What is the cause of heartburn?

Question

I have been suffering with heartburn for about 2 months. Does anyone know what could be causing it? No daft answers please!!

Answer 1

Heartburn and acid reflux is caused by a faulty muscle at the end of your esophogus, which when functioning properly, closes off and prevents acid from regurgitating back up from the stomach. Many people experience acid reflux when foods or digestive juices escape the stomach and come back up through the esophagus.

Several things can aggrevate symptoms: large meals, eating acidic or spicy foods, not drinking enough water, drinking too much alcohol or caffiene, and obesity.

Eating large meals. increases pressure on the stomach causing the stomach contents to be forced out and up into the esophagus. You will need to give your body at least two hours to digest your food properly. In addition, never ever lie down immediately after eating a large meal. Obesity can also increase abdominal pressure, and your risk of suffering from acid reflux as well. If you are overweight, cutting back on the amounts of food that you eat at each meal, and exercising daily should put you on the right path to helping you shed a few pounds. Acid reflux is caused in some people when the sphincter muscle at the end of the esophagus becomes weak or does not close correctly. Prescription drugs, certain foods, alcohol, and smoking have been known to weaken the sphincter muscles.

Answer 2

Heart burn is a discomfort or pain caused by the stomach contents traveling up from the stomach up into the gullet (lower part of your esophagus). The gullet is not made to withstand acid and is irritated and inflamed when acid from the stomach travels up into it.

Sometimes the pain caused by heart burn can also be felt in the mid-line of the back.

Heartburn has nothing to do with the heart. Heart burn is a digestive problem. Heart burn is usually related to meals and posture and can often be relieved by remedies for indigestion. Most people suffer from heart burn at one time or another during their lifetime.

If you have heartburn, you might have a bitter taste in your mouth from stomach acid.

Heart burn is also called reflux oesophagitis.
Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Heartburn is caused (in pregnancy) by the baby pushing up on your organs as well as the hormone progesterone. Most things in pregnancy are caused by hormones. There is no truth to that hair myth. That is an old wives tale. My sister had heartburn her entire pregnancy (as do many women) and her baby came out bald. I had it very mildly in the begining and that was in and my daughter came out with a full head of hair. It's about genetics nothing else. Symptoms of pregnancy don't predict what your child will come out like or as.

Answer 4

Check this natural method to get rid of acid reflux http://acidreflux-cure.info
Usually, heartburnThe most common symptom of acid reflux disease (also known as gastroespohageal reflux disease, or GERD). Heartburn feels like a burning pain in the center of the chest. It is caused by acid from the stomach backing up into the esophagus. is a symptom of acid reflux disease (GERD) Also known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Describes the condition of backflow of stomach acid into the esophagus which frequently happens when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxes more often than it should and/or at inappropriate times. The symptoms of acid reflux disease typically occur on 2 or more days a week.. And if you suffer from persistent heartburn on two or more days a week—and you’ve treated it and changed your diet—it could be due to acid refluxBackflow of stomach acid into the esophagus. Acid reflux frequently happens when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxes more often than it should and/or at inappropriate times. This allows harsh stomach juices to back up into the esophagus. disease. But only your doctor can tell you if these are signs of acid reflux disease.

Answer 5

I have been suffering from Heartburn for about a year, but have improved a lot since. Heartburn or pyrosis is a painful or burning sensation in the esophagus, just below the breastbone caused by regurgitation of gastric acid. The pain often rises in the chest and may radiate to the neck, throat, or angle of the jaw. Heartburn is also identified as one of the causes of asthma and chronic cough.

Heartburn actually has nothing to do with the heart; it is so called because of a burning sensation of the breastbone, although some heart problems have a similar sensation to heartburn.

Foods that may cause heartburn:
Alcohol
Coffee, tea, cola, and other caffeinated and carbonated beverages
Chocolate
Citrus fruits and juices
Tomatoes and tomato sauces (such as pizza and pasta sauce)
Spicy foods and fatty foods (including full-fat dairy products)
Peppermint and spearmint
Dry foods such as peanuts
Fatty foods such as ice cream
It can also be psychosomatic, primarily in relation to stress.

Prevention
If heartburn occurs when lying down, raising the head with pillows or sitting up frequently provides relief – although care must be taken to avoid placing continuous strain on the neck. Avoidance of certain foods shortly before bedtime is frequently advised to avoid future attacks.


Medications:
Antacids, H2-receptor antagonists and proton pump inhibitors are used (in that order) to treat heartburn.

Antacids
Daily treatment with Antacids is effective for 25-30% of people with GERD. Acid-blocking medications are the most effective for mild forms of the condition.

Water
Some have suggested that drinking a large glass of water dilutes the high ph levels in the stomach(since water has an average ph) and allows the pain to temporarily subside.

H2-receptor antagonists
With the advent of proton-pump inhibitors, H2-receptor antagonists are not widely used.

Proton-pump Inhibitors
Proton pump inhibitors are a class of medications which can be effective for people who do not respond to antacid or acid blockers. Proton-pump inhibitors directly block acid production in the stomach cells and provide more effective relief than less powerful medications. In order to prevent heartburn the medication disfigures and disables the proteins (proton pumps) that control the pH of the stomach, allowing the body to digest them.

Restricting Diet
Restricting diet is very important, since 90-95% of sufferers of heartburn or esophageal disorder can link their symptoms to specific foods. Therefore, it is important that heartburn sufferers manage their diets as a way to treat their heartburn. Sufferers should choose the kinds of foods and drinks which have little risk of causing acid reflux, while some kinds of foods or drinks should be avoided as they are major heartburn triggers.

Hope this will be of help to you. Happy healing..!

Answer 6

Stomach acid (or too much of it) moving up the digestive tract, or in some cases - as with ulcers - digesting the stomach itself. Yes eating to fast or eating certain foods you are intolerant to, such as spicy curries, etc. can cause it, but if you're getting it frequently, nip to the GP just in case it isn't an ulcer. When those things burst, you can possibly die (usually through sceptacaemia). If it's just an occasional heartburn - Zantac tablets are available over the counter and are fantastic, and your GP can prescribe double strength Zantac if it looks like an ulcer. But get it looked at.

Answer 7

hi there. i suffer with heartburn alot. ive been on the slimming wold diet for a couple of months now, and i have to say that cutting right down on fatty, rich foods, and carbohydrates has worked wonders! i havent had heartburn once.

good luck. and if all else fails, get some chewable gaviscon tabs to carry round with you!!!

Answer 8

I believe that it's to do with eating too quickly, so as the food is going down, with lots of 'air' hence heartburn.

Answer 9

Reflux. Small amounts of tummy acid which come back through the valve that is supposed to keep the food and acid in your stomach. First stop. The pharmacy. But i would call and see the Dr just in case it is something more serious nobody on here knows your medical history so get it checked just to be safe.good luck

Answer 10

Contrary to popular opinion, heartburn is actually caused by too little acid in the stomach (not too much). Here's a natural cure that is harmless and will work every time. When you suffer from heartburn, take a tablespoon of vinegar. Let it settle, chase with some water. Heartburn gone. If it doesn't work, take another tablespoon. It works for me every single time.