Heartburn
This is feeling of burning sensation or warmth in the chest.
Heartburn is caused by stomach acid. Heartburn has nothing to do with the
heart, the pain is felt in the chest. A persistent heartburn can be a symptom
of gastroesophageal reflux disease GERD. More complications like ulcer may
occur due to severe heartburn. About 10% of adults experience heartburn
everyday while 30% experience it once in a while. 25% of expectant mothers may
have or any related symptoms.
The pain from heartburn is burning sensation felt in the
chest. This burning sensation extend to jaw, throat, arms or back. At times
heartburn can be mistaken chest pain. You are advised to seek medical attention
as soon as suspect any chest pain for any cause.
Heartburn usually occurs 30 to 60minutes after meal and is
usually referred to as acid indigestion. The ache becomes worse when you lie
down, bend forward or strain to pass out stools. The ache stops when you stand
upright, swallow saliva or water or when you take antacids. Stomach acid usually affects the respiratory
tract. It can cause asthma, sore throat or tooth damage. You may be feeling as
if you have a lump in your throat. Persistent of the stomach acid for a long
time can damage the esophagus. You may experience difficulty in swallowing. In
a severe case, you may start vomiting blood or your stool may have small
amounts of blood in it.
Causes
The food we swallow must pass through the esophagus then
through esophageal sphincter before getting to the stomach. This esophageal
sphincter prevents food from getting back into the esophagus. Then in the
stomach, the stomach acid digests the food. This acid is so strong that it can
damage many of the body parts or organs. The stomach has a special mucous
membrane that protects it from the attack of this acid. The esophagus does not
have this protection. So if the esophageal sphincter does not close completely,
the lower part of the esophagus may be damaged by this acid. We experience
heartburn as a result of this. The stomach acid may enter into the esophagus
because, certain foods and drinks may loosen the lower esophageal sphincter.
These foods include: spicy foods, citrus fruits, tomatoes, fatty foods,
chocolates, peppermint, caffeine-contained beverages, cigarette smoking and
alcohol. Heartburn may also depend on how you position your body. Stomach acid
may easily flow back into the esophagus when you lie down or bend over.
Anything that forces stomach acid back into the esophagus due increased
pressure on the stomach can cause heartburn. These includes: coughing, lifting,
obesity, straining, tight clothing, and pregnancy (can worsen heartburn).
People that suffer from diabetes, hernia may have increased chance of
heartburn. Certain drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen may increase the risk of
heartburn.
Treatment
Some people chew chalk to ease heartburn. Chalk contains
calcium carbonate which helps in stopping heartburn.
Antacids. They can be liquid or tablet type. Liquid type are
more powerful faster in acting when neutralizing the stomach acids than tablet
antacid. Most over-the-counter antacids do not prevent the heartburn from
coming back. So, consult your health provider if you want antacids that may
last for two weeks. Antacids that
contains calcium carbonates are the most potent. They neutralizes stomach acids
faster. The best time to take these drugs are after meal & during bedtime
or when symptoms shows up.
No comments:
Post a Comment