Causes : These conditions point to depraved digestive system for which so many factors are accountable. Even a small deviation late lunch or dinner, overeating, consumption of liquor, tobacco, spices, fats, too much meats and fish, high protein but low carbohydrate diet, recent or chronic constipation, sedentary habits can cause such symptoms.
Symptoms : Too frequent heartburn and acidity can adversely affect liver, stomach and its lining, enzyme production, and, above all, entire digestive system is thrown out of gear. There is a constant burning sensation, acidic/sour eructations, restivity, pain or discomfort. Usually character of pain is of burning which is felt behind the breastbone, appears to rise from upper mid abdomen, either towards or into the throat.
The patient feels as if the ingested food would come upto the mouth and that he may have to vomit but vomiting doesn’t, generally, occur, Heartburn might be accompanied by appearance of bitter or acidic fluid in the mouth, and is generally and quite often caused by regurgitatioin of the stomach contents into the gullet or by esophagus.
General: If there is nausea and much restivity, at once precipitate vomiting which will relieve and mollify most of (he symptoms but bitter and acidic taste will be left in the throat and mouth.
Treatment:
(i) Alkaline products can offset acidity and a TSP of Alkasol liquid or Alkacitron or any other such medicines will remove acidity and heartburn. Once I was told by a habitual drunkard that he mixes one or two TSP of alkasol with whisky and he never suffered from the two complaints. I think this may be an individual’s personal experiment/opinion which might not carry medical man’s Nod. All the same, it may be tried when alcohol is the root cause of acidity and heartburn.
(ii) Take two TBSP of Digene/Polychlor forte gel/Gelusil/ Diovol straightaway as soon as symptoms of acidity or heartburn appear.
(iii) If you want to get rid of Reflux oesophagitis, benign gastric/duodenal ulcres/hyperacidity disorders/chronic episodicdyspepsia/Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome, take a tablet of Ranitidine (brand names consec, Aciloc, Consee. Histac, etc.) (as Hcl). 150 mg twice daily or 300 mg at bed-time daily for 4-8 weeks. Maintenance dose is 150 mg at bed time. Do not stop treatment suddenly or in-between. Do not give in pregnancy, lactation, impaired renal function, gastric malignancy, children below 12 years and infants.
(iv) Another drug of choice; for the symptoms in (iii) above,is Famotidine (Brands names. Famtac, Fudone, Famonit, Famocid, Blocacid etc.) 20/40 mg tablets. Usual dose is 20 mg at night for 4-8 weeks.
Those who are liquor-addicts should consult their doctor(s) about the method, dosage, safeguards, tapering of dose and/or maintenance dose. Without proper guidance and know how not only the said but other medicines must never be taken.
Before concluding, the patients should try to single out the causes and try to eliminate the same. Repeated episodes of heartburn and acidity cannot be ruled out unless preventive and corrective measures are taken. Medicines can only help a patient when the patient himself is conscious about taking preventive or corrective steps but, in any case, do not expect any magical/instant results, as it is a time-consuming complaint.