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Heartburn can be annoying, uncomfortable and taste nasty but most people do not know that leaving heartburn untreated may eventually kill you. Heartburn is known medically as gastro-esophageal reflux disease or GERD. The esophagus is a muscular tube which carries food from your throat to your stomach. The esophagus has two sphincters or rings of muscle which open to allow food to move into the stomach When stomach acid "refluxes" back into the esophagus, it causes a burning sensation, belching, nasty taste or even pain known as heartburn. Heartburn symptoms can be treated by drugs such as Tums or Maalox but those are only temporary remedies. Newer drugs such as Pepcid, Zantac, Nexium, and Prilosec help to prevent acid reflux by decreasing the acid levels in one's stomach. The person still refluxes stomach contents into his or her esophagus but the damage to the esophagus is prevented by decreasing the acid content.

What happens if I leave heartburn untreated?
Well first of all, it is very uncomfortable if left untreated. More importantly doctors believe untreated heartburn may cause a condition known as Barrett's esophagus. Normally, the esophagus has a cell lining that is different than the cells lining the stomach because the esophagus is normally not exposed to the acids that are in the stomach. These more fragile cells can change over time to cells more typically seen in the stomach. This cell change is called Barrett's esophagus. Barrett's esophagus is associated with up to a hundred times greater risk of esophageal cancer. This is why it is important to see your doctor if you have heartburn more than three times per week. You may be exposing yourself to an increased cancer risk. Esophageal cancer is usually incurable with 12-17% five-year survival rate. These rates are much improved over the 5% survival rates during the 1960's, in part because of screening and treatment for Barrett's esophagus and advanced heartburn treatments.
Treatments for Heartburn
Tums, Maalox, and Mylanta will temporarily relieve the symptoms of heartburn but if your problem is GERD or gastro-esophageal reflux disease it will not prevent future episodes of heartburn nor prevent Barrett's esophagus. Drugs such as Pepcid, Zantac, Prilosec, and Prevacid actually decrease the stomach acid content so when the stomach contents reflux back into the esophagus the cells do not become damaged. Some of these medications work better than others so it is important to ask your doctor which one is best for you. In extreme cases, GERD can be treated surgically by a procedure called a Nissen fundoplication where the doctor creates a new esophageal sphincter by wrapping part of the stomach around the esophagus. With all of these options for treatment and prevention as well as the increased risk of a very deadly cancer, there is no excuse for leaving chronic heartburn untreated; it could cost you your life.

Learn more about this author, Sandra Snider.
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