Introduction- What is Heartburn?
Heartburn is a burning sensation in your chest, which is usually accompanied by a bitter taste in your mouth or throat. This occurs when the acid in the stomach regurgitates upwards. The process is known as acid reflux. If you are reluctant to treat the problem, you must know that heartburn and acid reflux can become recurrent and chronic, leading to many complications. But, before we get there, here are some common causes of heartburn.
Causes of Heartburn
Heartburn is one of the many symptoms of GERD or Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease. The food pipe, called the oesophagus, transports food from the mouth to the stomach for digestion. A valve guards the point where the oesophagus enters the stomach and prevents the contents of the stomach from coming upwards. When the valve is unable to perform its function, acid reflux and subsequent heartburn occur.
Some common causes of heartburn are:
- Consumption of food items that stimulate the stomach to produce excessive acid increases the chances of having heartburn. Some of these food items include caffeinated beverages, carbonated drinks, juices of acidic fruits, fried food, chocolate, and sweets.
- Some OTC medications like aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, etc.
- Excessive smoking causes the lower oesophageal sphincter to relax and allows the acid from the stomach to regurgitate upwards.
- Consumption of high fat-containing food items has a similar effect on the oesophageal sphincter like smoking.
- A hernia hiatus increases the risk of heartburn.
- Pregnancy increases the pressure on the abdominal cavity and affects the lower oesophageal sphincter, increasing the chances of acid reflux and heartburn.
- Obesity is a lifestyle condition that triggers acid reflux and results in heartburn.
- Heartburn is a primary symptom of many oesophageal diseases like Sarcoidosis.
How to Diagnose and Treat Heartburn!
While we all experience it once in a while, if you experience it frequently or chronically, it needs to be treated with an acid reflux treatment or by getting treatment for GERD.
Here are seven reasons why you must get your heartburn checkout immediately:
- Nighttime Heartburn:
Heartburn and acid reflux can be irritating when they occur at night as they can disrupt your sleep. Chronically disturbed sleep can have a significant impact on the overall health of your body and can affect your quality of life. If you suffer from heartburn, sleeping in a supine position can aggravate your heartburn and cause irritation in your throat, cough, and bad taste in your mouth! Are you looking to sleep well? Get your acid reflux treatment by the best stomach specialist doctor in Coimbatore.
If you have asthma, GERD and heartburn can aggravate your symptoms. This occurs because the acid injures the lining of the airways and triggers coughing. In some complicated cases, heartburn can trigger nerve reflexes causing shortness of breath.
- It can damage the oesophagus
If your heartburn is untreated, it can eventually damage your oesophagal lining and cause inflammation. This condition is called Oesophagitis. Other oesophageal conditions that can occur include oesophageal strictures and ulcers.
- Increases risk of oesophageal cancer
GERD and chronic heartburn leads can result in oesophageal cancer, more so if the condition exists in the family. Common signs to watch out for include chest pain, difficulty in swallowing, which are usually seen in later stages of the disease.
- Risk of getting a tooth decay
Heartburn is not just an internal struggle but can also affect your beautiful pearly whites. Frequent regurgitation of acid into your mouth can dissolve and wear away the enamel of your teeth. This increases sensitivity as it exposes the inner layers of your teeth. Also, with the enamel layer worn out, your teeth can be under imminent attack from the bacteria that live in your mouth, leading to cavities. Not attending to your heartburn may cost you your smile!
- 6. Respiratory Complications
Apart from asthma, heartburn can cause other respiratory complications, including laryngitis, chest congestion, persistent dry cough, wheezing, that increase the chances of getting pneumonia.
- 7. Barrett’s oesophagus
Many individuals who frequently suffer from heartburn or GERD tend to develop precancerous cells in their oesophagus. This is called Barrett’s oesophagus and occurs in just 5-10% of GERD cases, and 1% of these can lead to oesophageal cancers.
Ignoring frequent and recurrent heartburns and avoiding acid reflux treatment can lead to serious conditions like those mentioned above. If not treated, heartburn can worsen over a period of time.
Are you looking to get your heartburn checked? Find the best heartburn treatment in Coimbatore.