Why Do I Have Heartburn ?!

Author: Maryam Ayres Time for reading: ~1 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

CHAPTERS (Table Of Contents)

The burning sensation in the throat, an unpleasant taste of bitter and sour, we define as heartburn.

The burning sensation in the throat, an unpleasant taste of bitter and sour, we define as heartburn. Heartburn most often occurs after ingestion of large amounts of food and subsequent exercise or bedtime.
Acids can last minutes to several hours.

How are acids produced ...

The ingested food moves through the esophagus, which is about 25-30 cm long, and enters the stomach. The connection between the esophagus and the stomach is an annular muscle - a sphincter, which opens when food passes and closes after it enters the stomach. However, when this annular muscle cannot function normally, stomach acid spreads up the esophagus during food processing. There they irritate the mucous membrane and cause "burning".

Heartburn occurs after eating, when leaning or in a horizontal position.

Other factors that exacerbate acids are:

pregnancy,
tight clothing that presses on the stomach and abdomen,
Overweight,
stress,
certain foods and beverages.

Products that most often exacerbate heartburn:

spicy and greasy food,
alcohol,
coffee, whether or not decaffeinated, and other caffeinated products,
citrus fruits,
tomatoes and tomato sauces,
chocolate,
mint and products containing mint,
onion.

Acids are also obtained when taking drugs: aspirin, ibuprofen and others. The package leaflet should contain information about this side effect.

There is no cause for concern when heartburn occurs from time to time. But if they become a permanent phenomenon, it is possible to have inflammation of the lining of the esophagus. At the same time it shrinks, swallowing becomes painful, small hemorrhages are possible.

Common heartburn is a symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastritis (inflammation of the lining of the stomach), hiatal hernia, stomach ulcer or duodenal ulcer.

How to prevent heartburn:

eat 2-3 hours before bedtime,
you don't overeat
place the head and upper body higher at bedtime,
consume products high in protein and low in fat,
avoid consuming products that produce acids,
do not wear tight clothes,
try to lose weight.