Heartburn Awareness
What is Heartburn?
Unlike what its name implies, heartburn is a burning, and often painful sensation in the esophagus, which is a tube that connects the throat to the stomach. In a normal digestion process, when food is swallowed, it travels down the esophagus and lands into the stomach, an organ that produces digestive juices, including gastric acid that is used to break down food to be digested. Sometimes the acid in the stomach backs up and goes up the esophagus, burning it. This is due to the fact that the esophageal sphincter (a ring of muscles at the esophagus which functions like a door that prevents any acid or food to backup) is weakened and can not close strongly. When this occurs, the backing up of digestive gastric juices is heartburn.
Heartburn is common and is not very serious. However, occasional episodes of heartburn may cause the esophagus to be inflamed and could increase the risk of esophageal cancer.
The animation on the right depicts a typical reflux of gastric acid: acid first travels upward, by-passing the esophageal sphincter, and then coming back down while leaving the esophagus damaged in the process.
Symptoms and Risk Factors
The primary symptom of heartburn is a burning pain in the chest, just under the breastbone. Frequent heartburn could be a sign of GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). The feeling of having a heart attack and asthma may occur in more severe stages.
Some behavior and foods that make heartburn worse include:
- Fatty foods, spicy foods, chocolate, caffeine, onions, tomato sauce, carbonated beverages, and mint
- Alcohol and Cigarette smoking
- Side effects from certain medications, including but not limited to sedatives, antidepressants, and calcium channel blockers
- Large meals
- Lying down or bending over soon after eating
Health conditions that increase the risk of frequent heartburn include:
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
- Asthma
- Diabetes
- Gastric outlet obstruction
- Any other disease that causes abnormal pressure in the gastric cavity region
Treatment
Most of the time, habit changes could solve the problem. Slightly more severe cases would require the use of OTC antacids. Antacids neutralize the acid in the stomach and provide quick, short term relief. If the case of heartburn is even more severe, prescription drugs, along with a medical operation, is needed to control the situation.
