.....Most of us have had some sort of stomach upset at one time or another, but we may not have experienced the classic symptoms of heartburn. The burning pain that starts at your stomach and goes all the way up to your throat. Luckily, for most of us, we simply take an antacid and the pain goes away. For others, the pain can be quite intense and can return frequently. This month, we shall learn what heartburn is and what it isn't.
What normally happens when we eat or drink is the food travels down our esophagus and into our stomach. There is a tight band of muscles at the top of our stomach called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) which keeps all of your stomach contents where it should be. Sometimes the muscles of the LES can relax allowing the acidic contents of the stomach to come up into the esophagus. This is referred to as reflux. The resulting irritation to the esophagus causes a burning sensation, which is usually felt just behind the breastbone and below the throat. The onset of this pain can be quite intense, but it usually goes away when a person takes antacids.
It might be hard to determine the exact cause of a person's heart |
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burn. Many people feel that their heartburn may be related to their diet and they are partially right. Certain foods can trigger heartburn: such as coffee, fatty foods, mint teas and spicy foods. This is not a complete list and many people know 
their heartburn triggers. Obesity, smoking and pregnancy can also exacerbate heartburn symptoms.
There is one things that heartburn is not; a medical condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD can be thought of as a persistent form of heartburn. The symptoms of GERD are the same as for heartburn, except that people who have GERD may also show symptoms of a dry cough or difficulty shallowing. GERD can also cause asthma-
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ike symptoms. If you are having persistent heartburn symptoms, more than twice a week, it might be wise to bring these symptoms to the attention of your Physician.
For many people, non-drug options work quite well. The first thing is to avoid any foods or beverages that trigger your heartburn. This might seem obvious, but people will still have coffee daily even though it gives them heartburn. If you must eat your trigger foods, take an antacid prior to or just after the meal. If you smoke, stop. Try not to lie down for at least three hours after eating a meal. If heartburn is a problem at night, try raising the head of your bed. All you need is to raise it by is about 6-8 inches, about the thickness of a large phonebook. Some people find it helpful to eat smaller meals more frequently, about 5-6 meals throughout day.
One health tip that I feel is over looked is to eat slowly. People tend to eat their meals too fast, I feel this causes them to eat too much. This is an old weight loss tip that can be helpful for heartburn sufferers. Consciously eat your meals. As the parent of a toddler, I am often at fault of this. I fill my plate and |
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