A strong burning sensation in the esophagus, giving heat to the throat, coming from the stomach - all these are typical companions of heartburn. Periodically, it appears in every second person, regardless of gender or age. Only four percent of people boast
the fact that heartburn occurs in them no more often than a couple of times a year. More than fifteen percent experience this problem weekly. So what are the causes of this disease and how to get rid of it?
Causes of discomfort
Why does heartburn affect the esophagus? The thing is that unpleasant sensations appear due to gastric juice that has fallen on the mucous membrane of the esophagus. Under normal conditions, the sphincter does not allow the gastric contents to leave the stomach. With violations of its work, the acid begins to corrode the esophagus. Heartburn develops . Symptoms may include loss of appetite and weight loss, dehydration, and the onset of internal bleeding in especially severe cases. Discomfort occurs, as a rule, after eating, especially overeating, eating poor-quality food, caffeine, alcohol, sour fruits. Sometimes heartburn provokes smoking or taking medications. In some patients, discomfort is associated with the period after surgery. A chronic condition can be associated with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: inflammation of the esophagus, gastritis,
esophageal hernia
, duodenal
disease .
Heartburn during pregnancy
The first months of pregnancy in many expectant mothers are associated with a certain discomfort. Among the diseases characteristic of pregnant women is heartburn. Symptoms develop due to an increase in intra-abdominal pressure during uterine enlargement, and also due to an increased amount of the hormone progesterone during pregnancy.
To alleviate your condition, you should change the diet. What to eat with heartburn? The diet should be balanced, pickled foods, caffeinated or carbonated drinks, vegetables and fruits that increase acidity are excluded from food. Some should limit cold or too hot food, do not eat fatty meat, boiled eggs and yeast bread. If there is no improvement, you should consult a doctor for a prescription antispasmodic.
Heartburn Treatment
The most famous remedy is water with soda. This is a very effective method, known for a long time, but use it
should be as rare as possible. Baking soda entering the stomach provokes increased production of carbon dioxide, which increases the pressure inside the stomach. Over time, this will cause heartburn again. The symptom of irritation of the esophagus is best removed with healing hydrocarbonate mineral water. Be sure to follow the diet: avoid excessively fatty, heavy meals, alcohol, acidic juices and fruits, cabbage or tomatoes. After consulting with your doctor, you can start taking special medications, such as Almagel or Rennie. Modern tablets help to bind hydrochloric acid in the stomach and protect the
mucous membrane from damage. In some cases, constant heartburn is a symptom of a nervous strain. In this case, a consultation with a psychotherapist will be required, aimed at resolving the stressful situation as soon as possible and stabilizing the patient’s mental state.