A lot of people who suffer from severe heartburn are convinced that they are having heart attacks so they end up calling 911 for help. Fortunately, heart attacks and heartburns are not synonymous and people who suffer from heartburns eventually recover from the attack after a few minutes or so. However, just because sufferers often recover from their heartburn attack after a few minutes that do not mean that they can just ignore their symptoms and do nothing about it. According to experts, heartburn sufferers who do not get proper treatment end up with severe complications later on. It is therefore very important for sufferers to get severe heartburn treatment as early as possible to avoid complications.
There are a number of treatments for severe heartburn so it is important for sufferers to weigh their options well before they go for treatment. Chronic heartburn treatments range from oral treatment to surgery. The cost of these treatments for severe heartburn also vary so if is very important that patients talk to their doctors first regarding the kind of treatment that they will undergo. We have to understand that although most health care insurance provider cover for the cost of severe heartburn treatments, some of these health insurance providers may not pay for the entire treatment process. Most health insurance companies these days have co-pay clause so patients may still end up paying for a fraction of the treatment bill.
Non-Surgical Treatment
Oral treatment for severe heartburn is safer and less costly compared to surgical treatments for severe heartburn. As it is, most doctors advice their patients with severe heartburn to take proton pump inhibitors to control their symptoms. Most types of proton pump inhibitors can be taken safely by the patient for a maximum of two months only. Taking these drugs beyond the two-month period is not advisable.
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According to experts, prolonged use of these drugs can cause severe side effects on the patient and may even lead to certain type of cancers. To avoid complications, patients should never take these drugs beyond the period specified by their doctors.
Surgical Treatment
When all else fails, doctors may recommend surgery as treatment for severe heartburn. However, since surgery is innately risky and costly, not many doctors around the country want their patients to undergo this procedure. Only those patients who are suffering from severe heartburns and could no longer find relief in drugs and other conventional treatments should undergo the procedure.
