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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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