Heartburn: What is it?
Heartburn is a form of indigestion. The term heartburn is misleading as
the condition has nothing to do with the heart. It is important to distinguish it from the genuine heart conditions like heart attack or heart pain.
Symptoms of Heartburn
Heartburn usually results in:
1. Burning sensation in the chest behind the lower end of the breastbone or upper part of the abdomen. The sensation may move up and down like a wave. If severe, this sensation may even extend to the sides of the chest and up to the neck
2. Sour or bitter taste in the mouth
Common Causes of Heartburn
The main causes of heartburn are due to:
1. Irritation and inflammation of lower part of the esophagus. This is often caused by the acidic stomach juices that are flowing back into the esophagus. Most likely, this regurgitation is brought about by lying or bending over too soon after a meal
2. Protrusion of the stomach into the chest due to the weak muscles that separate the chest from the abdomen. This is very common amongst the elderly, overweight and pregnant women.
What can you do?
To relief the discomfort brought by heartburn, you can:
1. Avoid bending over or lying down too soon after a meal
2. Avoid fizzy drinks
3. Reduce weight, if overweight
4. Drink water to dilute the acid content
5. Take antacid/anti-acid medicine
6. Consult your doctor especially if you have heartburn for the first time and cannot differentiate it from heart attack or heart pain or if heartburn is recurring. Based on your conditions, your doctor can either prescribe a stronger antacid for you or recommend surgery to correct your hiatus hernia (this option is rare).
Heartburn need not be a permanent pain for you if you know what you can do to relief your discomfort. So take action today and get rid of your heartburn pain forever.
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