Heartburn Awareness

More than 60 million Americans suffer from heartburn at least once a month - the same number of people who suffer from the common cold each year. If you suffer from heartburn, you know the pain is real. You also know there are more medications to treat heartburn than ever before. To choose a treatment, make sure you understand your options! Student pharmacists at UAMS are joining forces with the National Heartburn Alliance (NHBA) to help sufferers Get Heartburn Smart. Heartburn can and should be controlled to improve the quality of life and to avoid possible complications in the long run. Please visit the following sites for more information about heartburn and heartburn treatment.

The following information is meant to help you learn more about heartburn, not to replace the advice of your health care professional. The information contained on the pages is provided as a resource for educational purposes only and it should not be used to replace medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease.

General Information

  • The National Heartburn Alliance: This site is dedicated to heartburn sufferers. You can browse through their selection of online materials and even order print materials. They have information on medications, types of heartburn, identifying your type of heartburn, what foods you should eat and more.

  • NHBA's Stop & Select Guide: This guide is invaluable if you're a heartburn sufferer. Find out which foods you can eat in moderation and which you should avoid all together. You can download a printable version of the guide online and you can receive a pocket sized guide in the mail if you sign up on their site.

  • GERD Information Resource Center: Heard of GERD? Don't know what it is? Many people who suffer from Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease don't even know what it is! AstraZeneca has some great information about GERD for the general public, health care providers and researchers alike.

Medications

  • NHBA Medication Chart: Confused over all the medications available for heartburn? The NHBA has an easy to follow chart to help you navigate them! This chart will help you understand how the medications work, what kind of heartburn they're intended to treat and give you some examples of medications.

  • GlaxoSmithKline : Heartburn Relief: Learn more the about GSK over-the-counter medications Gaviscon, Tums and Tagamet.

  • Prilosec OTC: Prilosec is a proton pump inhibitor. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are a group of medications that prevent the release of acid in the stomach and intestines. Learn more about Prilosec and what it is used for.

  • Nexium: Nexium, another proton pump inhibitor, is available only by prescription. Learn more about Nexium.

  • Promotility Medications: Promotility agents treat GERD by stimulating the movement of gastrointestinal contents through the esophagus, stomach, and intestines. This can reduce the potential damage stomach acids can inflict on the lining of the stomach or esophagus. Find out more about this class (examples: Reglan, Propulsid)

Disclaimer: The views & opinions expressed on this web site are those of the authors & do not reflect those of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences or the College of Pharmacy.