Many of us have most likely experienced the phenomenon of heartburn in the throat or deeper digestive tracts. Such an unpleasant manifestation is expressed in a sharp pain, which in nature resembles a strong burning sensation and often causes dull discomfort and soreness in the nasopharynx.
Surprisingly, most people perceive heartburn as something ordinary and harmless, which is completely wrong. It is important to understand that a burning sensation in the digestive system is a potentially dangerous sign that should not be ignored.
Today we’ll talk in more detail about why heartburn occurs and how to organize its therapy.
Causes of heartburn and how to combat the disease
Heartburn manifests itself as a burning sensation or discomfort in the sternum, which can spread to the epigastric region, following to the esophagus.
In most cases, this symptom is associated with gastroesophageal reflux, a condition when the food sphincter is weakened and the esophagus fills with stomach contents. heartburn from time to time , and 10% of them experience painful sensations on a weekly basis, which interferes with a full life. But few of them are familiar with the causes and mechanisms of development of this disease, so they ignore the symptoms.
If you do not consult a specialist in time, the feeling of constant heartburn will lead to nervousness and irritability, as it constantly provokes discomfort. Ignoring symptoms is not recommended, and it is worth getting diagnosed immediately after they appear. Choosing medications for heartburn on your own is dangerous, since they depend on the specifics and cause of the phenomenon. Only the right prescription will help restore health.
How does heartburn develop?
The main cause of heartburn is a malfunction of the stomach, since its contents irritate the esophageal mucosa.
During normal functioning, the stomach maintains an acidic environment, as it contains hydrochloric acid. This substance activates enzymes that break down food. Therefore, after eating, an increase in acid concentration is observed. The esophagus maintains a neutral environment, and the mucous membrane does not have a reliable protective shell. Filling of the intestines with substances from the digestive tract and heartburn are eliminated thanks to the sphincter (a ring-shaped muscle located between the organs), which does not interfere with the movement of food in only one direction.
For some reason , the sphincter muscles weaken, so hydrochloric acid passes into the stomach, combining with the contents of the tract. The mucous membrane becomes irritated and many chemical burns appear on it. At this point, the person begins to feel heartburn .
Prevention is the best cure for heartburn
Preventing reflux is part of treatment by following a diet and limiting negative factors. Remember that heartburn from water is reduced by diluting the amount of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Drink it throughout the day. Avoid eating large portions of food and lead a healthy lifestyle. In this case, heartburn and nausea will not bother you. If attacks are frequent and symptoms last for 2-3 months, you need to undergo an examination, which will prevent the exclusion of severe diagnoses.
Causes of heartburn
The manifestation of this symptom is not always observed as a consequence of gastrointestinal disease. In most cases , the causes of heartburn are disorders in the diet and behavior of people. Among the main factors that lead to heartburn :
- excessive consumption of food (if you constantly overeat, the stomach will begin to stretch and complete closure of the sphincter will be impaired);
- bad habits (regular smoking and coffee abuse);
- lying down immediately after eating;
- being overweight (increased pressure in the abdominal area does not allow the sphincter to relax);
- addiction to special foods (chocolate in large doses, fried and spicy foods; fresh baked goods);
- use of aggressive drugs (this applies to medications taken before meals);
- difficult pregnancy (increased abdominal pressure);
- wearing tight clothes (the abdominal cavity also suffers, food returns back to the organs of the esophagus).
With an increased frequency of symptoms (once every seven days or more), the causes of heartburn are gastrointestinal diseases, which require immediate diagnosis and treatment . Heartburn itself in this case has an unchanged mechanism, but is triggered by the following diseases:
- GERD – it is characterized by a chronically relaxed food sphincter;
- the development of gastritis with high acidity of the stomach, which is chronic and is often provoked by the action of Helicobacter pylori;
- stomach ulcer – the mucous membrane is covered with numerous ulcerative defects;
- the gallbladder functions with disturbances such as cholecystitis: the duodenum moves its contents to the stomach, after which the esophagus is filled with it - in this case, additional bitterness may be observed.
Taking symptomatic medications relieves discomfort for a short time, but does not completely eliminate heartburn .
Traditional methods of treatment
Heartburn is a very unpleasant phenomenon
Traditional medicine also has its place in getting rid of heartburn. As a rule, such therapy methods are not used as the basis of treatment, but represent a significant assistance to the medication course.
The most effective folk recipes against heartburn are presented in the following list:
- Aloe with honey. To prepare this product, you need to take 10 aloe leaves, previously kept in the cold for about 7-10 days, and 7 tablespoons of honey. Aloe is crushed to a fine paste and mixed with honey. The resulting mixture is taken one tablespoon before each meal.
- Activated carbon. This medicine, of course, does not require preparation. It is enough to take the number of tablets once a day, calculated according to the formula - “1 tablet * for every 10 kg of body weight.”
- Potato juice. It’s also not difficult to prepare, because all you need to do is peel a few potatoes, chop them and squeeze the juice out of the resulting pulp. The liquid is mixed with honey in a 2:1 ratio and applied similarly to aloe.
- Celery root. The plant is most effective when eaten fresh. To prepare one serving of the medicine, you need to squeeze a full tablespoon of juice from the celery root. The resulting liquid is taken 1-2 times a day.
- Herbal infusion. To make this homemade “preparation”, you will need 10-15 grams of anise seed, chamomile flowers and dill seeds. The mixture of plants must be poured with half a liter of boiling water and left for 2-4 hours. The cooled infusion should be taken twice a day, 100 grams (half a glass).
The course of therapy with any of the presented remedies is 10-14 days. After this, if heartburn and its cause are not completely cured, you should wait a similar amount of time and repeat the course of therapy with traditional recipes.
Common signs of heartburn
Heartburn is recognized quite simply, as it is accompanied by specific symptoms. Discomfort may occur within half an hour after eating. When heartburn affects the pancreas or gallbladder, the problem may take a longer time to notice.
Patients suffering from heartburn experience the following symptoms:
- a burning sensation that can move to the throat, but in most cases affects only the stomach;
- sour aftertaste in the mouth;
- sour belching;
- acute pain in the abdomen (in addition to which the person is bothered by a burning sensation that feels close to heart pain).
Heartburn can cause numerous adverse consequences if you do not think about treatment . This problem is quite dangerous.
Basic rules of nutrition for heartburn
Any clinical symptoms caused by the digestive system depend on the person’s habits and attitude to recommendations from specialists.
- The bulk of the diet should be consumed in the first half of the day. A hearty breakfast, a medium lunch and a light dinner are required.
- It is better to exclude foods that cause heartburn .
- You cannot rest in a horizontal position after finishing lunch, breakfast or dinner. It is healthier to go for an easy walk at a moderate pace.
- Eliminating discomfort using traditional medicine, for example, soda, is not entirely correct, because such behavior will worsen the unpleasant condition of heartburn .
- The body needs regular, abundant fluids. But these are not fruit juices and strong teas. Clean water is considered a suitable option.
Before you get rid of heartburn by resorting to these tips, you should consult with a specialist so that your heartburn does not get worse.
Helicobacter pylor and night heartburn
Scientists have identified a connection between nocturnal hypersecretion of gastric juice and the presence of Helicobacter pylor (H. pylori) bacteria. Interestingly, antisecretory therapy without H. pylori treatment has been found to provide better control of gastric acid secretion. This may be due to nitrogen produced by H. pylori. This is one reason why the benefits and harms of eradicating this bacterium in patients with GERD are still so widely debated.
Treatment of heartburn with drugs
Using folk remedies to treat heartburn is very dangerous, because they can aggravate the condition and cause serious complications. The fight against this symptom is carried out with the help of the following groups.
- PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) – these medications help reduce acidity in heartburn by protecting the lining of the stomach and esophagus;
- Histamine H2 blockers are weaker drugs that become less relevant: they reduce pepsin, which produces hydrochloric acid, which protects the mucous membrane;
- Antacids are drugs to protect the mucous membranes in the esophagus, neutralizing hydrochloric acid, prescribed for symptomatic treatment ;
- alginates - intended for the treatment of diseases when GERD is isolated, promote the formation of a protective layer to prevent chemical burns.
Heartburn can have different symptoms, depending on which medications are selected.
Heartburn. A bit of gastroenterology
Heartburn occurs when gastric juice enters the esophagus and larynx.
Heartburn occurs when gastric juice backflows from the stomach into the esophagus and larynx. This is not an independent disease, but a symptom of a number of gastrointestinal pathologies.
This condition cannot be dismissed, since heartburn can end on the surgeon’s table when the ulcer is perforated. Symptoms of the pathology:
- burning sensation behind the sternum, which intensifies when changing body position;
- bitter or sour taste in the mouth;
- chronic cough;
- in severe cases, when stool, vomiting with blood, pain behind the sternum or in the epigastrium, cold sweat are added to heartburn, emergency hospitalization is required.
Causes of discomfort:
- systematic overeating;
- abuse of spicy, sour, and overly sweet foods;
- addiction to alcohol and tobacco;
- increased body weight;
- drinking carbonated drinks in large quantities;
- the use of drugs from the NSAID group for the treatment of various diseases;
- clothing that is too tight, pressing on the stomach;
- weakening of the muscles that close the entrance to the stomach;
- lifting weights after eating;
- waiting period for the baby.
In addition, heartburn can be a sign of gastrointestinal diseases - gastritis, enteritis, duodenitis, erosive processes. Therefore, you should initially contact a gastroenterologist and undergo an examination.
Preventive measures
Preventing heartburn is less difficult than eliminating symptoms and treating the disease. As part of prevention, the following recommendations are followed:
- rejection of bad habits;
- adjusted diet;
- eliminating coffee from the diet;
- comfortable clothing that does not compress the organs;
- lack of excess weight;
- correctly prescribed treatment.
In the event that diseases provoke heartburn , the patient faces severe inconvenience, which only a doctor can eliminate.
