A Hiatal Hernia May Cause Heartburn Pain
Not all heartburn pain can be alleviated with antacid medicine and medical attention may be required
Tuesday, June 29, 2021 - Managing chronic heartburn and acid reflux pain, and never again needing to take heartburn medicine like Zantac or others, may be as simple as making a few lifestyle changes. Other times, people may be afflicted with a physical problem called a hiatal hernia that opens the door for stomach acid to enter the esophagus and cause burning that could lead to esophageal cancer. When a Hiatal hernia occurs, no amount of antacid medicine will solve the problem and can offer only temporary pain relief at best. According to Medical News Today (MNT), "A hiatal hernia happens when a section of the stomach pushes through the diaphragm and into the chest cavity. Hiatal hernias do not always cause symptoms, but some people may experience heartburn as acid moves up from their stomach." A Hiatal hernia, like other hernias, may not require immediate medical treatment but could become strangulated (twisted), causing sepsis and possibly death. When stomach acid rises through an open esophageal sphincter, it causes burning to the unprotected lining of the esophagus. A sphincter is a one-way valve that slides open to allow food to enter and closes to keep stomach acid in the stomach where it belongs. Keeping the esophageal sphincter healthy and working properly is the key to eliminating heartburn, acid indigestion, and gastrointestinal reflux disease. Visit Zantac antacid cancer lawsuit to learn more.
There are several easy things one can do to keep their esophageal sphincter working. Losing weight is one of them. Excess fat can crowd all organs that have to move to work. Also, keeping the stomach contents below a packed-full condition allows the ES to operate and stay closed. Doctors recommend a person suffering acid indigestion pain eat smaller, more frequent meals to allow more time for digestion. Finally, some spicy foods and meat preservative chemicals can temporarily paralyze the ES and prevent it from closing behind the food that enters the stomach. A person‘s physical posture also plays a role in managing heartburn pain. Sitting or standing is recommended. So is sleeping with the torso at an elevated angle helps gravity keep stomach acid where it belongs.
Most people, unfortunately, are unable to discipline themselves sufficiently to make the lifestyle modifications recommended by doctors and instead look for an easy solution. The choice for more than 15 million Americans per day was to take a Zantac heartburn and acid reflux relief tablet. On April 1, 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration recalled all forms of ranitidine heartburn medicine including the Zantac brand over fear that ranitidine was contaminated with NDMA, a deadly carcinogen. Further research has concluded that ranitidine is an unstable molecule that becomes N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) when exposed to heat that occurs during transportation and storage of ranitidine tablets, and also when the pill enters the stomach. More than 70,000 former Zantac users have registered to file lawsuits against the makers of Zantac for failing to warn them of the health risks Zantac allegedly carries.
