Heartburn is a common condition that affects more than 70 million Americans annually. It typically begins with a burning sensation that starts in the upper abdomen and moves up into the chest, often making its way to the back of the throat, and sometimes up into the jaw, arms and back. It usually feels worse when lying down or bending forward.
Symptoms & Signs
Heartburn is an uncomfortable feeling of burning and warmth behind the breastbone (sternum) but sometimes rising as high as the neck. It usually occurs after meals, when lying down, or at night while sleeping.
Heartburn usually is due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the rise of stomach acid back up into the esophagus. Heartburn has nothing whatsoever to do with the heart though the discomfort of heartburn may be confused with heart pain and vice versa. Heartburn is a popular nonmedical term that often is referred to medically as pyrosis.
What Causes Heart Burn?
Heart burn is caused by a faulty muscle in the stomach. There is a “flap” at the top of the stomach that stops food from traveling back up into the esophagus. Sometimes the flap doesn’t work properly and stomach acid escapes from the stomach. When the acid escapes, heart burn occurs.
Factors that contribute to heart burn: pregnancy, smoking, eating large meals, being overweight, and wearing tight clothing around the waist.
Heartburn usually ignites a burning pain that runs from your stomach to your breastbone, and it’s often accompanied by a sour taste in your mouth. Heart attacks, on the other hand, may cause a prolonged heavy feeling or squeezing pain in your chest. (Angina, or heart pain, causes similar pain that lasts just a minute or two.) Although pressure chest pain is more commonly associated with heart disease spasm of the esophagus may cause the same symptoms. It’s best to assume the pain is coming from the heart, get emergency help to rule the heart out as a cause, then focus on the esophagus.
Prokinetic medications are those that increase activity or peristalsis of the stomach to help push contents into the intestine more quickly. The medications metoclopramide and domperidone are both prokinetic medications. This medication may be beneficial in those people whose reflux symptoms are caused by delayed stomach emptying.
Try Tea
Green tea has been used for centuries in Japan as an after dinner drink. Green teas aid the body in the digestion process, and help soothe the stomach’s sensitive tissue.
PREVENTION
Heartburn and its symptoms can often be prevented or at least minimized by following a few, standard guidelines.
1. Never smoke before or while eating. Smoking often causes one to swallow small amounts of air, which form air pockets in the digestive tract with the added pressure of food. Smoking also slows the body’s ability to digest food.
2. Monitor which foods cause you to suffer heartburn. Often times, eliminating certain gas forming foods (such as beans, cabbage, cucumbers and onions) from the diet, brings an end to suffering.
3. Eat at a dinner table in an upright, sitting position.
Gastroesophageal Reflux DiseaseTag Archives
Heartburn – Causes, Symptoms and Prevention
Acid Reflux Without Heartburn: How To Prevent Its Occurrence
There are many people who suffer from acid reflux without heartburn. The medical term for this is Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or what is popularly known as GERD. If you Google the term GERD, you the search results would often come up with a list of foods and beverages to avoid. The list contains trigger foods such as chocolate, tomatoes, fruit juice, vinegar, and the like. Most of us eat and drink these things daily so living without them can sheer torture. It is easier and safe to take an over the counter acid reducer pill such as Ranitidine and Omeprazol which can be usually found in your neighborhood drug store. These two drugs are considered to be an effective pill to avoid acid reflux without heartburn.
These medicines for acid reflux without heartburn come under several commercial names (Zantac, Pepcid, etc.). In addition, they also come under generic or store brand names too. If one does not work, try the other as they are considered to be both effective. Remember to refrain from eating greasy, fatty foods because they can potentially trigger acid reflux without heartburnwhen you lie down. In severe cases, acid reflux can afflict you while sitting up. Most people with acid reflux without heartburn have a few excess pounds and losing weight can be a good deterrent to acid reflux without heartburn. Further, it is also suggested to eat slowly, and eat only enough to make you feel satisfied. Overeating will cause acid reflux without heartburn to occur. Sit up after eating for at least an hour. When you do lie down, make sure you have at least two pillows under you to avoid laying flat. Drink plenty of water during the day and one full glass before going to bed at night with your acid reducer pill.
Acid reflux without heartburn bothers more people. However, in case you are prone to this condition, acid reflux without heartburn can be controlled with medicine. Try the over the counter methods for two weeks but after that, if you still suffer from acid reflux without heartburn, call your doctor. There are many prescriptions out there that could alleviate your condition.
Prevent Heartburn And Acid Reflux
At some point in our lives we will experience Heartburn, Acid Reflux or the more severe GERD this in most cases will be due to what we eat, how we eat, poor health and other factors which will discussed shortly.
When you suffer from heartburn what is actually happening is that your stomach acid is fuming then it refluxes and enters the esophagus resulting in a burning sensation, pressure and pain in your chest.
Now when your stomach content backs up through the lower esophageal sphincter valve and enters the esophagus this is known as acid reflux and as you know is quite distasteful and unsettling.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease more commonly know as GERD is a result of the lower esophageal sphincter valve failing to work properly since it does not close the way it is supposed to. This can lead to other gastric problems that can be quite severe.
There are many OTC as well as prescription medications available to treat this condition and I’m sure you’ve seen more than your share of advertisements on TV, Magazines, Radio and the Internet. Though some of these work they are only a temporary solution and do not address the underlying condition of the problem.
The best way to treat the condition is to Prevent Heartburn And Acid Reflux in the first place.
There are several factors that can contribute to you getting heartburn, acid reflux and gerd, dealing with these can greatly reduce the episodes of heartburn, acid reflux and gerd.
Stress – It’s a common fact that stress plays a major role in our overall health so do your best to Reduce Your Stress Levels.
Eating Fast – Stuffing your face because in a rush to go somewhere or do something effects your digestion. Take time to eat your food properly and make sure it’s a balanced meal your stomach will thank you for it.
Over Eating – If you like to binge eat because you just love food stop it, your stomach has it’s limits and you’re forcing it to task itself if all you do is stuff your face with food.
Excessively Spicy Foods – Some of us like spicy foods, but your stomach may no feel the same way once it has to digest it. Easy up on those spices, find other healthy alternatives to add that zing to your meals.
Smoking – We all know Smoking Is Bad For You Cancer and the like… and it’s also bad for your digestion.
Alcohol – Over consuming alcohol is another no no. Too much alcohol can effect your digestion so reduce your consumption of it.
Lack Of Exercise – It’s important that you maintain good physical conditioning, Exercise does just that for you and can greatly help in maintaining good stomach health.
Food Triggers – Take note of the foods that trigger your heartburn and acid reflux and try to remove them from your diet.
For those of you that take OTC Medications like antacids to deal with your heartburn and acid reflux, that consuming antacids on a regular basis can also make your condition worst by making your stomach produce even more acid, and that taking such medication right before or after a meal can interfere with the stomachs digestive processes causing more problems for you down the road.
Tackle you heartburn and acid reflux early by facing the problem head on and not just putting it off until it gets to the point where you don’t know what to do and you may require very serious medical intervention.
Have You Tried The Acid Reflux Banana Treatment?
There are different ways to treat acid reflux symptoms, regardless of the cause. While some treatments involve the use of medications, other treatments take a more natural approach such as the acid reflux banana treatment.
Aside from being a really tasty and nutritious fruit high in vitamins and minerals, bananas contain virtually no fat, sodium, or cholesterol. For this reason, bananas are not only an integral part of a healthy diet, they can be used as a natural remedy to treat and prevent a number of health issues including, insomnia, depression, anemia, hypertension, and heartburn.
How exactly can a banana help with heartburn? Bananas have a natural antacid effect on the body. They primarily suppress acid secretion in the stomach by coating and protecting the stomach from acid, which helps against the formation of stomach ulcers and ulcer damage.
There are two ways in which the antacid property of a banana helps suppress acid:
Firstly, bananas contain a substance that encourages the activation of the cells that make up the lining of the stomach. As a result, a thicker mucus barrier is formed to provide the stomach with more protection against acid.
Secondly, bananas feature compounds called “protease inhibitors”, which help to eliminate certain bacteria within the stomach that have been found to contribute to the development of stomach ulcers.
How can I add bananas to my diet? If you would like to help prevent heartburn by incorporating bananas, try eating a banana a half-hour before a meal, or directly after a meal. Some GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) sufferers also find eating a banana during a meal or half a banana before and after a meal beneficial. It’s also a good idea to eat a banana when heartburn symptoms appear.
If the idea of eating a plain banana doesn’t thrill you, there are more fun and tasty ways you can add bananas to your diet. The following are some suggestions:
Eat dried banana or mashed banana as a snack
Cut up a fresh banana or use dried banana pieces and add it to cereal, yogurt, and salads
Make a banana smoothie with live cultured yoghurt
Banana shake (if you are allergic to milk and milk products, substitute with soy milk)
Banana split – go easy on the ice cream
Banana bread
Banana muffins
Banana cake
Fruit bowl (excluding citrus fruits)
Banana sandwich with cinnamon
Here are a few other facts to keep in mind when making banana recipes:
Bananas with green tips are best used for cooking or should be left to ripen before eating.
Bananas with yellow tips are best for eating
Bananas that are browning or have dark brown or black specks are ideal for baking (Note: the more ripe the banana, the sweeter it will be because the starch has turned to sugar, making it better for baking)
Bananas are the most popular fruit in America, are available all year round, and are low in cost, so it shouldn’t be too difficult for you to make acid reflux banana remedies part of your regular diet. However, it is important that you eat bananas according to your lifestyle requirement. Keep in mind that Bananas are high in sugar. Thus, if you are eating more than one banana per day, you do need to burn off the energy you are providing your body to maintain a healthy body weight. Also, refrain from eating bananas close to bedtime because acid reflux can still occur when you are sleeping as the lower esophagus sphincter relaxes.
Natural Ways To Relieve And Prevent Heartburn
Research from the National Heartburn Alliance shows that roughly 25 million adults experience heartburn on a daily basis. Heartburn is essentially reflux esophagitis, a condition wherein gastric juices back up into the esophagus and create a burning sensation that eventually radiates upward. It is usually part of a larger symptom complex known as dyspepsia or indigestion, and the medical term for chronic or frequent heartburn is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Reflux occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), the muscle that connects the esophagus to the upper portion of the stomach, malfunctions, allowing the contents of the stomach to flow backward into the esophagus. Normally, the LES opens to allow food from the esophagus into the stomach. It then closes immediately to prevent that food and digestive secretions from the stomach from entering the esophagus. In GERD, the LES malfunctions, staying open after food has entered the stomach.
A malfunctioning LES can be caused by a variety of dietary factors, including overeating, eating too quickly, eating spicy foods, eating fatty and fried foods, drinking caffeinated beverages, insufficient water intake, and not taking the time to adequately chew food. It may also be caused by stress, alcohol consumption, smoking, and certain medications that relax the muscles, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
When heartburn does occur, the following tips may provide natural relief in lieu of the antacids and prescription medications recommended by many of today’s physicians:
Drink a glass of room-temperature water.
Drink a glass of tea made from ginger or slippery elm.
Chew deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL), an extract of the root of true licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra).
Incorporate a probiotic formula into your daily diet. Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria that live in the digestive tract and help digest proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
Drink aloe vera juice or syrup (about 5 ounces) between meals daily. Aloe vera has been used traditionally to soothe the esophagus.
For natural heartburn prevention, the following recommendations may prove helpful:
Eat small meals frequently throughout the day.
Chew your food thoroughly.
Take your time while eating. This will prevent the stomach from becoming distended and allowing food to push against the top of the stomach where it can force open the LES.
Do not drink cold liquids with meals, and drink no more than a half glass of room-temperature water with meals.
Adding a hydrochloric acid (HCl) supplement to your diet supports healthy digestion by ensuring that the stomach has enough HCl to begin the breakdown of foods.
Follow a good digestive care diet that focuses on proper food combining, as well as what foods to avoid and what to consume in moderation.