Heartburn – All You Need To Know About Its Causes And Symptoms

You feel heartburn when the stomach acid flows back up into your esophagus which is the pipe that transfers food from your mouth to your stomach. It is the burning pain in the chest, just behind the breastbone. Often, the pain is worse after eating, while lying down, bending over, or during the evening. Occasional heartburn is usual as well as is no cause for alarm. A majority of people can handle the discomfort on their own through OTC (Over-The-Counter) medications and lifestyle changes.

Moreover, you can get rid of heartburn by eating a healthy diet and drinking food which is low in calories along with avoiding caffeine. More frequent heartburn or the one that interferes with your routine might be the symptom of a more critical condition that needs medical attention. As per the estimates from the American College of Gastroenterology, a minimum of 15 million Americans go through Heartburn daily.

Please note that heartburn can last from a few minutes to hours. In case you experience symptoms of heartburn like severe chest pressure or pain, seek immediate assistance, particularly while blended with other symptoms and signs like difficulty in breathing.

Table of Contents

Causes

As mentioned above, heartburn takes place when your stomach acid backs up into the esophagus i.e., the tube which carries food from the mouth to the stomach. Usually while swallowing, the band of muscle around your esophagus’ bottom (lower esophageal sphincter) relaxes for allowing liquid and food to flow down into the stomach. And then, your muscle tightens again.

In case your lower esophageal sphincter weakens or relaxes abnormally, the stomach acid can flow back up into the esophagus (Acid Reflux) as well as cause heartburn. Furthermore, the acid backup might be worse while you are lying down or bent over.

There are a lot of lifestyle choices, health conditions, and Foods that cause heartburn and can also worsen the condition such as –

Being obese or overweight
Smoking
Consuming spicy foods
Taking Alcohol, caffeine, or chocolate
Eating certain medicines, like ibuprofen or aspirin
Lying down quickly after eating
Carbonated beverages
(Aleve, Naprosyn) Naproxen
Acidic foods are also what causes heartburn every day (grapefruit, oranges, and tomatoes)
Acidic juices (orange, grapefruit, and pineapple)
Chocolate

Symptoms

Heartburn’s symptoms are quite obvious to a majority of sufferers. The most common one is the feeling of heat or warmth, burning sometimes, in your throat or chest, which is caused due to your stomach acid.

Other symptoms are –