Many patients suffering from heartburn cringe at the thought of taking medications such as Prilosec and Nexium, called proton-pump inhibitors, for the rest of their lives.

That’s why a new trend in “treating” chronic heartburn–or gastroesophogeal reflux disease (GERD)–has made its way to the forefront: Endoscopic reflux treatments. What makes these types of treatments different from medications is that they are directed at strengthening the connection between the esophagus and the stomach, rather than trying to reduce the volume of what’s coming up from the stomach into the esophagus.

Endoscopic treatments are administered via the mouth and involve the insertion of a thin flexible tube with a tiny video camera to view the digestive tract.

Complments mercola.com