It has been found out at Wake Forest University School of Medicine by researchers that famous acid reflux medications increase the risk of developing pneumonia of very ill patients by three times.

The average length of stay if affected by pneumonia is extended by seven to nine days. Moreover, it also increases the risk of other complications and leave with increased cost to care. Pneumonia is the leading infection related disease that leads to death among seriously ill patients.

Senior researcher David L. Bowton, MD, head of the Section on Critical Care in the Department of Anesthesiology, said, “As best we can tell, patients who develop hospital-acquired pneumonia or ventilator-acquired pneumonia have about a 20 to 30 percent change of dying from that pneumonia. It’s a significant event.”

The Wake Forest study was published in a recent issue of the journal Chest. It compared acid reflux treatment of two drugs: ranitidine (Zantac TM) and pantoprazole (Prilosec TM). Stomach acid is decreased by these drugs. Prilosec is said to me more powerful than Zantac hence it has become the favorite in many hospitals. An analysis made among 834 patients has revealed that cardiothoracic surgery patients who are hospitalized and treated with prilosec are suppose to have three times higher chance of getting affected by pneumonia.

Co-author of the journal Marc G. Reichert, pharmacy coordinator for surgery at the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center said “We conducted this study, in part, because we thought we were seeing more pneumonias than we were used to having,”.

By reducing acid in the stomach, acid reflux drugs can make the stomach more hospitable to bacteria. Chronically ill patients who are on breathing machines are especially vulnerable to pneumonia when stomach acid refluxes into the lungs. That’s why their heads should be elevated to reduce the risk of stomach acid getting into the lungs. Doctors have historically given acid reflux drugs to these patients, but now that should consider whether an acid reducer might do more harm than good. Bowton said that ranitidine (Zantac) should be used in cases where an acid reflux drug is needed.

“Stopping the drugs earlier appears to be the best thing for patients,” said Reichert.

Acid reflux drugs carry risks for all individuals, not just the chronically ill. Prilosec, for example, which is commonly prescribed for heartburn, commonly causes headache and diarrhea. OTC Prilosec is available, but that does not it’s safe simply because you can get it without a prescription. Drugs are toxic substance which disturb the homeostasis within the body. Illness results from a disruption of this delicate balance. In fact, some acid reflux drugs can actually contribute to the problem of acid reflux with long-term use.

Natural solutions are always better than medications for acid reflux. Natural remedies consist of factors such as changing the diet, reducing the stress. By changing the diet to natural food, by reducing stress one of the patients who suffered from acid reflux is able to completely heal from the suffering. He has been completely cured without the help of those dangerous medications.

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Blue Heron Health News is a well known publishing company in the field of natural health. Their natural health publications include a detailed note to heal acid reflux in natural way.