Millions of doses of “acid blocking” drugs are doled out every year to treat heartburn. You can even get them without a prescription. Yet most doctors and their patients are completely oblivious to their adverse effects, which can include an increased risk of premature death.
Heartburn—a burning sensation felt just above the entrance to the stomach—is really nothing more than a condition where the valve at the entrance to the stomach is too lax, and allows acid reflux. This means that a little stomach acid works its way upwards from the stomach towards your throat, where there is no protection for the delicate mucosal tissue.
Contrary to what some believe, heartburn has nothing to do with your heart. However if it is persistent for too many years, the constant irritation of the mucosa can lead to cancerous changes, resulting in oesophageal cancer.
So it’s important to get to the root of the problem, preferably drug-free. This means finding the cause of the valve laxity. It is often triggered by problem