Why do heartburn and nausea occur and how to eliminate these unpleasant symptoms?

When a feeling of nausea appears and it is accompanied by heartburn, it makes you worry. The most common causes of heartburn and nausea are poor diet, stressful situations, and inappropriate lifestyle. The simultaneous occurrence of symptoms sometimes indicates a serious disease of the gastrointestinal tract or a pathology of the structure of the digestive organs. If heartburn occurs, which is accompanied by nausea and vomiting, it is better to immediately seek help from a doctor. Correcting the daily diet and timely treatment will cope with the symptoms and prevent the development of various pathologies.

What do simultaneous symptoms of nausea and heartburn indicate?

Nausea and heartburn are protective reactions that occur if the functioning of the digestive organs is disrupted. If the stomach contents are too acidic, there is most likely a problem with the acid production process. Failures occur due to poor nutrition, diseases, and other pathologies and conditions.

This is why a person feels sick during heartburn:

1. Wrong lifestyle. These include habits of eating on the go, chewing food poorly, and drinking carbonated drinks.
2. Diseases of the digestive system. These are gastritis, peptic ulcers of the stomach, duodenum, diseases of the liver, pancreas, infectious diseases, for example, rota and noroviruses, parasite infection, helicobacteriosis.
3. Malignant neoplasms.
4. Food poisoning.
5. Pathologies in the structure of the sphincters, which push food from the esophagus into the stomach or “dosage” the flow of gastric contents into the duodenum.
6. Certain conditions, such as pregnancy.

The cause of heartburn and nausea can only be determined by the attending physician. Therefore, you should not turn a blind eye to the symptoms. You cannot self-medicate.

Gastritis and other gastrointestinal diseases

Stomach acidity depends on the amount of hydrochloric acid that digests incoming food. If a person consumes stale, low-quality, “heavy” foods, the acid production process is disrupted. Too much hydrochloric acid is formed, which the stomach does not have time to neutralize. The acidic contents enter the duodenum or esophagus, aggressively affecting the mucous membranes. Characteristic signs of gastritis appear - heaviness in the abdomen, belching and burning in the esophagus.

Heartburn, which is accompanied by nausea and vomiting, indicates diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

For example, diseases of the stomach and duodenum provoke belching, a burning sensation in the esophagus, and pain in the abdominal area. Increased acidity of the stomach explains the appearance of ulcers on the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract.

Other signs of digestive organ dysfunction:

1. Heartburn to the point of vomiting indicates diseases of the digestive system: gastritis, ulcers, erosions of the duodenum. Symptoms occur after eating. They are preceded by a feeling of heaviness and burning in the stomach.
2. If nausea is accompanied by pain in the right hypochondrium, these are signs of cholecystitis. The person feels nauseous and experiences a burning sensation and pain while eating. In diseases of the gallbladder, vomiting of bile is observed.
3. With inflammation of the pancreas, a person notices flatulence and bloating. Attacks of nausea and vomiting that occur after eating do not provide relief.
4. Heartburn, nausea and vomiting of blood indicate bleeding due to ulcers, erosions, or malignant tumors.
5. Gastrointestinal problems can begin in pregnant women. In addition to nausea due to toxicosis, heartburn and constipation are added.

Many people think that pregnant women experience heartburn due to constipation, but in fact, these two symptoms are caused individually by an excess of progesterone in the pregnant woman’s body.

Problems with the vestibular system

Sometimes a person experiences attacks of nausea and dizziness, which are accompanied by heartburn. In this case, the problem may be in the vestibular apparatus. Nausea, heartburn, and dizziness may indicate damage to the cerebellum or inner ear. Vestibular disorders are accompanied by:

• twitching of the eye;
• imbalance;
• changes in pulse and respiratory rhythm;
• decreased body temperature;
• redness of the neck and face.

Nausea, heartburn and dizziness occur due to traumatic brain injury. When the functioning of the inner ear is impaired, hearing decreases. A person can be affected by so-called temporary deafness. Vision deteriorates. Dizziness can be aggravated by turning the head, changing body position, or even sneezing.

Thyroid diseases

The functioning of the digestive organs depends on the activity of the thyroid gland. If a person feels a burning sensation in the throat, constant nausea, and there are no other signs of digestive diseases, the cause may be an endocrine thyroid disease.

This is an internal secretion organ that produces hormones that control metabolism, growth processes, and calcium metabolism in the body. If thyroid function is slow, a person develops hypothyroidism. Metabolic processes slow down.

Other signs of thyroid pathology:

• weakness, which is accompanied by dizziness;
• feeling of discomfort (lump) in the throat;
• difficulty swallowing;
• swelling of the body;
• dry skin;
• hair loss.

The disease develops gradually. Therefore, signs indicating problems with the thyroid gland may not initially be associated with an endocrine disease.

Pregnancy

Pregnant women may feel nauseous all the time. Heartburn makes itself felt in the early and late stages of pregnancy.

Pregnant women may experience nausea and a burning sensation in the esophagus in the morning or evening. The attacks are aggravated if the woman tries to lie down because she feels bad. It is best for pregnant women to rest in a semi-sitting position.

During pregnancy, women may experience dizziness. An attack that occurs during heartburn is most likely not associated with a burning sensation. A pregnant woman may get motion sickness in transport. Then nausea and often vomiting are added to the dizziness. This indicates that the person has a very sensitive vestibular system.

Intestinal infections and food poisoning

Heartburn and diarrhea at the same time are signs of an infectious disease or food poisoning. First there is heaviness in the stomach, nausea, and stomach pain. The person feels the urge to vomit. Vomiting brings relief because the stomach is cleared of stagnant junk food.

Diagnostics

A person who notices unpleasant symptoms needs to consult a gastroenterologist. The doctor will ask you to answer the following questions:

• How long ago did heartburn start?
• how long the attacks last (on average);
• what symptoms accompany heartburn;
• Is there vomiting?

It also matters what a person eats, whether he smokes, often drinks alcohol, and what medications he takes. The doctor will ask how heartburn attacks are related to food intake.

A gastroenterologist may prescribe the following studies:

• intraesophageal manometry to measure pressure in the esophagus;
• gastroscopy to find out the causes of heartburn, difficulty swallowing, nausea, vomiting;
• biopsy if there is a suspicion of cancer;
• ultrasonography;
• a general blood test that will show the presence of an inflammatory process;
• stool examination, or coprogram, which will determine whether a person is infected with parasites.

The doctor will review the results of the study, discuss the treatment plan with the patient, prescribe the necessary medications, and advise how to adjust the diet.

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How to get rid of symptoms using pharmaceutical and folk remedies

Since heartburn is accompanied by nausea, not all folk remedies are suitable for combating symptoms. For example, warm milk is contraindicated during intestinal infections, rotavirus. If a person is feeling nauseous, it is better to refuse freshly squeezed potato juice.

Safe remedies that help with unpleasant symptoms:

• herbal teas and decoctions, chamomile and lemon balm leaves;
• lightly carbonated mineral water.

They have a beneficial effect on the gastric mucosa. Sufficient fluid intake prevents dehydration and supports the body during infectious diseases and poisoning.

You cannot self-medicate. If a strict diet does not help, or there is no noticeable improvement in health, the person should consult a doctor as soon as possible.

If nausea is accompanied by vomiting, it is better to drink in small sips and little by little so that the liquid has time to be absorbed by the gastric mucosa.

Other medications that help with discomfort:

1. Antacid-based products that coat the gastric mucosa and neutralize the aggressive effects of hydrochloric acid.
2. Enzymes that are involved in the digestion of food.
3. Medicines that reduce gastric acidity.

A doctor must prescribe medications. You can take the pills for a limited time. Medicines that relieve attacks of heartburn and nausea remove the symptom, but do not treat the underlying disease. If a person has a heart attack, they will not help at all. If symptoms occur, it is better to seek medical help.

What not to do

If a person notices the appearance of heartburn and nausea, most likely he will think that he ate a stale product. Indeed, symptoms may indicate food poisoning or intestinal infections. In such cases, nausea is often accompanied by vomiting.

Trying to rinse the stomach, extinguish heartburn with folk remedies, such as soda, milk, or make compresses, is impossible, because they will not give an effect, but will aggravate the situation.

The doctor will examine the person seeking help and prescribe treatment according to the diagnosis. Self-medication is useless and dangerous, because heartburn, nausea, and vomiting are symptoms that indicate a certain pathology.

Causes

Most often, nausea and heartburn occur due to pathologies of the digestive system. But you can encounter cases where these symptoms develop due to poor nutrition and lifestyle.

Poor nutrition and lifestyle

The causes of unpleasant symptoms that are not related to gastrointestinal diseases are:

1. Incorrect body position while eating . The horizontal position of the body while eating provokes regurgitation of hydrochloric acid and gases into the esophagus, which causes heartburn, nausea, and belching. To prevent these symptoms, it is recommended only while sitting at a table.
2. Excessive eating . Overeating leads to excessive production of gastric secretions, which are thrown into the esophagus; Large amounts of fatty foods put stress on the gallbladder. The described processes lead to the appearance of symptoms such as nausea and heartburn.
3. Tobacco smoking . Nicotine and the carcinogens it contains irritate the mucous layer of the stomach and esophagus and lead to signs of dyspepsia.
4. Traveling in transport . Motion sickness in the car is also accompanied by dyspeptic symptoms. This problem arises due to improper functioning of the vestibular apparatus, which develops for many reasons.

Diseases of the digestive and other systems

In most cases, dyspeptic symptoms occur due to diseases of the digestive system. Among them are:

• gastritis in acute and chronic form;
• acute pancreatitis;
• peptic ulcer of the duodenum or stomach;
• cholecystitis, cholelithiasis;
• hypomotor dyskinesia of the gallbladder;
• acute appendicitis;
• duodenitis;
• food poisoning.

In addition to pathologies affecting the abdominal organs, the following diseases are causes of nausea and heartburn:

• psychosomatic disorders due to emotional overload, constant stressful situations;
• pathologies of the circulatory system - crisis in hypertension;
• hypothyroidism;
• urolithiasis disease;
• diabetes.

In addition, nausea and heartburn can occur in pregnant women. The growing fetus puts pressure on the abdominal organs, causing dyspeptic symptoms.

Possible complications

As such, there can be no complications with vomiting and heartburn, since these are symptoms of disturbances in the normal functioning of internal organs. Constant irritation of the walls of the stomach and esophagus can lead to atrophy of the mucous layer of the gastric wall, which can lead to the occurrence of ulcers and erosions. Discomfort can also provoke spasm of the esophagus, and with constant exposure to gastric juice, the likelihood of developing malignant damage to the organ increases.

With constant exposure to gastric juice, the likelihood of developing malignant lesions of the esophagus increases

Diseases

The clinical picture of diseases and conditions with dyspeptic symptoms will be presented in the table.

Treatment

Treatment of dyspeptic symptoms consists of eliminating the underlying disease. Treatment of nausea and heartburn involves diet, medications, and traditional medicine.

Diet and lifestyle

Diet therapy is an important aspect of the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. To eliminate heartburn with nausea, it is recommended to adhere to the following rules:

• It is necessary to eat food at a measured pace, chewing thoroughly;
• you need to eat small portions 5-6 times a day;
• to prevent heartburn, it is recommended to avoid spicy, fried foods, spices and seasonings;
• To prevent nausea, you need to exclude fatty foods from your diet and stop playing sports immediately after eating;
• eat foods in crushed form - purees, soufflés, pureed soups and cereals;
• include foods containing plant fiber in your diet - this will help activate intestinal motility and eliminate nausea.

Nutritional recommendations can also be used to prevent the occurrence of dyspeptic symptoms.

Maintaining an active lifestyle is of great importance in the treatment of digestive disorders. It is recommended to do daily morning exercises, exercise, swimming, running. After eating, it is important not to move horizontally and to succumb to sleep. It is advisable to sleep on a high pillow.

Medicines

Medicines used in the treatment of dyspeptic symptoms are the following groups of drugs:

• Antacids - used “on demand”, that is, when symptoms of heartburn occur: “Gaviscon”, “Relzer”, “Taltsid”, “Almagel”.
• Proton pump inhibitors - block the production of hydrochloric acid, eliminating the symptoms of heartburn: Omez, Pariet, Zulbex, Ultera.
• Prokinetics - activate peristalsis of the digestive tract, eliminating nausea: Metoclopramide, Cerucal, Reglan, Motilium.
• Sedatives - used for heartburn and nausea that occur due to disruptions in the functioning of the nervous system: “Persen”, “Glycine”, “Novo-passit”, “Tenoten”.
• Antibacterial drugs - prescribed for intestinal infections or cases of detection of Helicobacter pylori in the digestive tract: Flemoxin Solutab, Klacin, Tsiprolet, Levolet R.

Before self-prescribing a particular medicinal substance, it is recommended to consult a specialist..

Folk remedies

Nausea and heartburn are quite effectively eliminated using traditional medicine methods. Basic recipes used to treat these dyspeptic manifestations:

• Infusion of medicinal herbs . Ingredients: mint leaves, linden flowers, fennel and flax seeds. Preparation: mix the crushed parts of plants in equal proportions, pour 5 g of the resulting mixture into 250 ml of hot water. Application: consume a quarter glass 2 times a day.
• Infusion of rowan and calamus . Ingredients: rowan fruits, calamus root. Preparation: chop the plants and mix in a 1:1 ratio; Pour 15 g of the mixture into 500 ml of hot water.

Preventive actions

To avoid the release of stomach acid into the esophagus, it is necessary to follow the rules of prevention. These methods will help prevent the recurrence of heartburn:

• regular testing, visiting a specialist for timely detection of possible internal diseases of the digestive system;
• washing hands after every meal;
• following the rules of proper nutrition:
• no dry food, snacking, overeating, or fasting;
• fractional food consumption;
• refusal to eat before bedtime;
• complete rest;
• avoiding stress.

Following basic rules will not only avoid the appearance of a burning sensation, but also prevent serious health problems.

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Diseases

The causes of heartburn and nausea are often diseases localized in the digestive tract.

In this case, these signs will accompany the person for a long time and appear after the next meal.

Diseases that cause nausea and heartburn:

• Gastritis causes these symptoms, especially if it has become chronic. In this case, the acidity in the stomach is increased, and when, due to some factors, the contents of the stomach rise into the esophagus, a burning sensation appears. Gastritis also causes stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea. Vomiting does not bring relief.
• Peptic ulcer localized in the stomach or duodenum.
• Exacerbation of the inflammatory process in the gallbladder (cholecystitis) can provoke discomfort in the stomach, heartburn and pain in the right hypochondrium.
• GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) provokes the reflux of food that is in the stomach into the esophagus. Therefore, its main symptoms are attacks of nausea and burning.

• Obesity as a separate diagnosis. In this case, pressure occurs on the stomach due to massive accumulations of fatty tissue. This condition provokes the reflux of food from the stomach into the esophagus.
• A diaphragmatic hernia can cause these symptoms, but it is typical that it occurs only after bending over and assuming a horizontal position of the body. When a person is standing, these symptoms usually do not occur.
• Infection in the body additionally causes fever, nausea with heartburn, and after vomiting it does not get better.

Such symptoms are not always caused by a disease of the gastrointestinal tract. In women, such symptoms often occur during pregnancy. The reason for this is the hormone progesterone, that is, its excessive activity.

As a result, the sphincter located between the stomach and esophagus relaxes. Toxicosis during pregnancy causes discomfort in the stomach followed by vomiting. In this case, heartburn often occurs to the point of vomiting.

Additional Information! Nausea and heartburn may occur with angina. But it is not heartburn that occurs, but a specific discomfort that patients often confuse with it.

Prevention

The basis is lifestyle correction. For example, physical inactivity is extremely harmful to intestinal function. When leading a passive lifestyle, the digestive tract becomes lazy, and flatulence appears at the slightest rough influence of food. Therefore, it is important to do something every day. If you don’t want to do fitness, you can walk to the store and back, to work and home. An hour or two of walking will not only prolong life, but also speed up metabolic processes in the body, including affecting intestinal function.

Fermented milk products have a good effect on all digestive organs. You just need to be careful when consuming kefir. One-day kefir is wonderful for the body. It helps the pancreas work well and improves intestinal motility. Older kefir, on the contrary, causes gas formation, constipation and harms the body.

Causes

Causal factors for the manifestation of such unpleasant symptoms as attacks of nausea and heartburn can also be conditions that are not related to diseases.

Often this is an incorrect lifestyle, eating fatty foods in large quantities. When you overeat, the stomach stretches, and this entails more acid being released. Sleeping after eating can also cause discomfort as the food needs to be digested.

Increased intra-abdominal pressure is another common cause of discomfort. This condition occurs due to various factors - pregnancy, carrying heavy objects, tight belts in clothes.

Eating certain foods frequently and in large quantities causes increased acidity in the stomach. These include:

• drinks – coffee, tea, sweet carbonated drinks, sour juices, alcohol;
• citrus fruit;
• chocolate;
• fatty, spicy dishes;
• tomatoes;
• yeast dough.

People who frequently take Aspirin, Ibuprofen and other drugs of this type may experience heartburn attacks, as they contribute to an increase in the amount of stomach acid and its reflux into the esophagus.

Additional Information! An important factor is nervous disorders and regular stress. Such reasons can cause various discomforts, which people often associate with serious illnesses.