What can heartburn be and how to fight it?

With so unpleasant a phenomenon as heartburn, many people come across. Some people have a burning sensation in the epigastric zone. In others, such a condition reaches practically to the pharynx. What can be heartburn? If this phenomenon occurs rarely, it signals a disturbed diet. But if an unpleasant symptom worries a person constantly, you should go to the doctor. Since without diagnosis it is extremely difficult to determine what can be the cause of heartburn. Constant discomfort can indicate serious enough health problems.

Principle of origin

Consider from the point of view of physiology, from what can be heartburn. Burning sensation occurs in the esophagus when the sphincter function is impaired. This is a muscle ring that prevents food from getting into the esophagus from the stomach.

But as a result of some reasons (we'll talk about them later), the sphincter does not fulfill its main task. In this case, the acid content of the stomach is thrown into the esophagus. This is the main cause of heartburn.

Hydrochloric acid in the stomach is an extremely aggressive environment. However, in the case of normal functioning of the body, it does not cause harm. Since the gastric mucosa from its effect is reliably protected.

The esophagus membrane is more sensitive. Therefore, if you get into it the acid content of a person there is a burning sensation, discomfort and pain.

Causes

Sources that provoke an unpleasant symptom are many. Therefore it is very difficult without the help of a doctor to determine what heartburn is and how to deal with it.

Most often, unpleasant symptoms are provoked by the following factors:

1. Preference for drinks and food, negatively affecting the work of the sphincter. Heartburn can provoke fatty, spicy dishes, alcohol abuse, chocolate, frequent coffee. Great harm brings sweet fizzy drinks. They give a load on the stomach, liver and pancreas.
2. The use of certain medications. The active substances of certain medications can influence the work of the sphincter. It should be remembered what can be heartburn. This side effect has medicines for hypertension, bronchial asthma, heart failure.
3. Tight tight clothes.
4. Smoking immediately after eating or on an empty stomach very often provokes the occurrence of heartburn. Cigarette smoke causes irritation of the gastric mucosa. This negative factor leads not only to unpleasant symptoms. It can become a source of serious enough pathologies, such as an ulcer, gastritis, oncology of the digestive system.
5. Overweight.
6. Physical overstrain. Slopes, lifting weights and other loads immediately after consuming food lead to the throwing of gastric juice into the esophagus. As a result, the patient experiences heartburn.
7. Disturbance of esophagus motility and sphincter functioning as a result of some pathologies. Such a picture can be observed in diabetes mellitus, a variety of inflammatory processes in the esophagus, hernia.
8. Pregnancy. As a result of increased pressure on the peritoneal organs, a woman may experience quite unpleasant sensations.
9. Sleep immediately after eating.

Initial correction methods

In most cases, it is the wrong diet that underlies the emergence of unpleasant symptoms. Therefore, it is easy enough to determine what heartburn is and how to deal with it.

To eliminate an unpleasant phenomenon, it is recommended to slightly adjust the lifestyle:

1. Watch for food. Refuse from eating lots of fried foods and spicy. Minimize the intake of acidic foods.
2. It is recommended to eat in small portions. In this case, the number of meals should be increased.
3. If possible, eliminate all bad habits. Refuse from drinking alcohol, smoking. Do not eat right before bedtime.
4. Avoid physical activity immediately after eating. Do not rush after eating to take a horizontal position.
5. Try to lead an active life and work diligently (if necessary) over weight reduction.

Such simple rules will allow most patients to get rid of heartburn.

As evidenced by the constant discomfort

If even after giving up a lot of products the patient does not experience relief, then with this symptomatology one must always consult a doctor. It will take a complete examination to determine what can be heartburn every day.

Unpleasant symptoms can be provoked by a number of pathologies and factors. Among them:

• Gastroesophageal reflux;
• A hernia of aperture aperture;
• Esophagitis;
• Prolonged use of NSAIDs;
• Peptic ulcer;
• obesity;
• Excessive intake of alcohol;
• Systemic scleroderma;
• Abuse of caffeinated beverages and chocolate;
• pregnancy;
• smoking;
• Ischemia of the heart;
• Violation of esophageal motility;
• pericarditis;
• Osteochondrosis of the cervical region of the spine;
• Diseases of the biliary tract.

Reason in oncology

In addition, doctors have determined what can be a permanent heartburn. Today, the relationship between this unpleasant phenomenon and the occurrence of esophageal cancer has been fully established . The development of cancer is accompanied by some other symptoms that need to be addressed:

• Hypersalivation (increased salivation) ;
• Dysphagia (pain during swallowing or inability to swallow food);
• Dyspeptic disorders;
• indigestion.

In order to exclude serious pathologies, it is necessary to undergo a medical examination.

If heartburn occurs after eating

Many people who experience discomfort, do not try to find the cause of this pathology at all. As a rule, interest causes ways of elimination of excruciating symptoms. This is completely wrong. Since you can get rid of this phenomenon only by understanding what can be the heartburn after eating.

And the reasons are sometimes hidden in the inflammatory pathologies of the digestive tract:

• Gastritis;
• Ulcers;
• Cholecystitis;
• Disorders of the biliary system;
• Hernia of diaphragm.

Obviously, in such cases it is necessary to fight not with heartburn, but with the disease that provoked it.

However, this phenomenon does not always signal the pathologies of the body. Sometimes heartburn is manifested as a result of malnutrition.

Nutritionists say that the discomfort, which arose after 2 hours after eating, indicates a fairly dense meal and the use of "wrong" products. Often heartburn provokes excessively sharp or fatty food. Such products, after entering the specified time in the stomach, make themselves felt uncomfortable.

Heartburn, which occurred an hour after a meal, indicates that a person densely and often eats or eats a lot, but eats rarely.

Heartburn in the throat

Discomfort can be felt not only in the abdomen and chest. Sometimes he even goes to the throat. Heartburn manifests a burning pain in the throat and a lot of unpleasant sensations. As a rule, it appears one-time and very quickly disappears.

What can be heartburn in the throat? Such discomfort occurs in the patient with a weakening of both esophageal sphincters (valves) - both the upper and lower. As a result of pathology, the contents of the stomach can be thrown into the esophagus and pharynx, causing a strong burning sensation.

Most often, this symptomatology indicates the development of the following unpleasant diseases in the patient:

• Chronic gastritis;
• ulcer;
• chronic cholecystitis;
• Hernia of diaphragm.

Heartburn in pregnant women

When bearing a child, this condition is considered normal. Doctors, explaining what can be heartburn during pregnancy, connect this phenomenon with physiology. The fruit closely adjoins to a stomach and, accordingly, presses on it. Therefore, a woman has heartburn.

Despite the fact that this is absolutely normal, it gives a lot of unpleasant sensations. Therefore, it should not be ignored. But it is also not recommended to take medications on your own.

In this case, a pregnant woman should revise her diet and consult a doctor.

Where should I start?

So, after understanding what can be the heartburn of pregnant women, we will consider what methods should be combated with this phenomenon. Until now, a tool that completely eliminates the problem has not been developed. However, compliance with certain rules can greatly alleviate the condition.

Doctors recommend the following to prevent heartburn during pregnancy:

1. Trapeznachat often enough - about 5-7 times a day. But portions should be very small. Categorically forbidden "dry-fat".
2. After eating for half an hour, never go to bed.
3. Follow the diet. From your diet, exclude salty, fatty dishes, marinades, coffee, fried foods, black tea. In addition, analyze what foods provoke the occurrence of heartburn. They should be abandoned.
4. Sleep on your left side. This situation weakens the appearance of heartburn. In addition, it promotes the necessary blood circulation in the placenta.
5. From heartburn help get rid of: grated carrots, milk, kissel, almonds, oat flakes. Sometimes the chewing piece of ginger brings a benefit.
6. Try not to unnecessarily bend over.
7. Choose a special spacious clothes for pregnant women.

If these simple recommendations could not help to eliminate heartburn, the doctor will recommend certain medications. In pharmacology there are special antacid medicines, which are safe for pregnant women. However, you can take any of these funds only after the appointment of a doctor.

Medication

If all methods described in the article do not eliminate unpleasant symptoms, you should go to the doctor. After the examination, he will determine the cause of discomfort, and recommend how to get rid of heartburn.

It is extremely undesirable to choose medications on your own. As preparations for heartburn affect the body in different ways. Some remedies eliminate this condition by neutralizing the acid. These drugs include bismuth preparations. Other drugs reduce the production of gastric juice. They are also called antisecretory. These include Ranitidine, Omeprazole.

Each group of drugs has advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, in order not to harm your body and not exacerbate the pathology that provokes heartburn, these remedies should be chosen exclusively with the doctor.

Among the modern drugs that are in great demand and perfectly eliminate this phenomenon, the following are distinguished:

1. "Gaviscon". This preparation is a natural suspension, based on seaweed. The drug is allowed to admit to children who reached the age of 12, pregnant women (in case of appointment by a doctor). Does not affect the level of acidity.
2. Almagel. Complex preparation for heartburn. It is produced in the form of a suspension. The drug envelops the stomach, thereby relieving the patient of heartburn. Do not apply the suspension in case of kidney failure. It is forbidden to combine this drug with sulfonamide drugs.
3. Maalox. The drug is available in several dosage forms: suspension, powder, tablets. It is strictly forbidden to apply for renal failure. In addition, the drug can not be combined with tetracyclines.
4. Gastal. The drug is in the form of tablets. One pill should be taken with 2 pills. They are recommended to dissolve slowly. It is unacceptable to take this medication with kidney failure.

Conclusion

Heartburn is a condition that should not be tolerated. And the more it is not necessary to hope that it will pass independently. This is the first "bell" of the body that he needs help. Do not ignore such signals, and you will be provided with good health!