Latest Heartburn Cure - Using Radio Waves

In the DailyMail UK, it is reported that radio waves are being used as a new treatment for heartburn problem. It makes use of small wires to generate heat and help to stiffen the loose tissue and cause the backflow of stomach acids to stop.

Currently, 75% of the UK patients who are in trials do not need to use drugs or only use occasionally when symptoms appeared. Before that, the patients were taking their medicine twice a day.

This treatment is based on the idea of the tissue at the junction of the oesophagus and upper stomach which can be stiffened by the body's natural responses to injury. This similar method is also used in treating snoring and sleep apnoea by stiffening the tissue at the throat.

It is just a day surgery which takes an hour to get the procedure done. The patients are fully recovered by the next day. Even the latest research shows that the treatment is highly effective.

When the patient is sedated, a flexible catheter would be inserted through the throat to the lower part of the oesophagus. The catheter has a number of sharp elements or thin wires at the extreme end which are manoeuvred so they penetrate 1-2mm into the oesophageal sphincter.

Once the catheter is in oesophagus, the wires transmit high-frequency radio waves into the muscle tissue, raising its temperature. The heating causes inflammation which would make the muscle tissue to thicken. This step is repeated in various positions. Remote sensors are in place to monitor the whole process and to ensure that there is no overheating. At the same time, there is chilled water circulating to prevent the other tissue being heated during the process.

According to doctors in Hanover, Germany, who did a study of 60 patients at 6 centres found that 75% of the patients who did the treatment 1 year ago do not need medication or less medication than before treatment.

News: New Incisionless Surgery Offers Hope to Heartburn Sufferers

A new cutting-edge simple operation can give hope to the millions of people are suffering from acid reflux or heartburn.

Recently, the surgeons at the Ohio State University Medical Center have performed the first incisionless procedure on first 2 patients that leaves no outside scarring. There is very minimal post-operative pain and at the same time, it reduces the patients' recovery time significantly.

This procedure makes use of a device known as EsophyX which was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration.The mechanism is relatively new in the United States and it has been proven safe and effective in patients treated throughout Europe for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), also known as heartburn or acid reflux.

The incisionless surgery allows reconstruction of the one-way valve at the top of the stomach, when the valve is defective. The new tubular device is introduced to the body totally through the mouth, and is then advanced down the esophagus into the stomach. During the procedure, the operation is viewed through a small fiberoptic camera located within the tubular surgical tools.

Patients are normally stay overnight in the hospital. After the procedure, the patients reported to be symptom free.

[Source: Fox News]

Is heartburn surgery remedy overused medical treatment?

In the latest Nov issue of Consumer Reports magazine, there is a list 10 overused tests and treatments. Heartburn surgery is one of them.

HEARTBURN SURGERY.
Doctors surgically tighten a sphincter muscle that blocks stomach acid from backing up into the esophagus. But research shows the operation, which costs $14,600 or more, provides no better long-term relief than taking a proton-pump-inhibitor drug such as omeprazole (Prilosec OTC), which costs less than $1 a day.

Are we really overused surgery as our remedy for heartburn? Actually there are many natural remedies for heartburn as long as you bother to research more about it.

Heartburn Medicines May Have Side Effects

Do you know that for long term medication for heartburn can cause your side effects?

Antacids and other heartburn or acid reflux medication commonly prescribed to treat these problems may cause you to have uncomfortable side effects when it is long term or short term use.

If you happen to take a heartburn drug and develop any of the follow symptoms, please talk to your doctor as recommended by The American Academy of Family Physicians.

- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- headaches
- feeling breathless
- constipation

Alternatively, you may want to consider natural remedies for your heartburn problem.

Heartburn Symptoms

Most people will find that heartburn symptoms are relatively common and they treat it like part of their normal lifestyle. Regardless whether it is mild or serious, it should not be treated lightly. These heartburn symptoms do not happen suddenly. They are due to over a period of time and they serves as a warning from your digestive system.

It is important to learn what are the symptoms of heartburn so that you can help yourself when you are experiencing it.

Common symptoms of heartburn are acid indigestion, acid reflux, acid regurgitation, non-cardiac chest pain, and sour stomach. This symptoms are also described as a burning sensation in the throat or the chest. Some people say that experience pain in their lower chest. While others feel heat or warmth sensation on their upper abdomen.

Most people experience chest pain, pain in the upper abdomen, excessive burping and bloating at the stomach, difficulty swallowing or sometimes, a burning sensation on the top of the throat.

For some people, heartburn symptoms can last for 2 hours or more. Others may experience difficulty in sleeping due to the heartburn symptoms. Some would wake up during the night and have difficulty falling asleep again. As the result of lack of sleep and suffering from heartburn, these people also feel the negative impact on their work the next day.

Another symptom which often goes unnoticed is a dry cough or frequent throat clearing.

Causes for Heartburn

The burning pain at the chest has become more commonly associated with heartburn acid reflux. It has become a big problem to many people. This is often have to with our lifestyle & diet.

The two main causes of heartburn is diet and lifestyle.

1) a) Diet- Food

Any food that is acidic, spicy and fried are common triggers for heartburn. Eating large portions of food can cause your stomach to generate large amounts of acid juices. As the result, this can help to increase your digestive juices to escape into the esophagus and cause you to have heartburn. Food like tomatoes, citrus fruits, peppers, fatty foods, fried food could be the causes of your heartburn problem.

As each individual is different and in order to clearly identify which food actually can trigger your heartburn, it is important to keep a food diary to track what kind of food do you eat every day. Thus, from the journal, you can detect what foods can cause it.

b) Diet - Beverages

Your daily beverages can also be the causes of the heartburn. Beverages like alcholic, citrus juices, carbonated drinks and sodas and caffeinated drinks are common causes of heartburn. They help to increase the acidity in your stomach and can cause irritation to the esophagus.

2. Lifestyle

Stress level High stress can cause your stomach to generate more acidic juices and causing you to have a heartburn.

Smoking encourages the production of digestive juice which induces relaxation of the sphicter. These are great conditions for heartburn to happen.

It is never a good idea to sleep immediately after a meal. By doing so, you are setting the condition for the digestive juices to escape to the esophagus.

How to tell that you are suffering from Heartburn?

How to you really tell that you are suffering from heartburn?

Is it when a heartburn become more than just an occasional problem that caused you to reach for nexium or zantac? Has it become too often?

What you can do is to ask yourself these questions?

1. Do you frequently have this uncomfortable feeling behind your breastbone that seems to move upward from the stomach?

2. Do you often have a burning sensation in the back of your throat?

3. Do you frequently have a bitter acid taste your mouth?

4. Do you get acid indigestion or heartburn problem at least 2 times a week and often have to use medicine for relief?

5. Do you experience these above problems after meals frequently and require to use medicine get relief?

If you answered yes to two or more questions, you might have heartburn. It is time for you to see your doctor or a gastrointestinal specialist to determine how serious your problem is.

Are you suffering from Heartburn problem?

As the world getting more affluent, we have more lifestyle health problems like diabetes, heart attack, cancer happening to us than before.

Heartburn is getting relatively common these days in this fast-moving and highly stressful society. As the result, people take it as it is a normal part of their life and they just bear with it or ignore it until it is too late.

So, are you suffering from Heartburn?