Occasional indigestion caused by heartburn can be miserable, but when someone experiences heartburn associated with Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), the misery may lead him to think that suffering a firestorm would be preferable.

There have been complications linked with using antacids, and now, new reports have suggested that popular medications are associated with age-related dementia.

Heartburn is generally dealt with by consuming an antacid before getting medical advice or testing.

Antacids carry warnings along with them, in very small type and are most of the times, those warnings are very vague. WebMD has warned that consumption of calcium carbonate antacids for getting relief from heartburn could have side effects like gas, constipation, and burping. In case they are supposed to be helpful in relieving the belching, the other side effects don’t appear that bad.

It is apparent that there is a correlation between needing the medication and what is known as the rebound effect. In reality, the more a person takes, the more heartburn is experienced.

Toxicity is another topic linked to treating heartburn using Tums or Rolaids and others. Nobody, including the doctors, starts talking regarding this matter until the patient starts showing toxicity or overdose symptoms, including headaches, loss of appetite, nausea/vomiting or mental/mood changes.

After suffering heartburn for years and taking antacids, and progressively feeling the need to increase the quantity taken to get relief, a person will visit a doctor more times, complaining that self-medicating isn’t working anymore. Then, the physician could explain that the symptoms may have been caused by something more than just heartburn.

A number of physicians will make GERD diagnosis, suggesting different over-the-counter (OTC) medication, known as a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). The diagnosis is generally provided after the patient has talked about their history. Some diagnosticians will ask for getting tests to know there is nothing more happening within the body of the patient.