What Is Heartburn And How Do You Get Rid Of It?

Heartburn is a common condition. Also known as gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GORD), it affects about 10 to 15 percent of the Australian population. The incidence of this disorder is also on the rise due to the prevailing obesity in the Australian population. Heartburn happens when stomach acid travels up into your esophagus (food pipe), which connects your mouth and throat to the stomach, causing a burning sensation.

What is heartburn?

Heartburn and acid reflux is a burning sensation in your upper abdomen and chest that’s the result of stomach acid traveling back up your esophagus. The esophagus, or food pipe,  is the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach, where it gets broken down by digestive enzymes and acids before being passed on to other parts of your body for absorption into cells.

What causes heartburn?

Typically, a ring of smooth muscle called the gastro-esophageal sphincter prevents stomach contents from flowing back into the esophagus. However, when this valve malfunctions, stomach contents, including hydrochloric acid, reflux into the esophagus, causing the familiar sensation of heartburn.

Acid refluxes into the food pipe causing heartburn.

What are the symptoms of heartburn? What does heartburn feel like?

Heartburn and acid reflux symptoms can vary and may not always involve burning. Common symptoms experienced by patients include:

• Nausea
• Bloating and belching
• Heartburn
• Acid regurgitation, particularly when lying down at night
• Water brash (saliva filling the mouth)
• Nocturnal cough, occasionally accompanied by asthma-like symptoms
• Trouble swallowing

It is crucial to consult your doctor about these symptoms. Prolonged irritation of the esophagus can lead to severe health issues, including cancer. To accurately diagnose the severity of the problem, patients may require further examination, such as an endoscopy (camera study).

Warning: not all burning discomfort in the stomach or chest is heartburn. Your symptoms may be more severe and related to heart disease, gallbladder problems or several other serious conditions. Don’t self diagnose! Talk to a doctor about your symptoms.

How do you prevent heartburn? How to stop heartburn?

If you have heartburn, it’s important to learn what triggers it so that you can take steps to prevent a flare-up.

Avoid fatty and spicy food, alcohol, chocolate and caffeine.

To stop or prevent heartburn:.

• Avoid spicy foods and drinks. Spicy food can irritate your esophagus, which can make it easier for acid to reach the lower part of your throat.
• Avoid eating large meals or eating too fast. When there’s more food in your stomach, there’s more pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). This valve between your stomach and esophagus usually keeps acid out of your esophagus but may allow some through if it’s weakened by hiatal hernia or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease).
• Avoid eating late at night before bedtime because this lets digestive juices build up without being diluted by saliva produced during sleep hours; these juices are what cause acid reflux symptoms like nausea/vomiting after dinner time!
• Avoid alcohol.
• Avoid caffeine – tea and coffee.
• Avoid medications that can excerbate heartburn.These include most painkillers such as ibuprofen and aspirin, along with anti-anxiety medications, tricyclic antidepressants, iron supplements, steroids, and some antibiotics (talk to your doctor).
• Stop smoking.
• Maintain a healthy bodyweight – being overweight is a major cause of heartburn.

What are the remedies for heartburn? How do you get rid of heartburn?

It is crucial to consult your doctor about your symptoms. If you need immediate advice, talk to an Online Doctor with Medmate.  Some potential management strategies include:

Acid suppression medications: Medicines like proton pump inhibitors (omeprazole, esomeprazole) can lower stomach acid production and promote healing. Antacids (Gaviscon, Mylanta) can be taken as needed or 1-2 hours after meals and before bedtime. Antacids can be purchased over the counter from community pharmacies.

Lifestyle changes: Consider weight loss, quit smoking, limit or stop alcohol consumption, avoid fatty foods, eliminate coffee, tea, and chocolate, stay away from carbonated drinks, increase fiber intake, consume smaller meals, and have your primary meal at midday.

Home remedies: Using apple cider vinegar and probiotics may also help address the issue.

Conclusion

If you have heartburn, there are many things you can do to relieve your symptoms and prevent them from coming back. The most effective way to treat heartburn is to reduce body weight and and avoid foods that trigger it in the first place – such as fatty foods and alcohol. If these measures aren’t enough then talk with a doctor about prescription medication options.