What You Should Know About Heartburn

Although commonly mistaken as a heart condition, heartburn is really a digestive issue. Manifested by discomfort around the chest and upper back area, heartburn can occur in varying degrees. Heartburn's symptoms may range from a mild irritation to severe pain. On average, heartburn is an incidental occurrence for most people, however, there are those who suffer from chronic heartburn.

What causes heartburn? It is ordinarily related with terrible food intake or with something that doesn't agree with a person's body. Technically though, what causes heartburn is the reflux of gastric acid up to the esophagus. This irritates the lining and causes the pain. It has been pinpointed that a dysfunctional lower esophageal sphincter (LES) muscle contributes largely to heartburn.

Diet and lifestyle have been pinpointed as a few factors which could cause the LES to get weak. Food that is spicy and acidic contributes to heartburn. More so, other habits that may encourage heartburn are smoking and drinking alcohol. Posture is another factor to be considered. Improper posture may cause the weakening of the LES.

If you're dealing with occasional heartburn, your health provider can simply treat you with typical heartburn treatment. Antacids such as Maalox and Mylanta are usually prescribed as medication like this will neutralize the acidity within your stomach. In some cases, other medication will be prescribed to prevent recurrence of the problem.

For those who suffer from chronic heartburn, however, further tests such as an endoscopy will probably be conducted. This is accomplished to further understand and analyze the cause of the chronic heartburn condition. This will also reveal if there are any other complications connected to the condition.

So how do you avoid getting heartburn? Watch for the foods that seem to trigger a heartburn attack. Different people have different "trigger foods". If you notice that a certain food gives you heartburn, then try to avoid it. In general, spicy food should be taken in moderation. Excessive alcohol and smoking may also cause heartburn so it would be great to ease up on these activities. Also, attempt to maintain good posture as soon as you are sitting, lying down, or walking.

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