Heartburn is a common complain among the masses and in most cases, it’s remarkably easy to find relief. With the availability of a variety of over-the-counter medicines for heartburn, it has never been this easy to get rid of heartburn medicines. But how do you know which one of the available heartburn medicines will work best for you? Your selection basically depends on whether you want to prevent heartburn or looking to treat it.
All OTC heartburn medicines decrease the acid content of the stomach, but they do so in a variety of ways. They are as follows:

• Acid suppressants like histamine2-receptor antagonists (H2-blockers): These are good to prevent heartburn. Histamine is actually a chemical released in the body particularly during inflammation, but also under diverse conditions. It can release more acid in the stomach, so by blocking it acid production can be reduced.
• Proton pump inhibitors: These are used to treat heartburn. They act on cells in the stomach wall that produce acid and release it into the stomach and hence reduce acid in the stomach.
• Prokinetic agents: These agents promote emptying of the stomach so it does not overfill and cause heartburn. They do the job by increasing the pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter, which is the muscular valve between the small bowel and the lower end of the stomach.