The past 3 days I've had heartburn. I'm 24, and I think I've had heartburn one other time in my life. It's mainly in my esophagus. And today it is giving me a headache. My diet hasn't changed, and I eat pretty healthy foods. I don't like taking pain medicine if I don't know what's causing the pain. Treat the problem not the sympton. Can anybody give me any suggestions what may be causing it?
2006-07-19 15:18:56 · 18 answers · asked by Kendra W 1 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Other - General Health Care
It doesn't start after I eat, it's been constant the past 3 days. And I don't eat greasy foods. I mostly eat organic or all natural healthy foods.
2006-07-19 15:32:24 · update #1
Kendra,
I presume you are eating cooked, and not raw food. When you heat your food over 125 degrees, you destroy all of the digestive enzymes. Without them, your body must use hydrochloric acid to liquefy your food, thus the heartburn. I would like to suggest that you look into the raw and living food lifestyle. It is what our bodies are designed for. The cooking of food is unnatural, and relatively recent in our history. If that is too much of a stretch for you, then you can buy papaya enzyme tablets, that will do a pretty decent job of breaking down your food for you. That should solve the problem. If the problem persists after switching to raw food, or using enzymes, then by all means, seek professional help.
2006-07-19 15:29:50 · answer #1 · answered by Will O' the Wisp 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
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2016-12-20 11:39:22 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
At twenty four years old it shouldn't be anything more than heartburn, as you put it, but if it should persist get it checked.
There's no way of telling what's causing your heartburn from the little information you gave. There's no telling much of anything from what you've written.
By the way, it's acid from your stomach backing up into your esophagus that is "heartburn".
Named heartburn because it has so often been mistaken for a heart attack and vice versa.
If it's simply heartburn, your best bet to get rid of it is to drink a lot of water. A lot of water, don't be wimp'in out.
It'll take most of the day but it'll work.
Good Luck
2006-07-19 17:40:48 · answer #3 · answered by thomnjo2 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Welcome to being 24... This is right abou the time when your metabolism really slows down, so you will have this problem. Something you've been eating you whole life can suddenly cause heartburn. The best thing you can do is start with tums, and if that doesn't help, see a doctor about it. They will give you the purple pill. But I started having terrible heartburn at 23. I started eating less erosive foods like salsa and italian, hot peppers, etc. Chocolate is one of those that will really hit you all of a sudden.
2006-07-19 15:21:20 · answer #4 · answered by Rockstar 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go to your doctor if it lasts more than a few more days. It could be acid reflux disease, which can have serious effects. For now, try taking Prilosec. It is available over the counter (used to be Rx only.) It should help. I also recommend drinking milk to lessen the burning sensation, and eating only non-spicy foods and nothing greasy. Coffee, carbonated drinks, caffeine and mint (even toothpaste!) can also be triggers. Try to keep yourself upright for 3 hours after eating and drinking so gravity aids your digestion. That is difficult but will make a big difference!
2006-07-19 15:36:21 · answer #5 · answered by smhj 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunately, healthy foods are often the culprits in acid indigestion and heartburn. I use Pepcid AC. You can get it over the counter. It isn't too expensive, it's not a pain medication, it reduces the acids in the stomach. Give it a try...what've you got to lose besides the heartburn??
2006-07-19 15:24:47 · answer #6 · answered by Oblivia 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This might sound weird to you, but once a doctor advised me to drink 1/2 cup of cold milk in the morning before I ate, and 1/2 cup at night before I went to bed along with a zantac 75. I took his advise and overcame a heartburn that had lasted 3 months!
But I still recommend that you consult your doctor. Sometimes the problem might be different.
2006-07-19 15:21:27 · answer #7 · answered by Sunny 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes lots of water can help easy the symptoms of heartburn, thins out the stomach acids.
2006-07-19 15:22:00 · answer #8 · answered by kitten_99_0 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had chronic heartburn too. It turned out it wasn't heartburn at all, but gall stones that caused symptoms that mimic heartburn. I had surgery and I'm all better! See your doctor.
2006-07-19 15:21:22 · answer #9 · answered by ndtaya 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it's in your esophagus, it's probably acid reflux. There are a variety of over-the-counter medicines available at you local drugstore. It's eating away at the walls of your esophagus, so you'd better do something ASAP. Hope this helps.
2006-07-19 15:23:33 · answer #10 · answered by KnowhereMan 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋