibitors. Generally provide longer relief by reduction of curbing the passage."

" Since they're interfering with the -- ability to make acid in first place. You can get much more prolonged relief from those agents. And it's one simple pill you take a pill and you get hours of relief rather than having to take the end tested very frequently. They last longer than -- but they don't work as quickly it takes about. Twenty to forty minutes Nadine and up to an hour for them to work because they have to be obscure. By the small -- and get into the bloodstream in order to work."

" People experience heartburn and acid from the stomach backs up into the esophagus. Where it doesn't belong. Doctors call that condition Castro esophageal reflux disease or record. Millions of Americans find over the counter remedies provide effective relief. But when researchers tried to demonstrate effectiveness scientifically. They run into a problem."

" Heartburn is a subjective symptoms. There is no blood test that would determine if -- heartburn is going better or worse. There's no in this copy tests that will determine if art treatment is doing better or not. And there's no X -- that will detect these things."

" Instead when researchers conduct clinical trials to determine the effectiveness of heartburn medication. They focus on what can easily be reported by the patient."

" The outcome measures are geared to words how can measure and quantify and qualify the symptoms of heart burn itself. This is problematic. But this has progressed a long way throughout the past twenty years from just asking -- do you feel well or not. Two questionnaires that had certain grades do it. So there's there's in the so called validated. Questionnaires that measure the symptom --"

" Armed with these tools. Researchers in the 1990s. Started conducting well designed scientific studies of over the counter heartburn medications. In an effort to develop treatment recommendations. The American Castro -- logical association. Recently convened a panel of experts to review those studies. One of those studies which is unpublished divided 1600 heartburn sufferers into four groups. One group tried and assets. One try to H two blockers. A third group try to tablet that combined an H two blocker within -- The fourth group was given an inactive substance placebo."

" The key results were. That the the tablet that contains the combination -- and then tested with an H two blocker has combine the advantages borrow an -- advantages of an H two blocker and therefore almost predictably it performed better than -- alone and better than an H -- alone. And definitely better than placebos."

" Based on this research and other studies the panel of experts convened by the American Castro -- logical association. Concluded that over the counter medications can be safe and effective for treating episodic heartburn. For periods not exceeding four weeks."

" Now our consensus regarding the use of OTC. In the treatment of heartburn. Where that OTC are effective. Or have been shown to be effective in the prevention. Of heartburn and acid gonna -- education symptoms. There also have been effective in reducing the severity. Of heartburn symptoms and -- they've been effective in relief thing. I mean you induced heartburn symptoms."

" Most doctors agree. As long as there are no warning signs of a more serious condition."

" I think it's fine to calm. You know it's a self medicate and and take some of their products that are widely available in the supermarkets. And drugstores for most people that's fine. I think though if you find that these medications aren't totally alleviate your sentence or that incident you have to take them every day all the time. If you have any symptoms of trouble swallowing or burning when -- goes down. Then these certain situations where you really should see a doctor."

" But for most sufferers -- that's not necessary. Instead research and clinical experience show. And over the counter product may be all that's needed for safe and effective relief."