Heartburn, Reflux and your pharmacist’s solution

Healthy digestion takes place while we rest, eat, sleep or work. You will generally only become aware of the process after eating foods that don't agree with you, eating or drinking too much, becoming constipated or having gas.

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Heartburn or reflux is very common. Almost everyone has it at some stage.
The burning throat and post-meal unpleasantness of reflux affects many Australians - perhaps as many as one in four adults.*

What are your symptoms?

The most common symptom is heartburn, and people often make do with an antacid to relieve this and other symptoms, when real long-term relief is only as far away as their pharmacist.

The symptoms flare up when your oesophagus, the muscular tube that connects your throat and stomach, develops a weakness around the sphincter at its lower end. As a result stomach acid (and sometimes food and liquid) backs up into the oesophagus; this has a tender lining that doesn't protect against stomach acid, and heartburn or indigestion is the result.
Other symptoms of reflux include:
o Burping, sometimes to excess
o Fluid or food coming back into the mouth
o The mouth suddenly filling with saliva
o Swallowing difficulties
o Sore throat and/or persistent dry cough
The frequency of heartburn (which incidentally has nothing to do with your heart) increases with age and symptoms can include a fiery feeling in your chest or upper abdomen after you eat or lie down, and throat burning, sleeping problems, tightness, soreness or hoarseness (especially when you wake up).