-
Overview
Heartburn is a very widespread condition in which a burning feeling occurs in a person's esophagus on a regular basis. Heartburn can be a symptom itself of a disorder called gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD for short. The signs of heartburn can be held in check by many over-the counter medications but serious cases of it can be harder to get control over.
Causes
As a person swallows a band of muscle that is shaped like a circle called the lower esophageal sphincter relaxes at the very bottom of the esophagus, or food tube leading to the stomach from the mouth. As this happens it lets foods and liquids flow downwards into the stomach; it then tightens up, closing off the stomach from the esophagus. But when this muscle becomes weakened or relaxes when it shouldn't the contents of the stomach, including its digestive acids, can flow up into the lower esophagus. The acids then irritate the lining of the esophagus, resulting in the feeling called heartburn. Spicy and fatty foods, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco smoke and certain medications can all induce or make heartburn even worse.
Signs
Heartburn gets its name from the fact that the pain it causes seems to be right under the breast bone. This pain is a burning sensation that lingers and often feels even worse when the individual suffering from it bends over or lies down. It can also seem harsher when the person eats. Heartburn occurs often during the evening hours and usually is at its worst at night. It can be accompanied by a sour taste in the mouth and sometimes by bouts of nausea.
Warning
More serious complications that can arise from heartburn involve the lining of the esophagus. If someone experiences frequent heartburn then this lining can erode, with sores developing and scarring occurring along with bleeding. This is a medical condition known as esophagitis and is common in people with acid reflux, or the backflow of acid into the esophagus. There is an increased risk of esophageal cancer with this ailment, as the esophagus produces abnormal cells to offset the erosion of healthy ones.
Medications
Antacids such as Maalox, Rolaids, Tums and Mylanta have been on the market for years as a relief for heartburn. They tend to neutralize excess stomach acids and can help to ease the pain of heartburn but they cannot fix a damaged esophagus and come with some side effects if taken more than occasionally. Drugs called receptor blockers such as Tagamet and Pepcid AC lessen the production of stomach acid and are ingested before meals to eliminate heartburn. These meds can also work to reduce heartburn before going to bed at night. Proton pump inhibitors like Prilosec actually give the esophagus time to heal up as they short circuit acid production in the stomach.
Prevention/Solution
There are many things that can be tried to avoid an encounter with heartburn. People that smoke and drink alcohol to excess can quit and losing weight can help the situation as well. Staying away from foods that in the past have brought about bouts of heartburn is prudent and wearing tight clothing can actually precipitate heartburn in some people. At night an individual suffering from heartburn can raise the head of their bed a few inches so that stomach acids cannot flow so easily back into the esophagus. Eating smaller meals and trying not to eat close to bedtime are also good ways to reduce the number of heartburn attacks.
