Despite being called "heartburn," this issue doesn't affect your heart. Instead, it stems from stomach contents going back into your esophagus. Because the contents consists of acid from the stomach, it irritates the esophagus and leads to pain and discomfort. Dr. Suja Dubois of San Diego Gastroenterology Medical Associates in San Diego, CA, would like to offer insight on how she can assist.
Testing to Find the Cause
The first step Dr. Dubois will take is to find the cause of your heartburn. It's a misconception that heartburn is only caused by the foods you eat. In some cases, the foods you eat are responsible for the issue, but sometimes, it's an underlying condition contributing. Therefore, our practitioner will examine you and determine if you have a gastroenterological disease that could be the culprit. Our physician will also look at your lifestyle and figure out your body mass index (BMI) because both can be to blame.
Assessment of Your Diet
Since food sources can contribute to your heartburn, it's important for our practitioner to assess your diet. That's why when you visit our San Diego, CA, office for heartburn our doctor will ask you what foods do you typically eat and will want to know when you notice your symptoms most often.
Once our physician has insight, she'll educate you on diet changes you can make to reduce or eliminate your symptoms.
Medications
While over-the-counter antacids may be able to combat mild to moderate symptoms, in the more severe cases, these may not be as effective. And diet changes aren't always effective in these cases either. Our doctor may then prescribe a medication, such as an acid neutralizer, histamine 2 receptor antagonist (H2RA), or proton pump inhibitor. An acid neutralizer works by making the acid less acidic so it doesn't irritate your esophagus. A proton pump inhibitor decreases the amount of acid produced in your stomach. On the other hand, a histamine 2 receptor antagonist (H2RA) will block a form of histamine that affects acid production. As a result, you have less stomach acid.
At San Diego Gastroenterology Medical Associates in San Diego, CA, Dr. Dubois can determine the cause of your heartburn and help you reduce or eliminate your symptoms through diet changes and/or medications.
If you're battling heartburn, you don't have to. Dr. Dubois can help, and it starts with one phone call to (619) 291-6064.