Acid Reflux, heartburn
and treatment with Nexium
If you suffer from persistent heartburn on two or more days a week -
even though you've treated it and changed your diet - you may have a
potentially serious condition called acid reflux disease also known as
gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Nexium is a type of medicine known as an acid pump inhibitor (also known as a proton pump inhibitor, or PPI). The lining of your stomach contains millions of special cells that produce acid via "acid pumps." It is the job of these pumps to produce the acid that helps in the digestion of food.
Nexium works by decreasing the acid produced by these acid pumps. Nexium
turns off (deactivates) some of the pumps to keep acid production under control. By reducing acid production in the stomach,
Nexium reduces the amount of acid backing up into the esophagus and causing reflux symptoms. But don't worry, you still have enough acid to take care of digestion.
Prolonged acid reflux can, over time, slowly wear away or erode the delicate lining of your esophagus. Only a doctor can determine if you have this damage.
Nexium can help heal this damage. In clinical tests, up to 94% of patients were healed with
Nexium. Your results may vary.
