Understanding How Heartburn Occurs

Heartburn, also known as pyrosis, is a burning or painful sensation in a person's esophagus caused by the regurgitation of gastric acid. Since the esophagus is located just below the breastbone, many people mistake heartburn from a heart attack. However, when heartburn occurs, the pain rises in the chest and then radiates to the throat, neck or jaw.

Contrary to popular belief, this condition has nothing to do with the heart. It is just called as so because of the pain or burning sensation near the heart. However, some heart diseases have similar symptoms to heartburn. This condition is also identified as chronic cough and could sometimes mimics the symptoms of asthma.

Stress-related conditions could cause heartburn. Some foods can give a burning sensation in the esophagus, such as chocolate, caffeinated drinks, alcoholic beverages, red wine, carbonated drinks, citrus fruits, tomatoes, peppermint, spicy foods, peanuts or other dry foods and fatty foods.

Treatments Of Heartburn

Pyrosis usually attacks people when lying down. When this happens, you should raise your head with pillows to relieve the pain. You can also avoid any strains on the neck and refrain from eating foods before bedtime to prevent possible attacks.

If preventive measures did not treat your heartburn attacks, doctors can provide you with medications depending on your condition. Antacids, proton pump inhibitors and h2-receptor antagonists are commonly used to relieve symptoms. Antacids and other acid-blocking medication are the most effective treatment for over 25% of people with mild forms of this condition.

When heartburn occurs and you have no medicine available, you can drink a large glass of water. Some doctors suggest water to dilute the low levels of acid in the stomach, which could allow the pain to subside temporarily.

When antacids and other acid blockers do not work, proton pump inhibitors can be an effective alternative to treat heartburn. These inhibitors work by directly blocking the production of acid in your stomach cells and providing instant relief. Once the inhibitors reach your stomach, it disables the "protein proton pumps", which controls the stomach pH levels.

H2-receptor antagonists work by decreasing the acid production of "parietal cells" in the stomach. However, with the popularity of proton pump inhibitors, these h2-receptor antagonists are rarely used.

For those who wish to avoid medicine and look for natural alternatives, you can simply change your eating habits, refrain from fatty foods and avoid some foods that may cause heartburn. Be aware that over 90% of people who experience heartburn are caused by specific foods.

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