Heart Burn : Symptoms, Triggers and Treatment

September 28, 2012 | Filed under: Health Blogs | Posted by: Tags:

What is Heart Burn? What are the Causes of Heart Burn?

Heart burn is one of the common symptom of the gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). It usually feels like a burning sensation that begins behind the breast bone and which gradually reaches the neck region and throat. We feel like food is in the throat and we experience the acid or bitter taste.

Heartburn is a feeling of pain accompanied with pressure behind the breast bone. It is felt after eating the food and it lasts for a period of two hours.

We may experience the chest pain soon after eating when we are bending or lying down.

There will be a feeling of burning sensation in the throat and is accompanied by sour, hot, acidic, bitter fluid taste in the mouth and at the back of the throat.

There will be a feeling of the food getting back to the throat.

There will be feeling of the sticking of the food in the chest and the throat.

Symptoms of Heart burn:

1. Wheezing or symptoms like the asthma:

It is proved that there is a significant link between the asthma and the gastroesophageal reflux disorder. Many people who are suffering from the asthma are also prone to the attack of the gastroesophageal reflux disease and feel the symptoms of heart burn.

Gastroesophageal reflux disorder affects the asthma when the acid food from the stomach gets refluxed into the esophagus and it may enter into the lungs and air ways and makes the breathing difficult and thus the patient wheezes and cough.

2. Chronic Coughing:

Coughing is caused in patients due to reflux of food into the esophagus.

3. Burning sensation in the chest:

Burning sensation starts behind the breast bone and it moves to the throat and it lasts for a few minutes to several hours.

4. Burning feeling in the throat:

There will be a burning sensation in the neck and throat and it may worsen with swallowing. The burning sensation results when the contents of the stomach (food) gets refluxed into the throat from the stomach.

Triggers of Heart Burn:

  • Some of the acidic foods trigger the heart burn. Some foods which have to be avoided to prevent the heart burn includes tomatoes and citrus fruits etc.
  • Alcohol intake can trigger the feeling of the heart burn.
  • Cigarette smoking is also a trigger of the heart burn.
  • Medical conditions such as asthma and diabetes also leads to the development of the heart burn.
  • Excess pressure on the abdomen in turn puts pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter, this allows the food to enter into the esophagus or mouth thus leading to the heart burn.
  • Pregnant women and the people with more weight are more prone to the getting of the burning in the heart.

Treatment for getting rid of the heart burn:

  • Treatment can be done by changing the lifestyle of the people by having proper diet and by taking perfect medication to get relief.
  • Some tips include the taking of small meals in small intervals. Snacks should not be eaten late in the night.
  • You should avoid lying down immediately after having meals.
  • Weight should be lost by the natural proper diet and not by doing exercises etc.
  • Medicines should be taken properly and regularly.
  • Foods like fatty foods, chocolates, carbonated beverages and caffeine drinks should be avoided.
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