What is Heartburn?

Heartburn is a pain that is caused when acidic fluid that should remain in the stomach finds its way into the esophagus (which is the eating or swallowing tube of the human body). The pain and discomfort of heartburn can range from mild to severe and some people mistakenly believe that they are having a heart attack when they are actually suffering from a case of heartburn. With heartburn often comes a feeling or bloating or gas in the abdominal area and burping. Some people experience the taste of acid in their mouth when they have heartburn. The symptoms of heartburn tend to get worse after a big meal has been eaten and especially a meal that contained fatty or fried foods. Heartburn can also worsen after caffeine or alcohol is taken in as well as tobacco.

The technical name for heartburn is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and it is very common, in particular among elderly people and women who are pregnant. More than an estimated 60 million American adults find themselves plagued by the uncomfortable symptoms of heartburn at least once during the course of a month and an estimated 25 million Americans, both males and females, suffer from the discomfort of heartburn on a day-to-day basis. It is believed that in 94 percent of the above cases, heartburn can be connected to eating certain foods.

In those who do not suffer from heartburn, when food or drink is taken in there is a muscle (known as the lower esophageal sphincter or abbreviated to LES) found at the bottom of the esophagus that closes so that all of the contents of the stomach remain where they should be. Heartburn occurs as a result of one of three reasons. In the first instance the esophagus is not able to adequately defend itself against the acid coming up from the stomach; secondly, there is too much acid in the stomach due to the food eaten so it must send it back up from where it came and thirdly, the food is not able to get down the esophagus quick enough and is pushed back up due to the acid pushing up from the stomach. Acid coming up from the stomach area is often called "reflux."

When acid from the stomach (or acid reflux) comes in contact with the esophageal lining, a feeling of burning and discomfort takes place in the chest and sometimes all the way up to the throat. In some cases the acid comes up and is able to reach the back portion of the mouth and when this happens it is referred to as "acid indigestion." In order to be diagnosed by a doctor with GERD you must suffer from heartburn on a regular basis. People who occasionally experience heartburn due to eating fatty or fried foods or drinking alcohol do not necessarily suffer from GERD. As a general guideline, if you find yourself suffering from the discomfort of heartburn more than twice throughout a week then a doctor will tell you that you have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

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