Heartburn Symptoms and Causes

Gastroesophageal reflux happens when the acidic contents or undigested food contained in the stomach, backs up into the esophagus. A muscle located between the esophagus and the stomach becomes weak, or too relaxed, allowing food and acidic juices to move up into the esophagus. In normal conditions this muscles closes up every time a person swallows. When this muscle isn't working properly, heartburn can occur.

Heartburn often occurs after eating a meal. It often starts as a pain radiating through the chest, which sometimes moves upward toward the neck. Many a person has mistaken the pain of heartburn for that of a heart attack. There is generally a sensation of food coming back up into the throat area. A person suffering heartburn may also experience a sore throat or hoarseness. It is also thought that acid entering into the larynx causes asthma like symptoms as well as laryngitis. Many medical officials cannot distinguish between a heart attack or heartburn, when treating a person with severe heartburn, who is suffering chest pains. In fact, many times a machine is needed to rule out the chance the person is having a heart attack.

Many times a person's lifestyle and dietary choices come into play regarding heartburn. If you are prone to getting heartburn, avoid foods that are high in fat or fried. Citrus juices and fruits are high in their acidic content and may also lead to a case of heartburn. Alcohol, coffee, carbonated drinks as well as chocolate, have been know to cause heartburn. If you notice a certain food brings on the symptoms, try to avoid it. Smoking is also known to cause heartburn, as well as being overweight. Try to decrease the amount you smoke and lose weight. Also, avoid wearing tight fitting clothes, especially in the mid section.

Besides making certain changes in your diet and lifestyle, there are medications that can be taken to reduce the symptoms of heartburn. Many of these treatments you can purchase over-the-counter. Antacids are probably the best known medicine on the market. They act rather quickly by neutralizing the stomach acid, but their effects are relatively short-term. There are also H2 blockers. These type of medications block the manufacturing of acid in the stomach, partially. PPIs shut down acid production all together. They leave only enough acid in the stomach to digest food.

If you are suffering constant heartburn and the medication you're taking isn't working, you need to check with a health professional. Constant heartburn means you're suffering from chronic gastresophageal reflux disease, which can be serious if left untreated. By constantly having stomach acids entering the esophagus, diseases, such as erosive esophagitis or Barrett's esophagus may arise. There is also the possibility of getting esophageal cancer.