How should milk work against heartburn?
In the case of heartburn (gastroesophageal reflux disease), stomach acid rising into the esophagus irritates the mucous membrane. This causes the typical dull, burning pain behind the breastbone. In addition, there are symptoms such as acidic belching or stomach pain.
Many affected persons take home remedies as first aid to provide relief for themselves. Drinking milk, for example, is said to relieve the symptoms of heartburn: For one thing, milk is an additional liquid that dilutes the gastric acid in the stomach. On the other hand, the milk is supposed to neutralize the acid produced by the stomach lining. This is supposed to happen via the protein contained in the milk: The protein buffers the acids from the stomach and thus provides a calming effect. However, this assumption has become outdated and has even been partially refuted.
Can it increase the symptoms?
Whether the milk has a positive effect on the symptoms of heartburn is questionable. Scientists even suspect that drinking milk can have a negative effect on the symptoms of heartburn: For one thing, milk has a slightly acidic pH value. However, since the effect of milk is to buffer and thus neutralize the stomach acid, this is only possible to a limited extent.
On the other hand, the stomach acid production is even stimulated by milk. Since about 15% of the population are lactose intolerant, the household remedy can intensify the symptoms and even cause further digestive problems. For example, it can also intensify stomach pain and cause diarrhoea. In general, it is therefore recommended – although milk may provide relief for some people – not to use milk or dairy products such as yoghurt to treat heartburn.
What are other alternatives?
Apart from a change of lifestyle such as Niktoin, coffee and alcohol renouncement, small carbohydrate and low-fat meals and weight normalization, different medicines – partly prescription, partly over-the-counter – can be taken to treat the complaints of heartburn. Antacids with ingredients such as magnesium or aluminum hydroxide are well suited for treating occasional heartburn and are available over the counter from pharmacies. The basic hydroxide ion contained in the drug binds and neutralizes the acid in the stomach.
Antacids may also help protect the mucous membrane of the esophagus. Antacids are taken as needed and take effect within a few minutes. If symptoms occur repeatedly or the severity of the symptoms increases, a doctor should be consulted.
This doctor can prescribe prescription drugs that are more suitable for longer treatment. The most important medication for heartburn is the so-called proton pump inhibitor (omeprazole, pantoprazole, etc.). This drug inhibits a transporter in the stomach lining that is responsible for transporting acids into the stomach.
This often leads to rapid relief of symptoms. Due to the strong reduction of acid, the drug ensures that a mucous membrane injured by the acid can recover. The medication must be taken regularly for a certain period of time.
Another group of drugs are the so-called H2-blockers such as Ranitidine or Cimetidine. These drugs bind to the H2 receptor in the stomach and thereby reduce acid production. Since the H2-blockers have more side effects and are not as effective as the proton pump inhibitors, they are only second-rate drugs.
Prokinetics such as metoclopramide are only rarely prescribed. Prokinetics increase the so-called gastric passage, i.e. they shorten the time food stays in the stomach. This is achieved by increasing motility, i.e. by increasing the mobility of the gastrointestinal tract to transport food more quickly and by relaxing the muscle at the exit of the stomach (pylorus), which allows food to be released from the stomach into the intestine more quickly. Natural alternatives against heartburn you can find on this page: Home remedies for heartburn