Q: I am a 39 years old male suffering from acidity, which is accompanied by severe headache, neck pain and vomiting sensation. Zintac gives me temporary relief. Is it safe to take this medicine for acidity? Does acidity cause neck pain?

A:Your symptoms are suggestive of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In GERD, acid from stomach tends to reflux back into the food pipe (esophagus). This can lead to unusual symptoms like persistent cough, sore throat and vomiting. You mention that you have severe neck pain. I think that for this you should look into other causes such as cervical spondylosis, etc.You should also have an upper GI endoscopy done. For symptomatic treatment my advise is: 1. Follow life style changes: a) Avoid oily, spicy food. b) Avoid coke, alcohol. c) Do not smoke. d) Do not take heavy meals. e) Do not lie down within 1 hour of taking meal. 2. Acid- suppressing drugs such as Ranitidine or Omeprazole are safe and very effective.