Heartburn: symptoms, causes, complications, treatment etc. & bull; hello healthy

Definition

What is heartburn?

Heartburn is a condition in which you feel a burning and burning sensation in the chest. This situation can worsen when you are lying down or looking down.

Even though it is called heartburn, this condition actually has nothing to do with the heart (heart).

Heartburn is actually caused by stomach acid rising from the stomach into the esophagus. This results in a burning sensation in the upper abdomen or lower chest.

Heartburn can affect your daily activities and in some cases can be linked to other health conditions.

How common is heartburn?

Heartburn is a common condition that can occur in patients of any age. However, most sufferers are adults.

Some cases of patients with burning chest complaints tend to be experienced by people with obesity and diabetes. Pregnant women are also more at risk for heartburn due to an enlarged uterus (uterus) that presses on the stomach.

Heartburn symptoms can be prevented by reducing various things that trigger stomach acid to rise, from lifestyle changes to taking medication.

Signs & symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of heartburn?

Heartburn shows different symptoms in each person. However, the signs that almost every sufferer feels are a burning sensation in the chest and throat.

Other common symptoms that are felt when experiencing heartburn are:

Feeling pain or burning in the chest. This condition usually occurs after eating or at night.
Pain in the chest when lying down, looking down, or eating
A bitter or sour taste in the mouth
Often awakens from sleep
Cough
Burning feeling in the throat
There is fluid that feels like it will come out of the throat

There may be other symptoms of heartburn that were not mentioned above because they will vary from person to person. If you experience certain symptoms you should immediately consult a hospital.

How do you tell the difference between heartburn and heart attack?

Chest pain is a condition that should not be underestimated, especially if it lasts a long time. However, it is often difficult to distinguish the chest pain experienced by heartburn sufferers and heart attacks.

The two conditions sometimes have symptoms and signs that are not much different. Patients also come from adults or people with excess body weight. To distinguish whether what you feel includes heartburn or a heart attack, you can find out which area of the body hurts.

If The pain is only felt in the lower ribs and the upper part of the stomach, so it is heartburn. Other symptoms include a sour taste in the mouth, wanting to vomit, or a burning feeling in the throat, especially after you eat.

You need to be vigilant if your body starts to have cold sweats, shortness of breath, dizziness, and chest pain that presses and spreads to your shoulders, neck, or back. These signs could be related to a heart attack. However, you need to consult a doctor to find out more.

How long does heartburn last?

Generally, the symptoms will last for two hours, depending on the cause.

If you experience heartburn after eating spicy food, this condition will last until the food is completely digested in the stomach. However, it is possible that the condition can return a few hours later, when you are lying down or looking down.

When should I see a doctor?

There are several symptoms that you should be aware of and should not be taken lightly when experiencing heartburn.

If you feel pain or pressure in the chest, especially if you experience other symptoms such as pain in the hands, jaw, and difficulty breathing, contact your doctor immediately. It is possible that the chest pain you are feeling is a symptom of a heart attack.

You should also contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms:

extreme chest pain
difficulty breathing
difficulty swallowing while eating
excessive headaches
dehydration
heartburn occurs several times a week
nausea and vomiting, even after taking over-the-counter medicines
vomiting blood, or passing blood when passing stools
decreased taste buds, leading to weight loss

Cause

What causes heartburn?

The burning feeling in the chest is caused by stomach acid going up into the esophagus from the stomach. In fact, under normal circumstances, there is a muscle under the esophagus that functions to block stomach acid from rising into the esophageal tract.

This lower esophageal muscle works by enlarging and closing when you are swallowing food or drink. However, if these muscles are weakened, stomach acid can back up into the esophagus and cause a burning sensation in the chest.

The causes of weakening of the lower esophageal muscles that eventually lead to heartburn are:

1. Food and drink

The type of food and drink you consume will affect the strength of the muscles in the lower esophagus. Well, these muscles are not weakened, you should avoid eating foods that are too spicy, acidic, and fatty.

2. Body position

When lying down, the lower esophageal muscles will weaken, especially after you eat. This also triggers stomach acid to flow back into the esophagus more easily.

3. Load or pressure on the stomach

Stomach and esophageal muscles that are compressed will tend to weaken and cause stomach acid to rise. You need to be especially careful if you enjoy strenuous exercise, cough too hard, are overweight, or are pregnant.

4. History of disease

Quoted from the eMedicine Health site, the state of your health can have an effect on heartburn. Diseases such as hiatal hernias, diabetes, and other autoimmune diseases (scleroderma, CREST syndrome, and Raynaud's phenomenon) have been linked to burning in the chest.

5. Certain drugs

Several types of drugs can weaken the performance of the lower esophageal muscles. If you are on medications for heart, blood pressure, and asthma, then your risk of experiencing heartburn is even higher.

6. Lifestyle

Smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages, and consuming caffeine almost every day has a negative impact on health, including triggering the rise of stomach acid into the esophagus.

What foods and drinks cause heartburn?

What enters your body greatly affects your health condition. Therefore, it is important to know what foods and drinks trigger a burning sensation in the chest:

1. Spicy food

Capsaicin contained in spicy foods can slow down the digestive process and increase the risk of heartburn.

In addition, a study also showed that spicy food can injure the esophagus, which can worsen pain in the chest.

2. Fatty foods

Fat in food can weaken the lower esophageal muscles by stimulating the release of the hormone cholecistokinin (CCK), so that stomach acid will easily rise.

3. Mint

Many people think that peppermint and spearmint can relieve digestive problems. In fact, a study has shown that consuming too much mint can injure the esophageal tract and worsen heartburn.

4. Foods and drinks that contain citrus

In a study with 400 heartburn sufferers, 73% experienced symptoms after drinking orange juice.

However, there is no further explanation as to how citrus causes heartburn.

5. Soft drinks

Soda has been shown to increase stomach acid levels and weaken the esophageal muscles.

6. Coffee

Coffee contains high caffeine. This can trigger acid reflux and heartburn.

7. Chocolate

Chocolate also has the potential to cause weakness in the lower esophageal muscles. This is caused by the presence of serotonin, theobromine, and caffeine in chocolate.

8. Onions

The fiber content in onions can affect your digestion, including increase in stomach acid.

9. Alcohol

Drinking alcohol, especially wine and beer, risk increasing stomach acid levels and injuring the esophageal tract.

Risk factors

What increases my risk of heartburn?

Heartburn is a condition that can be triggered by various factors, both from the food consumed, lifestyle, and health conditions

Some of the things that can trigger you to experience heartburn are:

Eat fatty and spicy foods
Often smoke and drink alcohol
Drinking coffee
Is pregnant
Obesity
Suffering from GERD
Have diabetes
Exercises that suppress the stomach such as sit ups
Wearing pants too tight

Being pregnant or obese can also lead to a higher risk of heartburn.

Complications

What are the complications that can be caused by heartburn?

Heartburn that is prolonged and not treated seriously will result in various complications:

Damage / injury to the esophageal wall
Narrowing of the esophageal wall, making it difficult to swallow food
Vomiting blood
Bloody bowel movements
Asthma
Sore throat
Tooth decay

Treatment

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

How is heartburn diagnosed?

A medical professional or doctor will check if you have physical symptoms and ask about your medical history.

After that, usually you will be given advice on changing your diet, lifestyle, doing a certain diet, or given a prescription for certain drugs.

However, if the doctor is still not sure about the results of the examination, or the heartburn you are suffering from is acute enough and has injured other organs, the doctor will perform several types of tests as follows:

1. Gastrointestinal endoscopy

This test is done by inserting a small camera through your mouth, to see how the wall of your esophagus is doing. Through this test, doctors can also find out the causes and complications of heartburn.

2. Esophageal manometry

An esophageal manometry test is done to find out if your lower esophageal muscles are functioning normally or not. This test is only performed if the endoscopic test results do not show any complications, but the patient is still complaining of pain.

3. Ambulatory acid probe

This test aims to detect how long it takes for stomach acid to rise up into the esophagus.

4. X-rays

The doctor will take x-ray images of the patient's chest and stomach to see the esophagus and chest clearly.

How is heartburn treated?

Some types of over-the-counter drugs that can treat heartburn are:

Antacids to quickly neutralize stomach acid.
H2 – receptor antagonists (H2RA) or H2 receptor antagonists can reduce the amount of stomach acid produced and relieve pain.
Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) or proton pump inhibitors such as lansoprazole and omeprazole.

Please note that these drugs do not always work well. Some cases also show the appearance of hoarseness, pneumonia, or wheezing (breath sounds) after treatment.

Therefore, if these medicines do not have any effect and you still have chest pain, you should seek medical help for further action.

Prevention

What are some lifestyle changes that can be made to prevent heartburn?

Burning sensations in the chest can be prevented by changing your lifestyle and diet every day. With this, the symptoms caused by heartburn can be reduced.

Here are lifestyle tips and tips that can help you deal with heartburn:

1. Maintain weight

Try to control your weight so you don't get obese. You can do this by following a safe diet and in accordance with the doctor's recommendations.

2. Avoid eating too much

As much as possible, avoid eating too much at one time. You better eat smaller portions and more often.

3. Wear clothes that are not too tight

Pants and clothes that are too tight can put too much pressure on the stomach. This can cause stomach acid to rise and a burning feeling in the chest.

4. Sports

By exercising diligently, you will not only control your weight more easily, but your overall body health will be maintained.

5. Avoid eating before bed

A stomach that is too full before bed can cause stomach acid to rise up into the esophagus.

6. Do not lie down after eating

At least wait up to 3 hours after eating if you want to lie down. The digestive process will be disturbed if you lie down after eating, especially if you eat large portions.