Don’t Know What to do About Heartburn? Answer these 3 Questions
Heartburn is a common symptom of acid reflux that we will all experience at least once in our lifetime. For some of us, acid reflux is a part of our daily lives or happens frequently enough to prompt us to find out what to do about heartburn.
Whether you have heartburn only occasionally or find that you are constantly chewing antacids to battle the burn, there are many ways to treat and prevent heartburn. Before deciding what to about heartburn it is important to understand the mechanics of acid reflux – the condition that causes us to feel heartburn in the first place.
Acid reflux occurs when the secretions in the stomach that help us digest food (acid) are able to make their way from the stomach and into the throat (reflux).
Normally, a muscle known as the LES (lower esophageal sphincter) that is located right where the stomach and esophagus meet prevents this from happening. The LES remains closed until we swallow food or drink when it opens only briefly to allow the contents into the stomach.
The LES relaxes several times a day on its own and if it relaxes at a time when the production of stomach acids are high, like after eating an orange fruit, acid reflux may occur. Also, certain conditions can cause the LES to be relaxed more often or prevent it from closing completely including pregnancy, hiatal hernia, and esophagitis.
In any event, what you choose to do about heartburn should be based on a few factors that may make your treatment more effective.
1. How often do you feel heartburn?
Occasionally: If you only experience heartburn occasionally, but it seems to be severe when it does happen you may have the most success with antacids. Also, consider the foods that you have eaten. Figuring out that your problem is lined to a certain food you only eat occasionally makes it easy to figure out what to do about heartburn. (See trigger foods below.)
Frequently: If you find that you have heartburn frequently, you may be suffering from a condition known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD can be severe in some cases and a visit to the doctor for prescription medication may be necessary. However, the majority of people that experience frequent heartburn find that making simple changes to their diet is most effective. If you have tried this already and still don’t know what to do about heartburn that keeps occurring, there may be another reason for your heartburn symptoms.
2. When do you usually experience heartburn?
Heartburn can be more likely to occur under certain conditions. You can figure out what to do about heartburn if any of these apply to you by changing your habits. Remember, it’s often about trial and error. If a prevention method doesn’t work, your heartburn may be caused by something else.
Heartburn when lying down – this can happen for purely physical reasons. If you just finished eating, you can bet that your stomach is producing acids to digest the food. If you lie down while that is happening then gravity alone can allow the acids into the esophagus. To make matters worse, your organs shift slightly when you are lying down which can increase pressure in the stomach. Gastric pressure forces the LES open. What to do about heartburn in this case is simple: remain upright after eating to allow time for digestion. If you fancy a nap after eating like many of us do, try to nap in a recliner or with your upper body propped up.
Heartburn after eating – barring any medical condition such as GERD and any medications that may carry heartburn as a side-effect you may experience heartburn after every meal by overeating and wearing tight clothing. Both of these circumstances (and pregnancy) cause increased gastric pressure that can force the LES open or force acids into the throat. What to do about heartburn caused by gastric pressure? Simply loosening your clothing and eating smaller meals, even if more frequently, can help to alleviate your symptoms.
Heartburn before eating or on an empty stomach – the stomach is always producing fluids to digest food. If you experience heartburn without eating anything it may be because of a concentration of acids and a relaxed LES. Because there is no food to dilute the acid, even the smallest amount of reflux on an empty stomach can be painful. What to do about heartburn for this reason is probably obvious: eat something and make sure it’s not one of your trigger foods. If you find that this happens a lot when you have an empty stomach, try to eat small meals or snacks throughout the day.
3. Do you eat a lot of well-known trigger foods?
Trigger foods are those which cause acid reflux. The most common offending foods are citrus fruits, fatty foods (including whole milk dairy products), spicy foods (heavily seasoned), and caffeine or carbonated drinks. Carbonated drinks increase gastric pressure, as well.
Acid reflux can also occur when we have consumed something that causes the LES to relax. Foods like chocolate and drinks containing alcohol can cause the LES to become relaxed and lead to acid reflux.
What to do About Heartburn that is Severe
It is reasonable to seek assistance with daily heartburn because of the discomfort is causes. It is important to treat heartburn for medical reasons too, however. Over time, heartburn can cause significant damage to your esophagus and leads to even more heartburn and even throat cancer in some cases. Though it is an uncomfortable symptom of acid reflux, heartburn is not as harmful if it only occurs occasionally.