What is Heartburn and How It Affects Us?

The name heartburn can be confusing as the heartburn has nothing to do with the heart. It's a digestive problem. A burning sensation begins in the upper abdomen, behind the breastbone. The burning and pain may be felt in the region right from the diaphragm to all the way to the throat. In some cases it may be accompanied with a sour taste.

Heartburn usually occurs after a meal. Everyone suffers from heartburn once in a while. The frequency of heartburn decides whether it is a chronic heartburn or not. Heartburn once a month is considered mild and daily heartburn is considered severe. Frequency of heartburn in between the above is considered moderate.

About 20% of all adults will occasionally have mild heartburn which can easily be managed by a change in diet, use of over-the-counter antacids and weight lose. People suffering from the moderate heartburn can also find relief with these remedies.

So What is Heartburn and What Happens During This Condition?

Heartburn is a painful condition involving the upper digestive system. Heartburn is nothing but the result of stomach acids reacting abnormally to certain foods during digestion. As a result a small amount of stomach acid gets up in the unprotected esophagus. This causes moderate to severe pain.

Normally the esophagus which leads from the mouth to the stomach doesn’t get exposed to stomach acids. Though a layer of mucus in the stomach protects its lining from the powerful digestive juices, the esophagus does not have such protection. The sphincter muscle near the stomach works as a one-way valve to protect from stomach juices. Any weakness in the sphincter will force the stomach juices back up the esophagus that causes burns sometimes followed by a sudden urge to vomit. Severe heartburn conditions can lead to sever localized pain and difficulty in speaking.

It is important to understand the difference between severe heartburn pain and heart attack or angina. Heartburn is localized pain in the central chest, where as heart attack pain radiates through the back and down an arm. Heartburn can be sharp chest pain but attack is usually feeling of dull heaviness.

It is always better to visit the doctor in case of even a slightest doubt to avoid misunderstanding heart attack with heartburn. A visit to doctor can save from much bigger troubles that can be life threatening.

Get more information on causes, symptoms, prevention methods and home remedies for heartburn in the other related articles:

What is Heartburn and How It Affects Us?

So What is Heartburn and What Happens During This Condition?

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