Angelo Johnson asked:


Heartburn is experienced as a painful or burning sensation in the throat or esophagus, it usually occurs below the breastbone and is caused by regurgitation of gastric acid. The pain begins in the chest and you may feel a rising sensation that can spread to the neck, throat, or jaw. If you experience a chronic cough, heartburn may be responsible; it may even be mistaken for asthma.

In spite of its name, heartburn is in no way related to the heart. It got its name from the burning sensation located where the breastbone is over the heart. In the case of some heart problems, you could experience a similar sensation to heartburn. To add to the confusion, hydrochloric acid produced by the stomach comes back up through the esophagus due to a problem with the valve know as the cardiac sphincter. Since the valve contains the word cardiac, it is no surprise that there is some confusion about what is actually being affected when this sensation is happening.

Most people all have different things that can trigger heartburn, but many people have similar heartburn symptoms.

A few of the common symptoms of heartburn are:

? A burning sensitizing in the chest that happens after eating and persists a few minutes to several hours.

? Experiencing chest pain when lying down, bending over or eating.

? A burning feeling in the throat, or hot/sour, acidic and salty-tasting fluid in the back of the throat.

? Difficulty swallowing.

? The feeling of food stuck in the middle of the throat.

? Chronic coughing, a persistent sore throat, or chronic hoarseness.

It is very important to report these symptoms to your doctor, and then it is fairly simple to then make the diagnosis of heartburn. However, sometimes it is necessary for the doctor to perform special tests, in order to determine the severity of your problem. This may also used as a method to monitor your treatment. Special tests may also be useful if you are experiencing unusual symptoms such as weight loss.

Signs of heartburn that should not be mistaken for a heart attack are as follows:

? A sharp, burning sensation in the chest just below the ribs or breastbone.

? Usually pain will not radiate to the shoulders, neck or arms.

? Pain will be most common after meals, when lying on the back.

? Antacids will alleviate symptoms quickly.

? Cold sweat usually does not accompany any of these symptoms.

Possible signs of a heart attack are:

? A feeling in the center of the chest of fullness, tightness, dull pressure or pain.

? A feeling of tightness, as if a belt is being tightened around your chest.

? Sudden pain or pressure in the chest region that gets progressively worse.

? Dizziness

? Pain that can spread to the shoulders, neck, arms or jaw.

? Shortness of breath.

? Usually the presence of a cold sweat.

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Ruth

Dean Caporella asked:


Most people will suffer heartburn symptoms at some stage in their lives. Heartburn is an uncomfortable experience and for some, it can be chronic.

Recognizing heartburn symptoms is a bit like “closing the gate after the horse has bolted.” A burning sensation or heat rising up from the abdomen in waves into a persons throat will signal a heartburn attack. A sour taste in the mouth follows and then a period of discomfort.

Heartburn symptom will usually occur about 30 minutes after a meal and the worse thing a sufferer can do is to lie down. Standing upright or taking antacids can often provide relief. Heartburn symptom can vary from mild to chronic. Mild symptom can be easily treated at home however, if symptoms persist then it’s wise to seek a medical opinion.

So what can you do to prevent heartburn? Commonsense says some lifestyle change may be required. Recognize what preceded a heartburn symptom. In my case for example, I found heartburn symptom would occur following too much coffee. A self confessed coffee addict, I suddenly realised the onset of heartburn symptom followed the consumption of one too many gourmet coffees. I then cut down my coffee consumption by about 90 per cent and haven’t had a problem since. Obviously my case is was treated as mild heartburn symptom but I was aware enough to firstly recognize what brought it on and then to do something about it.

It may be a good idea to keep a record before and after you make any changes to your lifestyle. These can be discussed with your doctor, particularly any improvements you notice so you can then set about re-adjusting.

Diet is another area to look at when recognizing heartburn symptom. In most instances, heartburn symptom sufferers can relate an episode to one or more types of food. Once you identify these you can set about reorganizing your diet. There are known categories of foods that don’t go hand in hand with heartburn and for chronic sufferers in particular, a major dietry change may be required.

There are a number of treatments for heartburn symptom including antacids but treatment can vary in relation to the seriousness of any related heartburn attack. Again, your physician can provide information on these. In my instance, I identified what brought on my heartburn symptom and acted accordingly.

Heartburn symptom doesn’t have to rule your life. With heartburn, prevention is sometimes better than cure. Take some commonsense steps such as isolating instances and dietry intake preceding an attack and you will be well on the way to getting on top of any future heartburn symptom threat.



Luis

Paul Courtney asked:


Is Chronic Heartburn A Sign Of Other Problems?

For heartburn symptoms to be deemed chronic, it would have to occur more than three times a week for a period of two or three weeks. If you are suffering from continual heartburn it is important to check if there have been any alterations in diet, excessive consumption of alcohol,increased stress or the taking of strong medications on a regular basis.

For chronic heartburn to be confirmed a substantial change must have occured, if the person’s diet or other aspects of their lifestyle have not changed, it could be a sign of other medical problems. It is important to be aware of the circumstances as persons using self-treatment to combat chronic heartburn may be masking the symptoms of these more serious problems

Typically, heartburn is caused by the contents in the stomach being pushed back into the esophagus, causing the acid in the stomach to irritate its sensitive lining. There are many causes of this such as:

- gastrointestinal reflux disease,

- a hiatal hernia

- or a blockage in the stomach.

When a person suffers from chronic heartburn it is advisable to check with a doctor to rule out any of these major problems.

Usually, when a person suffers from heartburn, it is not uncommon if dietary habits are inconsistent or they eat or drink something that is high in acidic content the digestive system works overtime producing excessive acids. In these cases and over the counter medication will usually quell the burning sensation and it will disappear once the substance has been processed. However, If it continues for several days during a week or two, chronic heartburn may be diagnosed and will be treated with prescription medications.

Extinguishing The Fire In The Belly

For those suffering from chronic heartburn, they are also at risk for developing ulcers in the esophagus as well as in the stomach. Many times, it is the result of the stomach being fooled into thinking more acid is needed to help with the digestive process that exacerbates the situation. Many believe falsely that drinking milk can calm an acid stomach when in reality milk may actually trigger the stomach’s acid pumps to produce more due to the added content in the stomach.

Anybody suffering from chronic heartburn will need to change their lifestyle to help eliminate the problem. This usually requires a change of diet(ie staying away from rich fatty foods that require a lot of digestion and sticking to more fresh fruit and vegetables that are much easier to digest). If it is determined the heartburn is being caused by prescription medication, the doctor may alter the dosage of the medication or change to another type if one is available. The patient may also be prescribed anti-acid medication until the offending medication is better accepted by the person and the side effects disappear.

Acid indigestion, as it is often called, can be an extremely uncomfortable feeling. It can also offer similar symptoms of a heart attack and should never be ignored. When a person is suffering from chronic heartburn, getting help from a doctor or other medical professional is recommended to prevent additional damage to the esophagus or to learn if it is hiding another, potentially dangerous, condition.

As with most other bodily functions, it is important to act swiftly to determine what the problem is, what causes the problem and what needs to be done to cure the problem before it gets worse, but more importantly why suffer at all when with a little thought and preventative action this discomfort can be completely avoided and other complications associated with it will never arise..

Author’s Biography: Paul Courtney contributes articles to various publications pertaining to Alternative and Herbal Medicine, for more information please visit http://www.heartburncurer.com



Marilyn

Katie Monroe asked:


Heartburn can be more than just uncomfortable, it can be a sign of a serious problem called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Symptoms of GERD include burning chest pain, regurgitation of bitter or sour liquid, difficulty swallowing, and excessive clearing of the throat.

Left untreated, persistent heartburn symptoms can lead to severe complications such as esophageal strictures or a precancerous condition called Barrett’s Esophagus. In rare cases, people with persistent heartburn/GERD develop esophageal cancer.

Eating smaller meals, controlling your weight, avoiding tight-fitting clothes, and avoiding heavy lifting/straining are all ways of reducing heartburn. Don’t lie down after meals, because that makes it easier for stomach contents (including acid) to back up into the esophagus. Do not eat for three to four hours before you go to bed.

Avoid common heartburn triggers such as smoking, caffeine, chocolate, peppermint, fatty and spicy foods, and tomato sauces.

Infrequent heartburn can be controlled with antacids, H2 blockers or proton pump inhibitors.

See a doctor if you: have heartburn two or more times a week; don’t get lasting relief from medication; have difficulty swallowing, especially solid foods; have choking, wheezing, hoarseness or unexplained weight loss; experience chronic or recurrent GERD symptoms that last for more than a year.

Heartburn is a symptom of a syndrome called gastroesophageal reflux (GER). GER is when the natural acidic juices in the stomach flow backwards into the esophagus — the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach.

If you have other symptoms such as crushing chest pain, it could be a heart attack. Get help immediately.

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Mike

Jeff W. Martin asked:


To banish your heartburn, the main thing is to choose the correct and most effective solution for you. That means obtaining precise information about the genuine causes that are behind heartburn symptoms. Overall, there are three ways to handle heartburn: doctors’ classical treatments, surgical actions and natural/holistic cures. These methods have major differences in the way they are put in place and how they deal with different causative factors, as well as in their effects over a long duration.

When the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) between the esophagus and the stomach functions correctly, food is allowed to move one way into the stomach, but then kept in the stomach by the closing of the LES to prevent acidic stomach contents from being pushed back the opposite way. However, when the LES muscle relaxes incorrectly, acid stomach contents can move back to the esophagus to cause the pain of heartburn. This explains why heartburn is the outer sign of acid reflux or GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease). GERD is what comes about when the LES valve between the esophagus and the stomach loses its muscular force.

Physicians habitually deal with heartburn and related problems by trying to use conventional medications, some of which are available to anyone over the counter. These acid reflux OTCs can be sorted into three groups:

1. Antacid, canceling out stomach acid by covering over the food content, and characterized by products such as Maalox, Rolaids, Mylanta and Tums.

2. H2 blockers to damp down acid creation and diminish acid production in the stomach, characterized by products like Pepcid AC, Axid AR and Zantac 75.

3. PPI (Proton Pump Inhibitors) which break the proton pump action that normally releases the acid in the stomach, characterized by products including Nexium, Protonix and Prilosec.

The Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery 2004 published research that found that PPIs do nothing to reduce the frequency of reflux attacks for GERD victims. Instead, PPIs simply convert acidic contents into alkali ones. The reflux still happens, but with an alkaline bile which may in fact be worse for the esophagus. Although short-term pain alleviation is promised by such drugs, long-term usage can be a significant problem. These drugs do not address the real issue, only the external manifestations. They set about this by altering the composition of the stomach chemically. These drugs typically only have short-lived effect and can induce long duration patient dependency as well as unwanted secondary effects.

If drugs are not the answer, is a surgical operation any better? Such operations are designed to stop the valve opening when it should be shut, thus blocking the flow back of gastric contents to the esophagus. The surgeon envelops the upper portion of the stomach around the lower esophageal passage in order to bolster the muscular valve at the meeting point of the esophagus and the stomach.

A sufferer who relies solely on this solution is likely to remain a sufferer. If no accompanying lifestyle or diet alterations are made, heartburn symptoms will probably be back. Associated with this solution are other risks including cramps in the abdomen, bloating, diarrhea, nauseous feelings, and glutition difficulties.

The solutions mentioned either attempt to slow down the quantity of acid produced, or cancel it out or use physio-mechanical means to artificially reinforce the LES. However, none of them deals with the real cause. The major disadvantage of these conventional methods for treating heartburn is that they all address local GERD symptoms, their only action being on the external signs and not the real cause.

Inner body balance can also be severely impacted by Candida infection as well as lifestyle and bad diet habits, including major stress and incompatible sleep patterns, leading to excess acidity, fermentation and toxin overstocking. For a real measure of progress, it is the underlying causes that must be dealt with be rid of GERD and heartburn. Acid reflux is the direct result of the simultaneous existence of diverse medical and lifestyle elements. Genetic weakness, high fat food intake, excessive weight and particular lifestyle and nutrition factors all band together to strip the LES of its muscular force which stops it from closing correctly. The only possibility to really get rid of acid reflux and to prevent it from happening again is to suppress these root causes directly.



Vanessa

Keith George asked:


All food we eat passes through the gullet and into the stomach through a pipe and lodged in the stomach. So the basic cause of heartburn is that the food particles and the acid from the stomach leak back into the gullet or the esophagus. This condition also leads to severe pain in the stomach and chest. Most people have stomach acid reflux at some time in their lives, either as heartburn or acid regurgitation.

Americans and other westerners suffer from heartburn symptoms more often than people from asian and eastern countries. The other symptoms include burping and a feeling of bloating. If these symptoms occur more than two days a week for several months, a person may have Acid Reflux Disease, otherwise known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Most of us experience heartburn occasionally but if it persists then a visit to the doctor may be necessary.

Your diet and lifestyle have been pinpointed as some factors which may cause heartburn and acid reflux. Most people believe that particular food or drinks could cause heartburn and they are right, excess acid is the main cause of heartburn.

In some rare cases, though, the damage can be enough to cause cancerous cells to develop in this area. If you know what the cause of your heartburn is, you cab stop it from hurting and destroying your quality of life. Chronic heartburn is also dangerous on its own since the frequent contact with the acidic stomach contents will harm the lining of the esophagus and cause inflammation.

Late meals can also cause heartburn by stimulating the stomach’s production of digestive fluids. When you go to bed and do not have an upright position the acid come up more easily.

There are several remedies, also natural one’s that really works. Herbal remedies typically contain fennel, ginger or mint oil, alone or in combination. Depending on the heartburn causes, the remedies should differ. There are many natural remedies that you can add to your pantry for use when the symptoms flare up. Home remedies and over the counter products and prescription drugs are available to relieve heartburn.

If your condition is severe your doctor will probably inform you that you would most likely need medications indefinitely. To find out what works you will often have to try several remedies. Regretfully, one single doctor visit may not take care of the problem, but don’t give up.

A holistic treatment for heartburn includes treatment plans and hollistic cures for heartburn may be more time consuming than taking a little pill. On the other hand this treatment can be more effective in the long run and the holistic treatment has no side effects.

Most treatment plans or recommended ways to reduce heartburn include lifestyle changes along with dietary changes. But as always, the leading causes of heartburn vary and the best treatment for heartburn varies depending on the individual. Most common is an antacid that can be purchased over the counter from your local pharmacy.

Keep in mind that stress, smoking, alcohol, caffeinated and carbonated beverages may all lead to heartburn. Lifestyle changes like not lying down immediately after a meal and not lying down in a flat position can be a great relief. Also remember to avoid spicy foods, drinking beverages with caffeine, taking alcohol and smoking. Exercising regularly and reducing weight can also help control heartburn to a large extent.



Katherine