Heartburn causes what some people describe as a burning sensation in the chest area and sometimes even pain can accompany the burning sensation. You may notice the symptoms after eating a spicy meal, lying down after eating, or eating too large a meal. There are a lot of causes for this disease that is also known as acid reflux, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). If you can identify what causes your symptoms, you can manage the episodes and lessen the damage to your esophageal tissues.
There are a number of sources for reflux and what causes heartburn in you may not affect another individual. Heartburn pain can cause symptoms following food consumption. The symptoms can be short in duration or can last for hours. You may have an acid, burning taste in your throat or you may feel like you have something stuck in your throat that chokes you or causes you to cough. Heartburn is not serious and is not a medical emergency. But if you do not treat the symptoms of this disease you will find that serious damage can occur.
Some foods that you eat are more prone to be what causes heartburn than some of the other foods that are thought to soothe the symptoms. If you have had an episode of heartburn you may want to avoid overly spiced foods, citric based foods, fatty foods, tomatoes, and chocolate. Beverages can also be the culprit and you will want to stay away from the citric based fruit juices, tomato juice, carbonated beverages and caffeinated beverages. All these can be contributors to acid reflux. If you drink water with your meals you will dilute the acid in the stomach and this can help eliminate and alleviate heartburn symptoms.
Food and beverages are not always the cause. When you swallow food the food goes through the esophageal canal and the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) muscle expands to allow the food to drop into the stomach. The LES contracts to keep the contents in the stomach. The acid contained in the stomach begins to break down the foods that you eat so the body can convert the food into energy that it can use. If the LES does not function as it should, the acid and stomach contents will flow back into the esophageal canal.
Obesity and pregnancy can be a cause of GERD. When you are pregnant the baby you carry will grow and fill the abdominal cavity and put pressure on the LES. This can cause symptoms of heartburn that will probably disappear after the birth of the baby. If you are obese the same factors are involved. The weight around the abdomen will press down on the LES and foods and acid can leak because of this pressure. Certain sports and exercises can cause the contents to back flow. A gymnast spends time hanging upside down and this can put pressure on the LES and cause it to relax and allow food and acid seepage into the canal. Yoga moves can do the same thing. You may need to change the type clothing that you wear. If clothing is too tight, especially around the stomach area, the pressure can cause acid leakage.
Acid reflux, heartburn, and GERD are names for one disease that can be mild or it can be severe. It can occur once or it can occur many times a week. Try lifestyle and dietary changes to manage the symptoms. You can try over the counter remedies if your physician says they are safe for you. If you cannot manage the symptoms you should ask your doctor how to treat the disease. He will find out what causes heartburn symptoms in your situation and can prescribe medications or correct treatments for the condition.
