Heartburn and Acid Reflux - The Overuse of Proton Pump Inhibitors
In the past year roughly 120 million proton pump inhibitor prescriptions have been filled, making it one of the most prescribed type of medication on the market.
There is good reason that PPI's have had such mainstream success, as they have a direct influence on the symptoms of GERD and other painful esophageal illnesses highlighted by piercing heartburn, but the problem is not every has GERD or a similarly sever ailment.
People are seeking PPI prescriptions before first evaluating the problem at hand.
Seemingly simple culprits for the development of heartburn can be determined ranging from a diet high in spicy or acidic foods to heavy and prolonged consumption of alcoholic beverages.
There are a host of causes for esophageal pain, but in most people those symptoms aren't chronic or what would be considered severe through clinical testing.
The source of regular chest and esophagus discomfort, besides determined gastric illness, can be boiled down to negative habits in diet and smoking.
If these problems are addressed before seeking PPI's then a nice balance can be struck between decreasing heartburn symptoms and maintaining a steady consumption of your regular daily intake.
Too often the prescriptions to PPI's are being handed out too liberally, happy to send people away with a drug that will stop their problems, but this is without taking into account the side effects.
Overconsumption of PPI medication, or prolonged use, can have definite drawbacks.
Prolonged use of PPI's can actually have the exact negative effect you are attempting to stop.
Similar to how Oxymetazoline based nasal sprays work very effectively, but steady prolonged use can actually clog the nasal cavity, the same is true of PPI's.
Overuse can in effect worsen the esophageal discomfort and create new problems separate from the initial pain and burning.
At the end of the day PPI's is a wonderfully effective treatment for the most severe forms of heartburn, but it doesn't always get prescribed for exclusively severe conditions.
Speak with your doctor to find out if you simply have pain or you think it's a chronic illness that needs attention.
There is good reason that PPI's have had such mainstream success, as they have a direct influence on the symptoms of GERD and other painful esophageal illnesses highlighted by piercing heartburn, but the problem is not every has GERD or a similarly sever ailment.
People are seeking PPI prescriptions before first evaluating the problem at hand.
Seemingly simple culprits for the development of heartburn can be determined ranging from a diet high in spicy or acidic foods to heavy and prolonged consumption of alcoholic beverages.
There are a host of causes for esophageal pain, but in most people those symptoms aren't chronic or what would be considered severe through clinical testing.
The source of regular chest and esophagus discomfort, besides determined gastric illness, can be boiled down to negative habits in diet and smoking.
If these problems are addressed before seeking PPI's then a nice balance can be struck between decreasing heartburn symptoms and maintaining a steady consumption of your regular daily intake.
Too often the prescriptions to PPI's are being handed out too liberally, happy to send people away with a drug that will stop their problems, but this is without taking into account the side effects.
Overconsumption of PPI medication, or prolonged use, can have definite drawbacks.
Prolonged use of PPI's can actually have the exact negative effect you are attempting to stop.
Similar to how Oxymetazoline based nasal sprays work very effectively, but steady prolonged use can actually clog the nasal cavity, the same is true of PPI's.
Overuse can in effect worsen the esophageal discomfort and create new problems separate from the initial pain and burning.
At the end of the day PPI's is a wonderfully effective treatment for the most severe forms of heartburn, but it doesn't always get prescribed for exclusively severe conditions.
Speak with your doctor to find out if you simply have pain or you think it's a chronic illness that needs attention.
