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Our Gastroenterology Blog
Posts for tag: Acid Reflux
Heartburn and other unpleasant symptoms can occur frequently if you suffer from acid reflux. Your Suffolk County, NY 
gastroenterologists at Brookhaven Gastroenterology Associates discuss heartburn and other signs of acid reflux and share information on treatments here.
Acid reflux symptoms
If you have acid reflux, you may experience:
- Heartburn: Heartburn causes a burning pain in your chest and upper abdomen and occurs when stomach acids back up into your esophagus. It's called "heart" burn because the pain is usually felt in the chest, but luckily, heartburn doesn't actually affect your heart.
- Regurgitation: Regurgitation occurs when stomach acids back up into your throat or mouth. If you experience the problem, you may notice a bad taste in your mouth and may even vomit a small amount of stomach contents into your mouth when you burp.
- Bloating: After you eat, you may feel bloated or notice that your stomach feels very heavy or full.
- Trouble Swallowing: Acid reflux can cause a lump-in-the-throat sensation or may make it more difficult to swallow.
- Cough and Sore Throat: Those cold symptoms may actually be caused by reflux. Hoarseness, coughing and throat pain often accompany the condition.
Suffolk County gastroenterologists can help ease your acid reflux symptoms
Over-the-counter antacids, H-2 receptor blockers and proton pump inhibitors can reduce acid reflux symptoms, but if your problem doesn't get better or worsens, your gastroenterologist can offer more effective treatments. Stronger prescription-strength proton pump inhibitors, H-2 receptor blockers and other medications may relieve your symptoms. In most cases, taking medications and making a few lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, avoiding acidic foods and elevating the head of your bed, will be very effective in easing heartburn and other acid reflux symptoms. If your problem is severe, your doctor may recommend surgery to improve the function of your esophagus.
There's no reason to suffer from acid reflux-related heartburn. Call your Suffolk County, NY gastroenterologists at Brookhaven Gastroenterology Associates at (631) 289-0300 to find out which treatment options are right for you.
I Always Have Heartburn! Is it Acid Reflux?
Once or twice after eating spicy food, you’ve felt that burning feeling called heartburn. Usually it goes away, but now you notice the 
burning feeling is happening a lot. You wonder if it is something more than just plain heartburn.
You could have acid reflux. If you do, you are not alone. In fact, according to the American College of Gastroenterology, over 60 million Americans suffer heartburn at least once a month, with 15 million feeling the burn daily. If you are one of these people, you need to see a professional. It’s time to make an appointment with Brookhaven Gastroenterology Associates, your digestive specialists in Suffolk County, New York.
Acid reflux occurs when the acidic stomach contents make their way up into the esophagus. There is a sphincter muscle that acts as a valve to protect the esophagus from stomach acid, but sometimes this valve can fail, resulting in stomach acid flowing upward into the esophagus, and you get heartburn.
There are some things you can do to help prevent acid reflux. You can try to:
- Eat small meals
- Avoid pressure on your abdomen from belts or certain exercises
- Stop smoking
- Lose weight
- Stay upright for two to three hours after eating, don’t lie down
- Avoid spicy foods
- Take over-the-counter antacids
If you find yourself taking antacids continuously or you feel heartburn often, it can be developing into gastro-esophageal reflux disease, commonly called GERD. Common symptoms of the disease are:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Abdominal or chest pain
- Dry coughing or wheezing
- Throat problems
- Erosion of your teeth
- Bad breath
If your symptoms persist, it is important to see your gastroenterologist at Brookhaven Gastroenterology Associates, in Suffolk County, New York. The highly skilled specialists at Brookhaven can help with your heartburn or acid reflux, before it gets to be a more serious problem. Protect yourself, call today!
Recognize the Symptoms and Causes of Heartburn
- A burning pain in the chest and abdominal area.
- Pain that gets worse when you lay down or bend over.
- Burning that rises from your chest and could be felt as high as the neck.
- Acidic taste at the back of the throat.
Treating Heartburn
- Antacids. One of the most common treatments, which works to take the pain and burning away, but can not repair an already damaged esophagus.
- Proton-pump Inhibitors. This drug slows down the actual production of stomach acid. While proton-pump inhibitors are longer lasting than antacids, they do not work as fast.
- Prescription medication. These medications can only be prescribed by a doctor, but are the most powerful option for more serious cases.
- Herbal remedies. Calcium is the active ingredient in most antacids, and can be taken to prevent heartburn. Milk thistle, lemon balm and even licorice have been known to help heartburn sufferers.
