What is Heartburn? Find Out If You Have This Condition
Do you wonder to yourself, "what is heartburn" or perhaps you would like to know what heartburn is? In this article, I'll tell you what heartburn feels like and the cause of heartburn.
The Feeling The sensation of heartburn is a burning sensation anywhere from the chest up to the throat.
It actually has nothing to do with the heart and is so-called because the pain can be felt where the heart is thought to be.
Most people report a burning sensation but some people experience a sharp pain.
It is different to the feeling of a heart attack because the pain of a heart attack is normally described as a sharp and radiating "crushing" pain.
Why It Happens The feeling that you get during heartburn is actually acid escaping from the stomach and reaching the esophagus.
The esophagus is the "food pipe" that allows food to get from the throat (when you swallow) to the stomach.
Normally, a small flap (the lower esophageal sphincter) only opens to allow food in.
But in some people there can be an abnormality with it and it allows stomach acid to escape the stomach and into the esophagus.
What You Can Do About It If you only rarely suffer from heartburn then it is no big deal.
Try to eat smaller meals as this will help.
You can also use calcium based tablets or Gaviscon to relieve your symptoms.
If you get heartburn at least once per week then you need more help.
I recommend speaking to your doctor about it.
Treatment For Chronic Heartburn If you get heartburn at least once per week then you can manage it with drugs.
Some people find that drugs are not effective enough or they don't want to take drugs for the rest of their life.
An alternative is to try a natural remedy.
You could also try lifestyle changes such as raising the head of your bed.
Losing a little weight (if you are overweight) can really help this condition a lot so you should not rule it out, even if you find losing weight to be difficult.
The Feeling The sensation of heartburn is a burning sensation anywhere from the chest up to the throat.
It actually has nothing to do with the heart and is so-called because the pain can be felt where the heart is thought to be.
Most people report a burning sensation but some people experience a sharp pain.
It is different to the feeling of a heart attack because the pain of a heart attack is normally described as a sharp and radiating "crushing" pain.
Why It Happens The feeling that you get during heartburn is actually acid escaping from the stomach and reaching the esophagus.
The esophagus is the "food pipe" that allows food to get from the throat (when you swallow) to the stomach.
Normally, a small flap (the lower esophageal sphincter) only opens to allow food in.
But in some people there can be an abnormality with it and it allows stomach acid to escape the stomach and into the esophagus.
What You Can Do About It If you only rarely suffer from heartburn then it is no big deal.
Try to eat smaller meals as this will help.
You can also use calcium based tablets or Gaviscon to relieve your symptoms.
If you get heartburn at least once per week then you need more help.
I recommend speaking to your doctor about it.
Treatment For Chronic Heartburn If you get heartburn at least once per week then you can manage it with drugs.
Some people find that drugs are not effective enough or they don't want to take drugs for the rest of their life.
An alternative is to try a natural remedy.
You could also try lifestyle changes such as raising the head of your bed.
Losing a little weight (if you are overweight) can really help this condition a lot so you should not rule it out, even if you find losing weight to be difficult.
