The pain can feel sharp, burning, or like a tightening sensation. Heartburn is quite common. It is estimated that more than 60 million Americans experience heartburn at least once a month.
You may be able to manage your heartburn by:. Mild, infrequent heartburn can also be treated with medications like antacids. If you take antacids more than several times a week a doctor should evaluate you. Your heartburn may be a symptom of a more severe problem like acid reflux or GERD. A circular muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter LES joins your esophagus and stomach. This muscle is in charge of tightening your esophagus after food passes to the stomach.
This is known as acid reflux. GERD is the chronic form of acid reflux. Long-term damage of the esophagus can lead to cancer. Most people can experience heartburn and acid reflux intermittently related to something they ate or habits like lying down immediately after eating. Examples of the causes of GERD include:. Symptoms of GERD may disrupt your daily life. Fortunately, they can usually be controlled with treatment. Options include:. Medications for GERD work to reduce the amount of acid in the stomach.
They may not be effective for everyone. Some people need surgery to help reinforce the LES. From babies to teenagers, children of all ages can experience GERD. About one-fourth of all children and teenagers experience symptoms of GERD. The condition is especially common in infants because their stomachs are much smaller and less able to tolerate being full. As a result, stomach contents can easily come back up. About 70 to 85 percent of infants have regurgitation the first two months of life.
Typically, 95 percent will outgrow the symptoms by the time they reach 1 year of age. Children with developmental and neurological conditions, such as cerebral palsy, may experience reflux and GERD for longer time periods. Untreated symptoms can cause permanent esophagus damage. Pregnant women usually experience GERD symptoms around the first trimester. It then worsens in the last trimester.
The good news is that when your baby is born, your symptoms usually go away. Pregnancy can increase levels of the hormone progesterone, which can cause the muscles of the lower esophagus to relax. This makes it more likely that acid will reflux. Symptoms include pain that gets worse after a meal and acid regurgitation.
Doctors usually avoid prescribing too many medications while a woman is pregnant because the medicine can be passed along to the fetus. Instead, doctors usually recommend making lifestyle changes, such as avoiding foods known to cause acid reflux and sleeping with the head slightly elevated.
Taking antacids that contain magnesium, aluminum, and calcium may be permitted. In addition to antacids, common heartburn medications that are typically considered safe in pregnancy include famotidine Pepcid. For more severe cases, other medications known as proton pump inhibitors like lansoprazole Prevacid can often be used. Always check with your doctor before taking any over-the-counter medications during pregnancy.
While triggers can be very personal, there are a few foods that are routinely cited as more triggering than others. They include:.
According to research from , anxiety and heartburn can be connected. When one increases in severity, the other might as well. If you suspect that anxiety is making your symptoms worse, consider talking to your doctor about strategies to relieve it. Pregnancy can increase your chances of experiencing acid reflux. If you had GERD before getting pregnant, your symptoms might get worse.
Hormonal changes during pregnancy can cause the muscles in your esophagus to relax more frequently. A growing fetus can also place pressure on your stomach. This can increase the risk of stomach acid entering your esophagus. Many medications that are used to treat acid reflux are safe to take during pregnancy.
But in some cases, your doctor might advise you to avoid certain antacids or other treatments. Asthma and GERD often occur together. Additionally, asthma and some asthma medications might increase your risk of experiencing GERD.
Learn about the link between asthma and GERD, and how you can effectively manage them. Irritable bowel syndrome IBS is a condition that can affect your large intestine. Common symptoms include:. They might recommend changes to your diet, medications, or other treatments. But if your baby is spitting up food or vomiting frequently , they might have GERD. If you suspect your baby might have GERD or another health condition, make an appointment with their doctor.
But in rare cases, it can lead to serious or even life-threatening health problems. Treating these occasional occurrences with OTC antiacids and some lifestyle changes, like waiting a few hours to lie down after eating, can usually create relief.
OTC medication, prescription meds, and even surgery are all options, depending on where you are with the condition. Talk with your doctor if you believe you may have symptoms of GERD. Heartburn is uncomfortable, producing a burning sensation in the chest and throat.
It can also occur at inconvenient times, like when dining out with…. Heartburn is a burning sensation in your chest that often occurs with a bitter taste in your throat or mouth. The symptoms of heartburn may get worse…. Heartburn is a symptom of acid reflux, and diet plays an important role. These 11 foods can all cause heartburn. There is concern that coffee and tea can cause heartburn and aggravate acid reflux.
Back to Health A to Z. Heartburn is a burning feeling in the chest caused by stomach acid travelling up towards the throat acid reflux. If it keeps happening, it's called gastro-oesophageal reflux disease GORD.
Your symptoms will probably be worse after eating, when lying down and when bending over. Lots of people get heartburn from time to time. There's often no obvious reason why. They can recommend medicines called antacids that can help ease your symptoms.
It's best to take these with food or soon after eating, as this is when you're most likely to get heartburn.
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