If you have GERD, your doctor may have prescribed preventative treatments like proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), H2 blockers, or antacids. However, if you’ve ever read the labels on these medications, you may have noticed that they don’t recommend use for longer than a couple of weeks. Furthermore, long-term use of some of these medications can have some serious side effects.
Read MoreIf you think you might be suffering from acid reflux, getting a definitive answer might feel pretty tough – unless you go see the doctor. However, there are specific symptoms that you may have that will clue you into what’s going on.
Read MoreNearly everyone will experience heartburn at some point in their life— it’s just a fact. However, there’s a very fine line between “normal” reflux after a huge meal and daily, debilitative heartburn that affects your productivity. Let’s take a look at a common question we hear a lot at the Tampa Bay Reflux Center: when is reflux normal?
Read MoreYou wake up in the middle of the night to pain radiating from your chest. Could this be it? Are you about to take the plunge into the unknown and say your final goodbyes to the ones you love? It’s possible…or maybe you just need to take a Tums and lay off the buffalo wings before b
The scenario sounds almost laughable, but if you’ve ever suffered from severe chronic heartburn you’ll understand that a heart attack and heartburn have very similar symptoms, which makes it confusing and alarming to determine what’s happening if you start experiencing them. It’s not uncommon for people to mistake severe heartburn for a heart attack, or vice versa.
The following list will help make the differences a little clearer.
Read MoreIf you struggle with GERD, you’ve probably already heard about or experienced firsthand the connection between your symptoms and acidic foods. “Don’t eat citrus,” they say, but why? Why does acidic food make GERD worse? We know that eating acidic foods doesn’t cause GERD – that’s the lower esophageal sphincter’s (LES’s) fault. However, acidic foods complicate an already existent pathway and make your symptoms worse.
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