Treatments For Heartburn

Heartburn questions/help?

In the United States, almost 50% of the population has heartburn at least once a month; 7% have it daily. Heartburn is even more common during pregnancy, with about 1 in 4 women reporting it daily at some point during their pregnancy. Statistics on acid indigestion are difficult to find because the definition is vague, but it’s probably almost as common as heartburn. What is the difference between heartburn and acid indigestion? What are some preventions and treatments for each?

Heartburn is a feeling of burning, warmth, heat, or pain that often starts in the upper abdomen just beneath the lower breastbone (sternum). This discomfort may spread in waves upward into your throat, and you may have a sour taste in your mouth. Heartburn is sometimes called indigestion, acid regurgitation, sour stomach, or pyrosis. It is not caused by problems with your heart, although sometimes heart problems can feel like heartburn. See a picture of heartburn.

Heartburn may cause problems with swallowing, burping, nausea, or bloating. These symptoms can sometimes last up to 2 hours or longer. In some people, heartburn symptoms may cause sleep problems, a chronic cough, asthma, wheezing, or choking episodes.

Heartburn usually is worse after eating or made worse by lying down or bending over. It gets better if you sit or stand up.

Almost everyone will have troubles with heartburn now and then.

Heartburn occurs more frequently in adults than in children. Many women have heartburn every day when they are pregnant. This is because the growing uterus puts increasing upward pressure on the stomach.

Symptoms of heartburn and symptoms of a heart attack may feel the same. Occasionally, a person may dismiss serious symptoms as “just gas or indigestion.” If you have a history of heart problems or risk factors for a heart attack, your heartburn symptoms may indicate a more serious problem and need to be checked by your doctor.

Dyspepsia is a medical term that is used to describe a vague feeling of fullness, gnawing, or burning in the chest or upper abdomen, especially after eating. A person may describe this feeling as “gas.” Other symptoms may occur at the same time, such as belching, rumbling noises in the abdomen, increased flatus, poor appetite, and a change in bowel habits. Causes of dyspepsia can vary from minor to serious.
Causes of heartburn

Heartburn occurs when food and stomach juices back up (reflux) into the esophagus, which is the tube that leads from the throat to the stomach. This process is called gastroesophageal reflux. Common causes of reflux include:

* Incomplete closing of the valve (the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES) between the esophagus and the stomach.
* Foods and drinks, such as chocolate, peppermint, fried foods, fatty foods, or sugars; and coffee, carbonated drinks, or alcohol. Once heartburn occurs, the backflow of stomach juices can cause the esophagus to become sensitive to other foods, such as citrus fruits, tomatoes, spicy foods, garlic, and onions. Eating these foods may cause more heartburn.
* Pressure on the stomach caused by obesity, frequent bending over and lifting, tight clothes, straining with bowel movements, vigorous exercise, and pregnancy.
* Smoking and use of other tobacco products.
* Prescription and nonprescription medicines, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, prednisone, iron, potassium, antihistamines, or sleeping pills.
* A hiatal hernia, which occurs when a small portion of the stomach pushes upward through the diaphragm, which is the muscle that separates the lungs from the abdomen.
* Stress, which can increase the amount of acid your stomach makes and cause your stomach to empty more slowly.

Severity of heartburn

Mild heartburn occurs about once a month. Moderate heartburn occurs about once a week.

Severe heartburn occurs every day and can cause problems such as trouble swallowing, bleeding, or weight loss. Heartburn with other symptoms, such as hoarseness, a feeling that food is stuck in your throat, tightness in your throat, a hoarse voice, wheezing, asthma, dental problems, or bad breath, may be caused by a more serious problem, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). A persistent inflammation of the lining of the esophagus occurs in GERD and can lead to other health problems. Heartburn may also be related to an infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria.

Persistent heartburn symptoms can be a sign of a more serious medical condition, such as severe inflammation of the esophagus or cancer of the stomach or esophagus.

Heartburn is more serious when it occurs with abdominal pain or bleeding.

* Abdominal pain, especially pain located directly below the breastbone, may be a sign of more serious problems, such as heart disease, peptic ulcer disease, gallbladder disease, a tear in the esophagus, or inflammation of the stomach (gastritis). For more information, see the topic Abdominal Pain, Age 11 and Younger or Abdominal Pain, Age 12 and Older.
* Vomiting of blood may indicate bleeding in the digestive tract, often from the esophagus or stomach. If you have bleeding in the esophagus, stomach, or part of the small intestine attached to the stomach (duodenum), stools may be dark red or black and tarry. Large amounts of bleeding can lead to shock, a life-threatening condition. For more information, see the topic Nausea and Vomiting, Age 4 and Older.

Heartburn in

Waking up America to a Serious Burning Issue: Educational Video About Nighttime Heartburn [VHS Video] $34.99 (VHS Video) As the most common symptom of gastroesophageal reflux, heartburn is a widespread health concern … Through the Digestive Health Initiative (DHI), the American Gastroenterological Association developed the Nighttime Heartburn Relief Effort (NHRE) to help inform the medical community and the public about nocturnal GERD. This video addresses nighttime heartburn. A number of individual…

Chest Pains (Conditions Other Than Heart Attacks Which Can Cause Chest Pains Are Explored) [Healthscope Series] VHS Video $55.00 VHS Video. CHEST PAINS. While public education efforts since the 1960s have helped in the early identification and treatment of heart attacks, many people are unaware that not all chest pains indicate heart trouble. This film shows that other conditions, such as hiatal hernia, peptic ulcers, and viral infection of heart membranes, may also cause chest pains. The importance of seeking medical a…

Prilosec OTC Acid Reducer, Delayed-Release Tablets …

Prelief AKPHARMA PRELIEF …

Jarrow Formulas Mastic Gum …