Treatment Options for Heartburn: Zantac is Available over the Counter

If you have ever experienced the pain and burning of a bout of heartburn, you understand how important it is to find effective relief as quickly as possible. Heartburn can make it impossible to relax or sleep and can affect your overall quality of life – especially if it becomes a frequent occurrence. The good news is that there are plenty of options for effectively treating this condition, whether you experience these symptoms once a week or once in a blue moon. And when it comes to the best remedies for heartburn, Zantac is at the top of the list.

For the painful symptoms that accompany heartburn, Zantac is an effective medication for preventing these symptoms before they even begin, and treating them over the long haul. Zantac is part of the family of medications that are called H-2-receptor blockers, which work to reduce the production of stomach acid, and therefore the occurrence of heartburn symptoms. To understand exactly how to treat heartburn with Zantac, it is important to learn what heartburn is and why it occurs.

At the base of your esophagus, there is a small ring that is called the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES. The job of the LES is to allow food into the stomach from the esophagus to the stomach for digestion, and then to close so that the food and stomach acids cannot come back up the digestive tract. When this ring does not close properly, which can occur for a number of reasons, food and acids do indeed sneak back up into the esophagus, causing a painful burning sensation and an acidic taste in the mouth.

How to Treat Heartburn with Zantac

Zantac for heartburn works because reducing the stomach acid production will greatly lessen the likelihood that there will be enough acid to make it back up into the esophagus. Keep in mind that while this medication can work effectively for a long period of time, it is not the fastest acting option available. Some folks find that taking an antacid first will bring quick relief, but Zantac for heartburn will offer help over a longer time. Sometimes a combination of the two is the most effective heartburn remedy.

Zantac is available over the counter, but there is also a prescription strength available for those who suffer from frequent or severe bouts of heartburn that are not effectively treated by the over the counter option. If you are having trouble controlling your heartburn symptoms, talk to your doctor about your choices in treatment. Perhaps you will find that the best relief for your heartburn, Zantac, is only as far away as your neighborhood pharmacy.

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