There is a very large number of different dishes. And the most beloved in most cases are harmful and dangerous. Gradually, this leads to disruption of the functioning of internal organs.

It can be gastritis, gastric ulcer, pancreatitis or many other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. What to do if heartburn occurs after each use of such products.

Symptoms of the appearance of such a disorder as heartburn are very similar to the onset of an attack of angina pectoris or other diseases of the cardiovascular system.

In this case, it is advisable to undergo an examination and determine the cause of the burning sensation behind the sternum.

It is impossible to identify the cause of heartburn on your own at home, in which case only a specialist can help.

The main reasons why the following symptom occurs are:

1. The presence of gastric and duodenal ulcers.
2. If there are benign or malignant tumors.
3. Frequent cough, nausea, vomiting.
4. If a person takes carbonated and alcoholic drinks.
5. Style of clothes. If a person prefers clothes that are overly tight around the stomach.

Factors that cause heartburn

1. If you have a lot of extra pounds.
2. If a person goes in for sports, then there is an increase in pressure on the abdominal artery. In this regard, the sphincter begins to gradually pass hydrochloric acid back into the esophagus.
3. Medicines. Taking certain types of medications leads to side effects such as heartburn. These are anti-inflammatory drugs containing caffeine and antispasmodics.
4. Food that irritates the stomach. Especially if it contains a copious amount of seasonings and spices. Very fatty foods, fried and smoked foods also negatively affect the work of the gastrointestinal tract.
5. Frequent stress is the cause of such a disease as heartburn and other disorders in the functioning of the digestive tract.
6. Pregnancy. In connection with the release of a huge amount of the hormone progesterone, as well as when the fetus begins to put pressure on the stomach. Heartburn eats in almost all pregnant women.

Symptoms of the disorder

Symptoms of heartburn can occur due to the presence of a large number of different serious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

If heartburn is not treated in a timely manner, then you should know that the disease can gradually develop into a stomach ulcer or even oncology.

Signs of heartburn

• The appearance of a lump in the throat.
• Belching with a sour taste.
• Intensive salivation.
• Nausea, sometimes vomiting.

If several symptoms appear in parallel, then we need to talk about serious chronic diseases. It can be either a congenital pathology or an acquired disease.

A burning sensation may appear behind the sternum with heartburn. Sometimes the cause of the appearance may be the presence of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori.

It is they that lead to damage to the mucosa, and are also the cause of gastritis, cancer and stomach ulcers.

How to get rid of heartburn

People who suffer from frequent heartburn have tried many different options. For example:

1. Vegetable oil.
2. Infusion of medicinal herbs.
3. Activated carbon.
4. Juices that have been prepared from carrots, potatoes, or beets.
5. Seeds or nuts that you can take with you.
6. Baking soda.
7. Sea salt.

Activated charcoal for heartburn

This is the simplest but very effective method. It absorbs toxins and excess hydrochloric acid. Moreover, it is absolutely safe for the human body.

In order to eliminate the signs of heartburn, you should take 1 tablet of activated charcoal per 10 kg of body weight with a glass of water at room temperature. For a faster effect, you can replace the water with milk.

In case of an overdose, constipation or black stools are possible.

Egg shells and heartburn

Boiled egg shells are best. It must be ground into powder using a blender or coffee grinder. Then add half a glass of hot boiled water and mix thoroughly.

Take this medicine throughout the day in small sips.

Oats for heartburn

This remedy can be taken even by pregnant women. To do this, it is necessary to wash the oats well and, if such a symptom as heartburn appears, it should be thoroughly chewed.

You can also quickly eliminate the manifestations of heartburn with rice water.

How to get rid of heartburn with honey

It very effectively helps to eliminate unpleasant symptoms in the form of discomfort, severity in case of disruption of the gastrointestinal tract.

For faster and more intensive recovery, it should be combined with other traditional medicine or drugs.

Honey helps to eliminate mild manifestations of a condition such as heartburn. For prevention and treatment, it is taken in the morning. To do this, stir 1 teaspoon of honey in 1 cup of warm water.

The course of treatment is 30 days. This tool additionally helps to cleanse the intestines and make the gastrointestinal tract work much more intensively.

You can get rid of more severe heartburn with aloe juice and honey. Each ingredient must be taken in equal quantities.

You can also take milk with honey. It is believed that the most effective honey for heartburn is lime or lemon balm.

Mineral water

It helps to get rid of the irritating effect that gastric juice has on the walls of the esophagus. For this, alkaline water should be preferred. For example, "Borjomi", "Jermuk", "Essentuki-4".

It is desirable to purchase water that is bottled in glass containers. It should not be stored in plastic bottles. Check the shelf life carefully.

Water must be non-carbonated, in extreme cases, the gas should be released.

With increased acidity, mineral water should be drunk in small sips. This should be done before eating for 20 minutes to dilute the gastric juice.

With low acidity, such treatment should be taken only after meals. It is not recommended to take water during meals. It is desirable that the water is at room temperature.

But mineral water also has certain contraindications. They are written on the label and should be carefully read beforehand.

The use of peas for heartburn

You can take peas both fresh and dried. It is necessary to chew a few peas and the symptoms of heartburn will quickly disappear.

If the grains are dry, then they must first be soaked in warm water for several hours. But peas that have been cooked or canned have no side effects.

How to take buckwheat to beat heartburn

This product is also found in every home. However, it does not need to be boiled, but it needs to be fried. Grains must be brought in a pan to a dark brown color.

The grains are then ground to a powder. It must be taken in very small amounts. Additionally, drink water.

Baking soda

The most popular method. Baking soda is in every home. In order to get rid of the symptoms of heartburn, you need to mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda in 1 glass of warm water.

After that, it is advisable to take a horizontal position and put a few pillows under your head. This is necessary to give a person a semi-sitting state.

It is also necessary to unfasten or remove clothing that is located in the abdomen and can squeeze the internal organs.

You can take baking soda with vinegar for a quick effect. Take this medicine only when foam appears. You need to drink it in small sips.

But you need to take soda for heartburn very carefully. Since this method has its own side effects, in the form of increased gas formation, bloating and discomfort in the abdomen and further "rebound" syndrome. That is, heartburn will occur again after a while with a stronger intensity.

Kalina for heartburn

It will be necessary to treat heartburn with viburnum bark. It is necessary to take 1 tablespoon of bark per liter of water and bring to a boil. After boil in boiled water and take 20 minutes before each meal.

For the purpose of prevention, it is necessary to take viburnum jam.

But it must be remembered that viburnum helps to lower blood pressure, so it is not recommended to be treated with viburnum for hypotensive patients or to be careful when additional drugs are prescribed to lower blood pressure.

What medicines will help get rid of heartburn

There are several types of medicines in the world that can get rid of the symptoms of heartburn. For example, these could be:

1. Enzymes. They help speed up the metabolic processes in the body. They are recommended to be taken immediately after overeating or after you have eaten too much at the festive table. These enzymes will help to process food much faster. In this case, such unpleasant symptoms as heartburn, bloating and flatulence do not occur.
2. proton pump inhibitors. These drugs should be taken every day 20-30 minutes before meals. The result will be saved on average for 10 hours. The course of treatment depends on how severely the disease is running. In some cases, medications must be taken on an ongoing basis. The most famous of this group are Omez, Lansoprazole, Rabeprazole and others.
3. Blockers of H-2 receptors reduce the formation of hydrochloric acid, which helps to reduce the acidity of the stomach contents. The drugs of choice are Ranitidine, Famotidine and others.
4. Antacids. They help neutralize hydrochloric acid. Envelop the stomach, which reduces the aggressive effect of acid on the walls of the stomach. For example: Almagel, Maalox, Rennie.

All drugs have minor side effects, so you can take them for a long time. This should only be done before meals.

They exist in several variants. For example, it can be tablets, gel or suspension. They are usually taken internally.

This must be done before eating a few minutes. For severe heartburn attacks, take a few minutes before bedtime.

Additional ingredients of these preparations may be magnesium, sodium, bicarbonate, sodium or calcium carbonate and aluminum.

They help very quickly, but they can only get rid of the consequences, that is, the symptoms of heartburn themselves. Unfortunately, antacids are not capable of defeating the cause.

H-2 blockers of histamine receptors. They help reduce the amount of gastric juice and protect the lining of the stomach and esophagus from erosions or ulcers.

A lot also depends on the cause of heartburn. If the reason lies in the presence of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, then you should first get rid of this.

Simply eliminating heartburn is not always effective, as the causes of its occurrence will be aggravated and can even cost a person life.

If the cause of the occurrence is stress, then you should consult a psychotherapist. He will be able to pick up the necessary sedatives or antidepressants.

If you are obese, you should correct your weight as soon as possible. Excess weight always affects the health of the whole organism, including the work of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, the cardiovascular system.

It is necessary to abandon all foods that contain a large number of calories, as well as fatty and fried foods.

Heartburn in children

The appearance of heartburn in children occurs most often after eating food. This happens due to malnutrition.

As a treatment for children, the use of drugs in the form of a gel or suspension is better.

If the symptoms are not eliminated the first time, then an ambulance should be called.

Useful video

Burning behind the sternum is familiar to every second inhabitant of developed countries. Severe heartburn can disturb the psychological balance of a person, especially if it is accompanied by pain in the heart or breathing is disturbed. The causes of this phenomenon may be harmless, such as overeating or tight clothing. Sometimes an attack is provoked by serious pathologies of the digestive system. In the latter case, burning will not be the only symptom. What to do with severe heartburn depends primarily on the cause that caused it.

Main reasons

Heartburn is a feeling of discomfort and burning behind the sternum, caused by a change in the acidity of gastric juice. The PH level in the stomach differs in its different sections, it is lower below, so discomfort occurs not only when the balance is disturbed, but also when the contents move up sharply.

The causes of severe heartburn are as follows:

• regular smoking;
• systematic use of alcohol;
• large portions of food;
• products that change the acidity of gastric juice: citrus fruits, smoked meats, marinades and pickles;
• carbonated and caffeinated drinks;
• medicines (aspirin, for example);
• stress;
• sensitive gastric mucosa;
• lack of digestive enzymes (with pancreatitis, diabetes);
• pregnancy;
• lifting heavy objects;
• taking a horizontal position after eating.

If severe heartburn has begun, what needs to be done depends largely on the general condition of the person. You can use folk methods or take a universal remedy (Renny, Festal). These tablets normalize acidity, but you should not abuse them. If a strong burning sensation has become constant and worries several times a week, then it is necessary to undergo an examination.

The simplest and most common cause of heartburn is food. Fans of spicy dishes with a lot of spices, coffee and carbonated drinks often complain of such a symptom immediately after eating. These foods are natural irritants to the stomach. His glands begin to produce more hydrochloric acid than may be needed to digest this volume of food. As a result, an unpleasant sensation appears in the sternum.

Severe heartburn can be caused by overeating. A large amount of food, even healthy, stretches the walls of the stomach, and there is a feeling of heaviness. Hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes are not produced enough, the mass stagnates. Over time, fermentation processes begin, accompanied by the release of gas and acid.

If an attack of heartburn is associated with poor nutrition, it can be prevented in several ways:

• eat foods that neutrally affect the level of acidity;
• try to reduce portions;
• put drugs with synthetic enzymes (Mezim, Pancreatin) in the medicine cabinet to take them in case of overeating or after a feast.

Bad habits and heartburn

Drinks containing alcohol and cigarettes adversely affect the work of the stomach. Tobacco smoke irritates the mucous membrane, with systematic smoking it becomes inflamed, and heartburn begins.

Alcohol is more powerful. It contains toxins that poison all organs of the digestive system and disrupt their work.

The consequences of the systematic use of alcohol are as follows:

• the functioning of cells that produce mucus to protect the stomach slows down;
• the production of hydrochloric acid is activated, as a result, erosive foci appear on the mucosa;
• ulcers form on the mucosa.

If it is impossible to completely give up alcohol, you need to drink strong drinks in a small amount after eating.

Pregnancy and heartburn

One of the causes of very severe heartburn is pregnancy, especially the last trimester. Burning behind the sternum is due to several factors:

How to get rid of severe heartburn for pregnant women, a gynecologist will tell you. In this case, even conventional medicines can harm, so they must be taken very carefully.

Heartburn as a symptom of the disease

A burning sensation of high intensity behind the sternum can be a sign of a pathology of the digestive system:

• gastritis;
• peptic ulcer;
• reflux esophagitis (weakness of the gastric sphincter, which provokes the reflux of hydrochloric acid into the esophagus);
• malignant tumors in the stomach;
• Barrett's disease (this is a precancerous condition of the esophagus);
• liver diseases;
• pathology of the pancreas and gallbladder.

In this case, there are other symptoms:

• belching is a sign of abnormalities in the work of the stomach;
• nausea can signal intoxication with food decay products or the use of stale foods.
• vomiting with heartburn is a warning sign. It indicates serious changes in the stomach.

If a person has a disease, heartburn attacks will be systematic. They can be eliminated by special drugs that are prescribed by the attending physician, and a change in diet.

First aid for heartburn

If the attack began suddenly, you can try to alleviate the situation without medicines and other means:

• refrain from any food, drink only warm clean water;
• avoid sudden movements and horizontal position;
• if you feel unwell, you can put a pillow under your back so that your head is higher than your body;
• remove tight clothing that constricts the chest.

If after that the burning sensation in the sternum remains, you can take medicine or try a folk remedy.

The most effective and easiest way to deal with heartburn is to take medicine. There are a lot of remedies to help get rid of discomfort. What to drink in a particular case, only a doctor can say.

The following drugs are prescribed most often:

• Rennie. It helps with heartburn within a quarter of an hour.
• Gastal. Eliminates burning sensation and stimulates digestion.
• Almagel. The solution covers the stomach with a film, and the discomfort disappears.
• Gaviscon is one of the safest remedies. Effective even with painful heartburn.

Important! These medicines have the ability to weaken the effect of other medicines.

During pregnancy, drug treatment will be ineffective, since the reason is anatomical changes. Women often complain to the gynecologist: "I have very severe heartburn." The doctor may recommend drugs that are not absorbed into the blood.

It is much more effective during pregnancy to eat some nuts, drink warm water and take a half-sitting position.

Folk remedies can also help in the fight against heartburn. They can be used if an attack of heartburn occurred immediately after eating or when changing body position.

Non-traditional ways:

1. Baking soda. A third of a teaspoon is dissolved in warm water and slowly drunk. You can take such a solution no more than once a day, otherwise you can harm your health.
2. Infusion of medicinal chamomile. A tablespoon of a dry plant is crushed and poured with a glass of boiling water. The infusion can be drunk like tea during the day.
3. Almonds or other nuts. A handful of kernels must be thoroughly chewed, the slurry envelops the mucous membrane, and the burning sensation gradually disappears.
4. Potato juice, drunk on an empty stomach, fights burning sensation very effectively.
5. Mint sweets. The resorption of lozenges activates the production of saliva, it minimizes the activity of gastric juice.

If severe heartburn recurs more than twice a week, medications have a short effect, or nothing helps, you need to see a doctor. Ultrasound and gastroscopic examination will identify the cause and prescribe treatment.

When a person develops severe heartburn after eating, and then also sour eructation, it is quite difficult to endure it, and it is not necessary. What does a person feel during an attack? Violent burning in the esophagus, sometimes extending to the throat. It is aggravated in the prone position, when the body is tilted. The situation is aggravated by a sour taste in the mouth, belching.

When such symptoms appear infrequently, you can help yourself by taking certain drugs, following a therapeutic diet. When severe heartburn becomes a constant companion of a person and appears immediately after eating, you should consult a gastroenterologist. Only he will be able to identify the cause of the ailment, tell you how to get rid of it at home, prescribe a treatment that helps to reduce the intensity of symptoms and eliminate the main provocateur factor.

The mechanism of the formation of a feeling of heartburn

The mechanism of severe heartburn after a heavy meal is well understood. Between the esophagus and the stomach is a muscular organ - the lower esophageal sphincter, which is responsible for ensuring that the contents of the stomach under internal pressure do not rise back into the esophagus, but are safely digested under the action of hydrochloric acid.

When the lower sphincter relaxes, or works uncoordinated, it can no longer hold back gastric juices. They, driven by internal pressure, rise upwards. This is how hydrochloric acid is thrown into the esophagus. This process is accompanied by belching. The acid burns the mucous layer of the hollow organ. Inflammation is formed, so there is a strong heartburn and a burning sensation behind the sternum. It intensifies if a person is hungry. Therefore, a therapeutic diet involves a uniform redistribution of food intake, forcing the patient to eat often, but in small portions.

In addition to the symptoms that were listed in the introduction, a patient in this condition may complain of a constant sore throat, a sensation of a lump in the throat, hoarseness, and a chronic cough. Often severe heartburn, which disturbs a person every day, causes asthma attacks. If the contents of the stomach constantly enter the esophagus, this can lead to serious health problems. What to do in such a situation? It is important to learn how to separate domestic and medical provocateur factors, to understand how you can give yourself first aid during a severe burning attack and after it at home, what means to keep on hand for this when you need to immediately consult a doctor.

Domestic factors provocateurs

Normally, the muscle ring, located on the border of the esophagus and stomach, perfectly copes with its duties: it prevents the process of getting the contents of the stomach back into the esophagus. If the physiological damper does not work, sour belching appears, and then heartburn. It intensifies during hungry pauses and immediately after eating. To provoke such a phenomenon can:

• Improper nutrition, abuse of fatty, spicy foods, flour products.
• Diets for weight loss.
• Excessive love of coffee and black tea.
• Frequent overeating.
• Too fast absorption of food, eating on the go, eating dry food.
• Overweight.
• Chronic constipation.
• Sedentary lifestyle.
• Constant stress.
• Prolonged wearing of tight clothing.
• Long-term use of medications.

Some people develop severe heartburn after eating a particular product (white rich bread, for example, or sour fruit, sour-milk products, garlic). You can get rid of it by eliminating them from the diet. An unfavorable factor is the use of very hot food or drinks. They damage the esophageal sphincter, as a result, its vitality decreases, a complication appears, which doctors call "esophageal reflux" or "erosive esophagitis". If this phenomenon is not treated, severe heartburn will lead to the formation of extensive inflammation of the walls of the esophagus, and then provoke the appearance of ulcers. That is why, when the first symptoms are detected, you need to drink certain drugs.

What can be done in such a situation?

Take a drug that will reduce the level of hydrochloric acid, or suppress the function of its production. What else needs to be done? It is important to learn carefully, listen to your body and understand in what situation heartburn is born. It is useful to stop drinking, smoking. If a person leads a sedentary lifestyle, it is important to carefully gradually introduce and do certain physical exercises.

It is useful to walk a lot, walk a lot in clean air and be sure to follow a diet that will help prevent belching and the symptom of described discomfort. This is the best remedy in this case, able to get rid of the ailment.

You don’t need to starve and drink the same water every day, hunger is another provocateur of severe heartburn. With prolonged fasting, hydrochloric acid helps to weaken the tone of the muscle sphincter. It stops working, as a result - constant heartburn. But this happens when good nutrition is not available for a long time (several days or a week).

Short hungry pauses can also lead to belching, pain, and heartburn, but the mechanism of its origin is somewhat different. The cause of its appearance is bile acids that accumulate in the gallbladder. They help break down fats and protein-rich foods. If they do not act (as during hunger), the release of bile still occurs, it, mixing with gastric juice, increases its concentration. That is why, when prescribing a diet to patients, doctors recommend not to exclude completely protein foods from your diet. You can make any dishes from them, the main thing is not to fry the selected foods.

The protective layer of the walls of the stomach hardly tolerates such infusions. He reacts to them instantly, with the appearance of severe burning pain. Therefore, a therapeutic diet involves the complete absence of hungry pauses. The patient will have to master five meals a day. All food on his table should be served in a pureed warm form. Of the heat treatments of food, it is better to give preference to steaming or regular cooking. Food provocateurs, fatty spicy foods, bitter and salty, as well as garlic and spices, should be excluded from the diet. If you want to get to know the therapeutic diet better, you should take a closer look at the diet offered by "Table No. 1". After a diet, a person feels much better, belching ceases to torment him.

Note! Eliminating everyday factors provocateurs is sufficient to get rid of severe heartburn. As a rule, a therapeutic diet helps most patients get rid of existing discomfort without taking medication.

If not, then you should lose weight, stop overeating at night, eat dry food on the go, move more, wear loose clothes. If this does not help, you should immediately go to the doctor. Perhaps the burning sensation in the stomach and pain is not caused by hunger, not by food, not by food, but by a serious disease of the gastrointestinal tract that requires immediate treatment.

Heartburn "for medical reasons"

There are cases when sour belching and heartburn become harbingers of a serious disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Then, along with heartburn, there is pain in the stomach, nausea, and sometimes vomiting. Getting rid of such symptoms is possible only after the treatment of the underlying disease. What conditions can provoke the described manifestations?

Chronic gastritis or peptic ulcer

The most common diseases, the course of which contributes to the intensive production of hydrochloric acid. In this case, heartburn appears every day in the morning on an empty stomach or during hungry pauses. An excess amount of hydrochloric acid, exceeding the permissible limits, simply overflows through the upper boundaries and enters the esophagus. In order to determine whether high levels of hydrochloric acid are really the culprit for pain, nausea, feelings of heaviness and heartburn, a simple test is necessary. At the first symptoms of a burning sensation in the abdomen and in the esophagus, you need to drink warm milk in small sips. If it does not help get rid of discomfort, then the acid has nothing to do with it. And there is nothing to take drugs that neutralize it. You need to look for the cause elsewhere.

Vascular and heart diseases

A nitroglycerin tablet can confirm the diagnosis. If after taking such a remedy, discomfort remains, you should go to the clinic and make an appointment with a cardiologist.

Liver disease

Heartburn, disturbing every day, as well as sour eructations, are often associated with liver diseases. In this case, nausea occurs with it, it torments at night, and during the day bitterness appears in the mouth. A yellow coating on the tongue should confirm the suspicion of a diagnosis. If you find these symptoms in yourself, you should seek help from a hepatologist. Only he will help to choose the necessary medications for the treatment of heartburn.

Pregnancy

Very often severe burning heartburn occurs in pregnant women who are in the last months of pregnancy. The mechanism of its formation is extremely simple. The uterus grows, it presses on the abdominal cavity and raises the stomach. As a result of this, the contents of the stomach press on the sphincter valve, it does not close completely, so partially digested food enters the esophagus. That is why there is a burning sensation and belching.

The cause of heartburn every day can be late toxicosis (histosis). It provokes nausea and vomiting, hydrochloric acid, along with vomit, enters the esophagus and throat, so the appearance of the described condition becomes possible. It is not necessary to treat heartburn during pregnancy, and it is impossible. To relieve pain, you need to move more, walk, drink more water or better jelly, follow a diet.

As you can see, it is possible and necessary to fight heartburn and relieve pain at home, but it is important to be able to identify provocative factors. Treatment of burning sensation has certain features. Let's talk about this in more detail.

Features of the treatment of heartburn

A burning sensation without pain is not a disease, but a condition that leads to a certain discomfort. Many of us struggle with it with folk remedies: soda, warm milk, raw carrots (as it helps).

If the feeling of malaise comes for a short time, and after a certain action passes, you can get by with folk methods. But if heartburn is constant and torments every day, if it is accompanied by pain, nausea, vomiting, you should definitely consult a doctor.

By self-medicating, you can successfully relieve the described discomfort that occurs after eating, but this only aggravates the situation. Here is the most common example of solving a problem on your own. If there is pain in the abdomen, the hand reaches for antispasmodics. They help to alleviate the condition by inhibiting the function of the digestive tract. When to get rid of heartburn it is necessary to simulate the contraction of a non-closing sphincter. In this case, perhaps, for the treatment of discomfort after eating, it is better to opt for prokinetics that stimulate the motor-evacuation function of the gastrointestinal tract. They will help relieve discomfort. But only the doctor knows about it.

Another most common mistake is to take products containing enzymes for severe heartburn. In this case, they will not help get rid of the main symptom, therefore, they are also useless. Enzymes help only digestion, while stimulation of the motor function of the tract helps to eliminate the burning sensation.

If anyone is tormented by heartburn every day, and there is no pain, antacids help to fight discomfort well - agents that neutralize hydrochloric acid by their action, have an enveloping effect, absorbing, preventing flatulence.

Sulfate, bicarbonate alkaline mineral waters help to reduce the level of hydrochloric acid after eating. Therefore, with constant severe heartburn, patients are advised to use sanitary-resort treatment.

Knowing why and why severe heartburn occurs every day, you can try to take the necessary measures that can help completely eliminate the described ailment.

You may also be interested

Heartburn is a condition that is related to the digestive system and how it works. What causes heartburn?

There are some causes that can lead to heartburn, but to understand the causes of heartburn, you need to know how the stomach works.

When a person eats food, it moves from the mouth to the stomach. However, before it reaches the stomach, food must pass through a long, tube-shaped organ known as the esophagus.

There is a small opening in the esophagus through which food enters the stomach cavity (lower esophageal sphincter).

This hole opens only for such a period of time that it takes for food to pass into the stomach cavity.

Although sometimes this area may remain open or not close properly, which allows acid from the stomach to pass into the esophagus.

The acid usually results in a burning sensation in the sternum, accompanied by a sour taste in the mouth.

This phenomenon is heartburn. The latter can cause acrid belching, bloating, a feeling of fullness in the stomach, and an unpleasant taste in the mouth.

The reasons for the above condition are very important to know for any person. Identifying the cause will help the patient effectively fight against the symptoms of acid reflux and get rid of it quickly.

Risk factors

What causes heartburn? Very often, after excessive consumption of food, a person feels discomfort, feels a burning sensation in the upper abdomen. Over time, these feelings intensify.

This painful burning sensation is known as heartburn.

It is most often caused by reflux of stomach acid into the esophagus. Severe heartburn usually occurs due to overeating, lying down after eating, excessive smoking, etc.

People of all ages are at risk for reflux. Older people tend to have more severe manifestations than younger people.

Anyone who eats a heavy meal and subsequently lies on their back or bends over from the waist is at risk of likely developing heartburn.

Anyone who snacks before bed is also at high risk of reflux.

What else causes heartburn, besides overeating and eating heavy foods? Pregnancy is one of the known risk factors for the weaker sex.

Especially often, heartburn in women in position occurs during the third trimester, since the growth of the uterus increases the level of pressure in the abdominal cavity.

Heartburn in this situation is resistant to dietary changes in the diet and to antacids.

According to some experiments, obesity contributes to the development of heartburn.

Experts have proven that being overweight or obese significantly increases the likelihood of acid reflux symptoms, especially in women.

What causes heartburn in adult men and women? What diseases can lead to it? People with asthma are at a very high risk of developing GERD and therefore heartburn.

One recent study found that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (such as emphysema or chronic bronchitis) were more likely to have GERD and related symptoms.

Why does smoker get heartburn? A growing body of evidence indicates that smoking increases the likelihood of developing GERD and chronic heartburn.

Smoking reduces the muscle function of the esophageal sphincter, increases acid secretion, disrupts muscle reflexes in the throat area, and disrupts the integrity of the protective layer of mucous membranes.

Smoking reduces salivation, which helps neutralize acid. Whether this is caused by smoke, nicotine, or both, is currently unknown.

Some people who use nicotine patches to quit smoking experience heartburn.

However, it is also unclear whether nicotine is the cause of this condition, or if stress causes the release of an acid reserve.

Alcohol has a mixed effect on acid reflux. Alcohol relaxes the muscles of the esophageal sphincter and, when consumed in large quantities, can irritate the esophageal wall.

All alcoholic beverages increase the level of acidity in the stomach. The combination of heavy drinking and smoking increases the risk of esophageal cancer.

Causes and symptoms

What causes heartburn? Doctors and research scientists have identified certain factors that increase the likelihood of the condition occurring.

Such risk factors include pregnancy, hiatal hernia, and stress.

Heartburn is a symptom that occurs when stomach acid backs up into the esophagus, causing irritation of the esophagus.

In patients, the sphincter between the esophagus and the stomach cavity either opens at the wrong time, or is weak and does not completely close the opening in the stomach.

When this process occurs, gastric juices and food particles may return to the esophagus more often than usual.

If gastric juices remain in the esophagus for long periods of time, or if acid reflux occurs frequently, the esophagus naturally protects itself from gastric juices, as it may simply become congested.

Thus, the wall of the esophagus is irritated, causing discomfort.

A disease like a diaphragmatic hernia of the esophagus can lead to heartburn.

This process occurs when the lower part of the esophagus or certain parts of the stomach adjacent to it are displaced through the wide-open diaphragmatic opening into the region of the chest cavity.

This causes the sphincter to weaken and stop blocking acid reflux.

While hiatal hernia occurs in people of all ages, it often occurs in the over 50 age range in both men and women.

Although most patients with hiatal hernias have no symptoms, the condition greatly increases their chances of developing heartburn.

Among other things, many women also develop heartburn during pregnancy, and its symptoms worsen over time.

Up to half of all pregnant women experience heartburn at some point in the pregnancy process, and up to 1 in 4 pregnant women suffer each day.

Why does heartburn occur in pregnant women? Some doctors believe this happens because the growing baby puts pressure on the stomach and pushes it against the diaphragm.

This increase in pressure on the stomach can cause the lower esophageal sphincter to open, which can cause acid reflux.

In addition, the normal hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy can weaken the sphincter.

Both increased pressure on the stomach and a weaker sphincter can trigger acid reflux during pregnancy.

On the other hand, the use of tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars, tobacco, chewing or pipe tobacco, increases the likelihood of developing heartburn or worsens the symptoms of existing heartburn.

The fact is that smoking tobacco can similarly negatively affect the functioning of the lower esophageal sphincter, as well as increase the amount of acid produced in the stomach.

Tobacco products can also reduce the amount of saliva your body produces.

Saliva usually protects the esophagus from the effects of stomach acid, so less saliva often results in more intense heartburn.

People who smoke are also more likely to cough, which puts pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter, causing it to open when it shouldn't.

All of these effects of tobacco use make acid reflux more likely to irritate and damage the esophagus. That is why it is important to fight any bad habit, get rid of it in time.

Certain foods can increase the chance of heartburn or worsen symptoms. These include:

1. Chocolate.
2. Peppermint.
3. Fat food.
4. Tomato products.
5. Carbonated drinks.
6. Alcohol.
7. citrus juices.
8. certain spices.

Some citrus fruits, such as oranges and grapefruits, are highly acidic, causing increased stomach acid production and heartburn, especially when consumed on an empty stomach.

It is necessary to get rid of the habit of consuming such fruits in large quantities, especially on an empty stomach.

While tomatoes may contain some very beneficial nutrients, such as lycopene, that are very good for reducing cancer risk, it is very important to avoid excessive consumption due to their high acid content.

Any foods made primarily in tomato sauce, such as pasta, should be avoided.

Vegetables like garlic and onions can also trigger acid reflux, although not in all people.

Some of them may not be affected, while others may feel a strong effect of the above products even after eating a small amount of them.

To find out if a person is at a similar risk of the negative effects of garlic and onions, it is best to start a so-called "food journal" to note the foods that were previously eaten and led to heartburn.

Spicy food is another very common cause of heartburn in many people. Pepper or other spices, if taken in large quantities, can cause a burning sensation in the chest.

Although most people suffering from this problem avoid eating fried foods, they do not realize that there are other foods such as cheese, nuts, avocados and others that are also very high in fat.

Fats tend to slow down the emptying of the stomach, which increases pressure on the esophagus and leads to heartburn.

Coffee, soda, tea, and some other drinks contain caffeine. When these drinks are consumed in large quantities, they can trigger heartburn.

In this regard, it is necessary to try to reduce the amount of coffee consumed and reduce the size of each cup.

Also, try not to consume more than three or four cups of coffee in one day.

Although a person may not realize it, their favorite cocktail, beer or even wine, when consumed along with a heavy meal, can cause heartburn.

Therefore, it is very important to get rid of bad habits, for example, drinking alcoholic beverages.

Chocolate is another product causing this problem. Periodic and infrequent consumption is not prohibited.

However, when a person has the habit of eating chocolate every day after a meal, this often leads to heartburn. In this regard, it is better to "pamper" yourself with confectionery products only from time to time.

Some foods are known to cause the lower esophageal sphincter to weaken, while others cause more stomach acid to be produced.

Both of these problems can make acid reflux worse. Other types of foods can additionally irritate the esophageal wall after it has been damaged by reflux.

The amount and frequency of eating can also contribute to heartburn.

If the lower esophageal sphincter is not working properly and a person eats large meals, the level of food and acid in their stomach may be high enough to allow juices to return to the esophagus.

Finally, eating too late close to bedtime and then lying down can worsen symptoms.

Taking certain medications can increase your chance of developing heartburn or make it worse. These medicines include:

1. Some contraceptive drugs.
2. Tricyclic antidepressants used to treat depression.
3. Anticholinergic drugs used to treat a number of different conditions.
4. Calcium channel blockers (CCBs), used to treat hypertension, chest pain, or irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias).

Why does heartburn appear after taking medication? CCBs and hormones in birth control pills can loosen the lower esophageal sphincter and allow it to open when it should be closed.

Tricyclic antidepressants and anticholinergics can decrease saliva production and slow down digestion.

All of these effects make acid reflux more likely and its symptoms worsen, making the disease more difficult to treat.

Heartburn also appears to be more common in people with certain medical conditions. Among them are:

1. Diabetes.
2. Scleroderma.
3. Raynaud's phenomenon.
4. Gastric ulcer.
5. Hypersecretory conditions such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.
6. Esophageal infections.
7. Esophageal carcinoma.

There are many causes of chronic or severe heartburn. A chronic condition in many cases indicates more serious diseases such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, hiatal hernia, esophagitis, or Barrett's esophagus.

This means that all of the above ailments can provoke the development of cancer of the esophagus.

In those situations when a person began to notice chronic heartburn in himself, immediate medical attention is required.

It is important for every person to know what causes heartburn and how to treat it. For this purpose, you need to contact a specialist.

The doctor will likely refer the sick person for several tests and prescribe certain antacids or other stronger medications, depending on the severity of the condition.

The specialist will likely also suggest lifestyle changes and diets for GERD and acid reflux.

Doctors do not know the specific causes of this condition. They do, however, know a number of factors that increase a person's chances of developing heartburn.

These risk factors do not guarantee that a person will have heartburn.

They simply increase the likelihood of its occurrence. The attending physician will help the patient identify factors that may contribute to his treatment. Also, the doctor will tell you how to properly treat this condition on your own.

Useful video

- this is a feeling of discomfort and burning in the upper abdomen (pit of the stomach) and in the chest (more precisely, behind the sternum - along the esophagus). Heartburn is caused by acidic stomach contents entering the esophagus. For the stomach, an acidic environment is normal, it is a necessary component of the digestive process. But the esophagus is intended only for transporting food, and the ingress of acid from the stomach into it causes irritation of the mucous membrane.

Symptoms associated with heartburn

Heartburn is often accompanied by bloating (). There may be a feeling.
Heartburn appears, as a rule, after eating and can last for a considerable time - up to 2 hours or longer. Lying down and bending over can trigger or exacerbate heartburn.
In some cases, patients complain that heartburn makes swallowing difficult and interferes with sleep. In an asthmatic, heartburn can cause wheezing, coughing, and difficulty breathing.
Sometimes for heartburn, you can take a burning sensation in the chest caused by problems of the cardiovascular system (this can manifest itself). However, a burning sensation in the chest with angina pectoris usually occurs after exercise or stress and is not associated with food intake. In the case of angina pectoris, the burning sensation will pass if you take nitroglycerin, but nitroglycerin does not work on heartburn. If you managed to defeat heartburn with nitroglycerin, contact a cardiologist - you need to do an ECG and check the condition of the heart.

Heartburn can occur even in a healthy person. As a direct causes of heartburn may perform:

• binge eating. With an excessive amount of food eaten, the stomach stretches, and the air that was in the lumen of the stomach enters the esophagus. Together with air, drops of gastric contents can also enter the esophagus;
• too many citrus fruits eaten. Citrus juice further increases the acidity in the stomach, which leads to irritation of the mucous membrane;
• spices and spices. The gastric mucosa is adapted to dishes of a certain spiciness. Eating unexpectedly spicy foods (something exotic) is very likely to give you heartburn;
• coffee if you drink too much or make it too strong;
• carbonated drinks or foods that cause increased gas production. The gases accumulated in the stomach will exit through the esophagus (belching), and at the same time drops of the contents of the stomach will cause irritation of the mucous membrane;
• aerophagy, i.e. swallowed air. You can swallow air, for example, if you talk while eating;
• some medicines;
• stress;
• lifting weights and bending over immediately after eating, which increase intra-abdominal pressure.

Row factors favor the occurrence of heartburn. This is:

• smoking. Tobacco smoke provokes the release of excess gastric juice, irritating the gastric mucosa;
• overweight (). Obesity increases intra-abdominal pressure;
• . In this case, intra-abdominal pressure rises due to the enlarged uterus;
• too tight clothing, squeezing the abdominal cavity.

Intermittent heartburn is symptom of many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, such as:

• hiatal hernia;
• chronic with increased secretion;
• stomach and duodenum;
• chronic;
• chronic;
• biliary dyskinesia;
• insufficiency of the esophageal sphincter;
• cancer of the stomach or pancreas.

Heartburn: what to do?

With an attack of heartburn, doctors prescribe adsorbents, enveloping agents, drugs that reduce acidity. Baking soda is often used as a home remedy, but it is undesirable to use it as a regular remedy. Baking soda, although it neutralizes the acid, causes an increase in carbon dioxide when it enters the stomach, which creates increased pressure inside the stomach and can cause a second bout of heartburn.

If heartburn occurs from time to time, the presence of some chronic disease should be assumed. In this case, it is necessary to consult a gastroenterologist and undergo an examination.

Heartburn prevention

Whatever the cause of heartburn, there are measures that will definitely benefit you:

• eat right. Minimize fatty, spicy and salty foods. Try to eat less chocolate, coffee, alcohol, carbonated drinks. Avoid large meals. Food should be chewed thoroughly;
• do not go to bed immediately after eating, do not lift weights or bend over;
• wear clothes that do not compress the abdominal cavity;
• watch your weight;
• stop smoking.