It’s a common feeling for many people. Just behind their breastbone, a rising burning pain that seems to arrive regularly after eating or at night. Most people know that they are suffering from heartburn. Due to the common nature of heartburn, there are plenty of treatments designed to help sufferers handle it.
In most cases, heartburn is not a serious issue. Almost everyone will experience some level of heartburn at some point in their life. Even if it occurs multiple times, there are ways to manage it through some changes to a person’s lifestyle or by some simple over the counter medications. Heartburn is more serious when it becomes chronic. This may require medical care or could even be the sign that something far worse is affecting the body and causing heartburn.
What Causes Heartburn?
Quite simply, heartburn occurs when acid that is supposed to remain in the stomach ends up pushing back up the esophagus. The issue is typically with the lower esophageal sphincter. This is a small band of muscle located at the bottom of the esophagus where it meets the stomach. This is responsible for keeping the gap closed when there isn’t food or liquid coming down the esophagus. Unfortunately, if his sphincter relaxes or becomes weak, then the stomach acid will track back up the esophagus and cause that painful heartburn feeling. This process is known as acid reflux and the term is often used interchangeably with heartburn.
A person’s diet can play a big role in heartburn. This is because many foods that are consumed will trigger a reaction with the stomach acid. These items will be covered later. Food isn’t the only issue. People who are overweight or who have become pregnant often find themselves experiencing heartburn more than they would otherwise.
Food to Avoid
Since food that’s consumed is one of the main issues when it comes to heartburn, there are several things that should be kept to a minimum. When it comes to groups of foods, spicy items are well known to cause issues with heartburn. What’s “spicy” is different for everyone, but if it makes you sweat, it might cause heartburn. Lesser known, citrus fruits and products should be avoided. These are acidic foods which can increase how stomach acid is reacting. Fatty foods full of deep fried items can cause serious issues with heartburn. The same can be said for some other foods with high acidity like onions, tomatoes and ketchup.
There’s plenty of desert items that can cause heartburn as well. Chocolate is a definite trigger for many people. Also, peppermint and peppermint flavor can be enough to cause some others to
Tips to Keep Heartburn In Check
With the link to heartburn and food being so obvious, the first requirement to keep heartburn in check is to ensure a change in diet. Simply avoiding the foods listed above, or keeping them in moderation will make a big difference in the amount of heartburn people feel.
Getting regular exercise can be of assistance too. Obesity can be an issue and exacerbate the pain of heartburn. Getting to a healthy weight and maintaining it is of great benefit to heartburn and really to general health.
Finally, when and how you eat can make a big difference. People who eat large meals are more likely to deal with painful heartburn. The same is true of eating meals late at night closer to sleep. It’s also important to avoid laying down after meals for several hours if you are prone to heartburn. That positioning can make it much easier for stomach acid to make its way back up the esophagus.