What is heartburn?… What causes it?… Is it common?… Just a few of the many questions you can find answers to here.What does heartburn feel like?
What causes heartburn?
Is heartburn common?
Is heartburn a serious condition?
What is stomach acid?
What is the esophagus?
Why does acid come back up into the esophagus?
Diagram of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Why doesn’t the LES close fully?
How can I prevent heartburn?
Do spicy foods cause heartburn?
Why is my heartburn worse at night?
Are there any tests to diagnose heartburn?
What treatments are there for heartburn?
I take antacids, but they don’t seem to work
What does heartburn feel like?
Heartburn is an uncomfortable, burning sensation in the chest, sometimes traveling up to the throat and neck.
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What causes heartburn?
Heartburn is not related with the heart, but is caused by excess stomach acid. It is also commonly known as acid indigestion.
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Is heartburn common?
About 30 percent of adults experience occasional heartburn, while 10 percent have heartburn every day. Up to 70 percent of pregnant women experience heartburn or related symptoms. See Advice on Heartburn for Pregnant Women
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Is heartburn a serious condition?
Generally, the occasional bout of heartburn is not too serious, but if you have persistent heartburn, it can be a symptom of a more serious medical condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and can also lead to further complications.
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What is stomach acid?
Stomach acid also called gastric acid is strong acid consisting mainly of hydrochloric acid. It is produced by the stomach to aid in food digestion. Normally gastric acid remains in the stomach, but if it backs up into the esophagus, it causes the burning sensation known as heartburn.
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What is the esophagus?
The esophagus, also known as the gullet, is the muscular tract that runs from the mouth down to the stomach. Everything we eat or drink passes down the esophagus into the stomach.
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Why does acid come back up into the esophagus?
A valve like muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) at the base of the esophagus is normally sealed to prevent acid from backing up when we are not eating. Heartburn occurs when there is an abnormality with the LES preventing it from fully closing.
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Why doesn’t the LES close fully?
There are many different reasons that cause the LES to loosen.
Certain foods and drinks cause the LES to relax. These include caffeine (coffee, tea, and some soft drinks), fatty foods, chocolate, peppermint and alcohol.
The position of your body can also affect the LES. If you are lying down or bending over it is much easier for acid to reflux back up into the esophagus.
Anything that puts extra the pressure on the stomach can force gastric acid back up. For example; straining while lifting, heavy coughing, tight fitting clothing, obesity, and pregnancy can bring on heartburn.
Some medical conditions increase the risk of heartburn, such as; hiatal hernia, diabetes, and some autoimmune diseases (eg. CREST syndrome, scleroderma).
Many prescription drugs can relax the LES leading to heartburn. These include some blood pressure and heart medications and certain asthma medications.
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How can I prevent heartburn?
Most cases of heartburn can be cured by simple lifestyle changes in diet, activity, and habits. Watching what types of foods you eat, how much, and when can prevent heartburn. By following a system such as Jeff Martin’s Heartburn No More you can not only cure your heartburn, but also dramatically improve your overall health.
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Do spicy foods cause heartburn?
There are a lot of things that can directly irritate the esophagus and contribute to heartburn These include spicy foods, many citrus fruits/juices, tomatoes and tomato based sauces and cigarette smoke. See foods to avoid with reflux.
Some of these foods also increase the body’s production of gastric acid and relax the LES, causing heartburn.
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Why is my heartburn worse at night?
Eating too close to bedtime can lead to heartburn as it normally starts about an hour after a meal and is worsened by lying down. Also, at night saliva is not produced to neutralize the acid, and the contractions of the esophagus to aid digestion decreases.
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Are there any tests to diagnose heartburn?
Sometimes your doctor can diagnose your heartburn from the symptoms alone, and in this case you may not need to undergo any tests. They will advise you about lifestyle changes, diet, or medications.
If your doctor is unsure about your diagnosis, you may need to undergo a series of tests. See the section GERD Diagnosis.
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What treatments are there for heartburn?
Your doctor may recommend treating heartburn in stages. For most heartburn symptoms, simple lifestyle changes are enough. If this proves unsuccessful the next stage is non-prescription antacids. Other treatments then include acid blockers, proton pump inhibitors, and in the extreme even surgery. In most cases, simple lifestyle changes provide relief from heartburn and prevent it from turning into a more serious condition. See Heartburn Remedies.
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I take antacids, but they don’t seem to work.
Antacids are only part of the treatment for heartburn and only target the symptoms not the cause. They can help, but antacids do not stop heartburn from returning or allow an injured esophagus to heal.
Your doctor will usually recommend changes in your lifestyle and diet as well. See Heartburn No More, Heartburn Remedies and Heartburn Good Foods.
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Heartburn FAQs – posted by reflux
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