To banish your heartburn, the main thing is to choose the correct and most effective solution for you. That means obtaining precise information about the genuine causes that are behind heartburn symptoms. Overall, there are three ways to handle heartburn: doctors' classical treatments, surgical actions and natural/holistic cures. These methods have major differences in the way they are put in place and how they deal with different causative factors, as well as in their effects over a long duration.

When the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) between the esophagus and the stomach functions correctly, food is allowed to move one way into the stomach, but then kept in the stomach by the closing of the LES to prevent acidic stomach contents from being pushed back the opposite way. However, when the LES muscle relaxes incorrectly, acid stomach contents can move back to the esophagus to cause the pain of heartburn. This explains why heartburn is the outer sign of acid reflux or GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease). GERD is what comes about when the LES valve between the esophagus and the stomach loses its muscular force.

Physicians habitually deal with heartburn and related problems by trying to use conventional medications, some of which are available to anyone over the counter. These acid reflux OTCs can be sorted into three groups:

1. Antacid, canceling out stomach acid by covering over the food content, and characterized by products such as Maalox, Rolaids, Mylanta and Tums.

2. H2 blockers to damp down acid creation and diminish acid production in the stomach, characterized by products like Pepcid AC, Axid AR and Zantac 75.

3. PPI (Proton Pump Inhibitors) which break the proton pump action that normally releases the acid in the stomach, characterized by products including Nexium, Protonix and Prilosec.

The Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery 2004 published research that found that PPIs do nothing to reduce the frequency of reflux attacks for GERD victims. Instead, PPIs simply convert acidic contents into alkali ones. The reflux still happens, but with an alkaline bile which may in fact be worse for the esophagus. Although short-term pain alleviation is promised by such drugs, long-term usage can be a significant problem. These drugs do not address the real issue, only the external manifestations. They set about this by altering the composition of the stomach chemically. These drugs typically only have short-lived effect and can induce long duration patient dependency as well as unwanted secondary effects.

If drugs are not the answer, is a surgical operation any better? Such operations are designed to stop the valve opening when it should be shut, thus blocking the flow back of gastric contents to the esophagus. The surgeon envelops the upper portion of the stomach around the lower esophageal passage in order to bolster the muscular valve at the meeting point of the esophagus and the stomach.

A sufferer who relies solely on this solution is likely to remain a sufferer. If no accompanying lifestyle or diet alterations are made, heartburn symptoms will probably be back. Associated with this solution are other risks including cramps in the abdomen, bloating, diarrhea, nauseous feelings, and glutition difficulties.

The solutions mentioned either attempt to slow down the quantity of acid produced, or cancel it out or use physio-mechanical means to artificially reinforce the LES. However, none of them deals with the real cause. The major disadvantage of these conventional methods for treating heartburn is that they all address local GERD symptoms, their only action being on the external signs and not the real cause.

Inner body balance can also be severely impacted by Candida infection as well as lifestyle and bad diet habits, including major stress and incompatible sleep patterns, leading to excess acidity, fermentation and toxin overstocking. For a real measure of progress, it is the underlying causes that must be dealt with be rid of GERD and heartburn. Acid reflux is the direct result of the simultaneous existence of diverse medical and lifestyle elements. Genetic weakness, high fat food intake, excessive weight and particular lifestyle and nutrition factors all band together to strip the LES of its muscular force which stops it from closing correctly. The only possibility to really get rid of acid reflux and to prevent it from happening again is to suppress these root causes directly.