What is heartburn?
For heartburn will be some heartburn up. It flows out of the stomach into the esophagus. That gives a burning sensation above the stomach.
Heartburn is common. It's not so bad. But if you frequently suffer from it, the lining of the esophagus can become irritated or inflamed. Therefore it is good to go to your doctor if you often have heartburn.
Doctors call heartburn also called reflux.
How do you get heartburn?
Causes of heartburn:
Between the stomach and the esophagus is a sphincter. This muscle keeps the food from the stomach from, so it can not return to the esophagus. But sometimes this muscle does not close properly, if it opens at the wrong time. Then, the contents of the stomach can flow back into the esophagus.
Various reasons are possible. The most important are:
- Extra pressure in the abdomen, such as in obesity or pregnancy. There is then less space for the stomach.
- A stomach rupture.
- Certain medications. For example, drugs for heart disease, lung disease and Parkinson's disease.
- A lazy stomach. A lazy stomach makes too little movements with food for too long in the stomach. Sometimes it then flows back into the esophagus.
What are the signs and symptoms of heartburn?
People with heartburn have different complaints:
- You feel an aching, burning sensation just above the stomach.
- You can also have heartburn in your throat. Sometimes there are some food upstairs and into the mouth.
- You can feel a lump in the throat.
- Some people have a feeling of pressure behind the breastbone. This pain is similar to heart problems. But that feeling comes from the stomach, not your heart. The pain may radiate to the neck, back and abdomen.
- Lie flat in bed.
- Bend over.
- Wear tight clothing.
- Too many arrive (overweight).
- If clogging and presses hard on the toilet.
How to stop heartburn?
You can do some things to reduce the symptoms of heartburn.
- Eat small portions, so no big meals.
- After eating not lie immediately.
- Make sure your head is always a little higher than your feet. You can put the head of your bed 10 centimeters, for example by putting the legs on bobbins.
- Prefer not bend over.
- Watch your weight and lose weight if you are overweight.
- Avoid constipation.
- Quit smoking. Because nicotine relaxes the sphincter between the esophagus and the stomach.
Do you suffer from heartburn by the medications you are taking? Ask your doctor whether you can stop or to reduce the dose of the medication. Or maybe you can get a different drug.
What is the treatment for heartburn?
Help the things you can do to relieve heartburn itself not enough? Then you should go to your GP. Which can determine the cause. Sometimes the GP research it done by a specialist. You will receive a gastroscopy, a test in which a doctor looks inside your stomach.
There are several medications for heartburn:
- Medications that apply a protective layer in the esophagus.
- Agents that bind short time stomach acid, so it can not flow upwards.
- Drugs that inhibit the production of stomach acid (food is still consumed).
- Medications that make the stomach muscles work better, so that the food better flow.
If the sphincter between the stomach and the esophagus does not work properly, medications does not always help. Surgery is the only solution. This is called an anti-reflux surgery. The surgeon makes a new transition from the esophagus to the stomach. The sphincter therefore work better.