Learn how to help relieve the pain and discomfort of heartburn with these helpful tips.
Heartburn is a lot less romantic than it sounds. It is not a symptom of your heart being set on fire at an instance of a romantic rejection. In fact, this burning sensation has nothing to do with your heart. The type of heartburn we are going to talk about here is also affectionately named acid reflux, or less affectionately, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). It is a mouthful, but will make sense as you read along.
What causes heartburn pain?
The first segment of the path your food takes through your body is the esophagus. This is a muscular tube that connects your mouth and stomach. In the stomach, acid helps to digest food particles into smaller components. The pH of this acid is roughly around the same as that of hydrochloric acid (acidic enough to burn a hole in your skin). Not to worry; the stomach is made of tissue that can handle this level of acidity. Since normally the acid does not leave the stomach, other organs are safe.
However, in some instances, the acid escapes back into the esophagus, which is NOT made to handle this level of acidity. It then causes a burning feeling. This is the heartburn we are talking about. Aside from the burning sensation, some common signs that you might be suffering from heartburn are:
- Chronic cough or asthma
- Recurrent sore throat
- Dental enamel loss
- Chest pain
The symptoms and treatment of heartburn
Acid reflux sensation is unpleasant to say the least, especially if it occurs after every meal you have. To treat these heartburn symptoms, here are several lifestyle modifications you can start with:
- Elevate the back of your bed 6-8 inches when sleeping
- Stop smoking
- Eat less fatty foods
- Avoid acidic foods and drinks such as citrus, onions, caffeine and alcohol
- Last but not least, seek appropriate medication prescription
The causes of heartburn pain
The ultimate cause of heartburn pain is incomplete closure of a valve that separates the esophagus from the stomach. Normally, this sphincter remains closed and doesn’t let the acid backup into the esophagus. However two factors contribute to its incomplete closure: too much food from overeating and too much pressure due to excess weight gain, pregnancy or super constrictive closing.
Thus, a long term treatment strategy for heartburn and indigestion should really be adjusting any daily activities to decrease the effect of either of these two factors.
