Heartburn causes and treatment, how to avoid dangerous complications

Probably every person at least once in his life has experienced a burning sensation, as if rising from the lower part of the chest or stomach up to the neck. Many people do not know how to correctly characterize and name this condition, but the answer is simple: it is heartburn.

According to various studies, it occurs regularly (1-3 times a week or more often) in 9-23% of adult Russians. This is a lot.

Sometimes heartburn is an almost random phenomenon, a consequence of overeating or some other extraneous factors. But in some cases it is a symptom of quite serious diseases.

That is why it is important to know what diseases can occur with heartburn, what symptoms accompany it, as well as the principles of diagnosis and treatment of this pathology. You will find answers to all these questions in our article.

What is heartburn, causes and treatment?

We are accustomed to not attaching much importance if we are visited by heartburn, the causes of its occurrence, and treatment in general is of the last interest to many. But in vain, this is a fairly common and very serious problem caused by acid reflux. She is always annoying and brings a lot of inconvenience.

The condition is associated with the release of part of the stomach contents back into the esophagus. This creates a burning sensation in the center of the stomach, just behind the breastbone. And is caused by stomach acid. Burning discomfort may reach the throat.

If acid reflux occurs frequently and lasts a long time, then this is an alarming sign and you should immediately contact a gastroenterologist. Or see your therapist. Please note that:

What does acid reflux look like and its causes?

The entrance to the stomach is closed by a valve represented by a ring of muscles. It is called the lower esophageal sphincter. Typically, when you swallow food, a group of muscles around the lower part of the esophagus relaxes. Food and liquid flow freely into the stomach.

Then the muscle ring closes again. Normally, it closes immediately after food has passed. If the closure is incomplete or opens frequently, stomach acid enters the esophagus.

When food is in the stomach, increased production of hydrochloric acid begins. She, in turn, is involved in the digestion of food. At the same time, the acid does not harm the gastric mucosa, since it is well protected from its influence. But with acid reflux into the esophagus, its mucous membrane is defenseless. And hydrochloric acid causes irritation of the esophageal lining.

Thus, the immediate and main cause of heartburn is a weakening of the lower esophageal sphincter. In addition, the high content of hydrochloric acid in gastric juice is not the least important.

Listen to what Dr. Myasnikov says about the causes of heartburn:

Factors contributing to heartburn

In this part we will talk about harmful factors that increase the risk of reflux. There are several of them that can lead to an acidic burning sensation and worsen the condition:

• diet, or rather the lack thereof - overeating, eating on the go, lack of regularity
• quality of food – fatty, spicy, fried foods. More baked goods, some carbonated and sour drinks, coffee, tea
• certain medications – antihypertensives, ibuprofen, aspirin
• unhealthy lifestyle – smoking, alcohol, stress, lack of exercise
• a feeling of heartburn in the throat can be caused by pregnancy, gastric hernia
• external reasons - tight clothing, especially belts; lifting weights
• eating before bed and the habit of lying down immediately after eating
• incorrect posture during and after eating

What else causes heartburn? Other causes include diet, being overweight or obese, and lack of reasonable exercise.

Risk factors

Smoking significantly increases the likelihood of developing heartburn.

The following factors contribute to the occurrence of heartburn:

• overeating, abuse of spicy, sour, smoked, fried foods;
• smoking;
• alcohol consumption;
• taking a number of medications (some antibiotics, theophylline, nitrates and others);
• bending, physical activity, or lying down immediately after eating;
• wearing clothes that are tight around the torso;
• psycho-emotional stress;
• excess body weight;
• pregnancy.

Symptoms and signs

Why does a person have a burning sensation, what are the symptoms? These are the most common questions that patients ask their doctor. The main primary symptom of heartburn is a burning pain in the stomach or behind the breastbone in the epigastric region, occurring immediately after eating or at night. Symptoms can last from a few minutes to many hours. In addition, you may experience:

• pain that gets worse when lying down or bending over, it can get worse and reach the jaw
• sour or bitter taste in the mouth, or in the back of the throat

In addition, burning discomfort may be accompanied by regurgitation of food, bouts of hiccups, coughing and hoarseness in the voice. And sometimes, there is a feeling that food is stuck in the throat. Symptoms appear more pronounced when eating heavy food, or when bending over, as well as when lying on your back.

Possible complications

If the cardinal sphincter, which is responsible for preventing stomach juice from entering the esophagus, does not work properly, access to the latter opens for acid to penetrate. As a rule, this can occur as a result of impaired functioning of the stomach, esophagus and other organs of the gastrointestinal tract. With prolonged heartburn, serious damage to the esophagus (burning of the mucous membrane) can occur. This can lead to internal bleeding, sudden fluctuations in weight, or dehydration of the patient.

It is worth noting that stomach acid can provoke the development of inflammatory processes, due to which ulcers and erosions appear on the walls of the esophagus . In rare cases, if severe attacks of heartburn are not treated, there is a possibility of rupture of the walls of the esophagus. This is a very dangerous condition not only for the patient’s health, but also for his life.

After the ulcers have healed, scars remain in their place, which significantly narrow the esophagus. This decrease makes it difficult to swallow food (a person constantly feels a lump in the throat). In this condition, doctors strongly recommend complex surgery, which significantly increases the risk of developing cancer (esophageal cancer).

Treatment for heartburn

Treatment for acid reflux consists of several stages. And it usually starts with home remedies. Firstly, this is a change in lifestyle. Secondly, these are medications that can be purchased at the pharmacy, both with and without a prescription. And third, if the symptom persists, in rare cases, surgery may be necessary to treat severe and chronic heartburn.

Heartburn pills

Currently, there are a lot of tablet drugs available. Any gastroenterologist will easily select the one most suitable for you. They are divided into three main categories:

1. antacids - drugs that neutralize stomach acid, for example Maalox , Milanta, Rennie, Gastal. They neutralize the acid, thereby achieving quick relief and avoiding harmful consequences. As K. Schwartz said: “No acid, no heartburn.” This is a good option for rare heartburn and mild symptoms. But, it is important to remember that this group of drugs does not treat existing damage and does not relieve future attacks
2. H2 blockers – Ranitidine, Famotidine, Pepcid – means that reduce acid production. The therapeutic effect from them lasts longer than from antacids, but it takes longer for them to begin to act
3. drugs that block acid production - Omeprozole, Lansoprazole - they can heal a diseased esophagus

Many of these drugs are more effective when used together. Due to the difference in their mechanism of action. If you are taking any of these medications, be sure to tell your doctor about it. This is very important to avoid unwanted interactions with other medications.

Treatment at home and folk remedies

First of all, you should pay attention to nutrition and diet. Herbal treatment can be used as an aid. Here are some recipes for stomach pain and heartburn symptoms:

1. oat broth - wash oats with peel, dry, chop, 1 tbsp. pour 1.5 cups of boiling water over the powder. Leave for 5 hours, strain. Drink 25 ml before meals
2. infusion of dry seeds of dill, anise and fennel, taken in equal parts, take 5-10 ml before meals and during an attack
3. freshly squeezed potato juice - drink half a glass of juice before meals, up to 5 times a day

There are many recipes for infusions and decoctions, everyone can choose the right one for themselves. But we must remember that they will not replace a visit to the doctors and basic treatment .

Surgical methods of therapy

Laparoscopic techniques are available for surgical treatment. They are aimed at strengthening the muscle ring - the esophageal sphincter. And they resort to it only if lifestyle changes and medications have not helped.

General treatment recommendations

If you often experience symptoms of heartburn, be sure to make an appointment with a doctor and undergo examinations:

• FGDS;
• Ultrasound of the abdominal organs.

If necessary, the doctor will additionally prescribe tests, for example, you will need to check whether the liver, gallbladder, intestines, and pancreas are functioning correctly.

After treatment of the underlying disease, heartburn will go away.

While examinations are ongoing and the patient is undergoing treatment, he is prescribed antacids to alleviate the condition, that is, drugs that help reduce the production of hydrochloric acid.

Gastroenterologists and therapists use drugs from the group of proton pump inhibitors - drugs that act quickly and reliably, for example, Omeprazole or Lansoprazole.

If the attacks are mild and infrequent, and there are no concomitant diseases, then you can do without medications by adjusting your diet and eliminating the factors that cause heartburn.

Frequent heartburn and lifestyle changes

To get rid of unpleasant symptoms and avoid even more dangerous complications, you need to completely change your lifestyle.

Firstly, if you are obese, you need to bring your weight back to normal. To do this, you need to avoid overeating. Portions should be small and you should eat slowly. It is advisable to take food at the same time. Avoid long pauses between meals. Avoid harmful foods and drinks. After eating, avoid physical activity for 15-20 minutes. Go to bed no earlier than 2-3 hours after eating.

Secondly, be sure to give up bad habits. Don't drink alcohol, forget about smoking. It is very harmful to stay awake at night, it is important to sleep at least 7-8 hours and get a good night's sleep - a note to night snipers.

Thirdly, pay attention to your clothes. It should not be tight, especially at the waist. Do not wear corsets, belts or tight belts. Especially during and after meals.

And, fourthly, both a sedentary lifestyle (take up Nordic walking with poles) and excessive force overload are dangerous. And try to avoid nervous breakdowns and stress.

Prevention

To prevent the development of heartburn, you should, first of all, pay attention to your diet, improve it by eliminating provoking foods from the diet, eliminating smoking and drinking alcohol, as well as the effects on the body of other provoking factors listed above. If problems arise with the digestive organs, it is important to seek help from a general practitioner or gastroenterologist, since refusal of consultation or self-medication threatens to aggravate the problem and develop serious complications. Be attentive to your health and the health of your loved ones!

About heartburn in the program “Live Healthy!” with Elena Malysheva:

Diet, what foods and drinks provoke heartburn - list, observation diary

Usually, everyone has their own list of foods that cause painful burning. But there are also common ones, here is a list of them:

1. citrus fruit
2. spicy foods, spices
3. fatty and fried foods
4. tomatoes, and everything where they are present, for example, ketchup
5. products with mint, onion
6. chocolate
7. drinks – carbonated, alcoholic, caffeinated
8. smoked food

This is not a complete list of products. Everyone discovers the rest for themselves. You can find out which foods can cause an unpleasant symptom using a weekly observation diary.

By keeping a diary of everything about the type of food, time, symptoms after eating, you can find out which foods exactly you need to avoid.

First aid for heartburn

How to quickly get rid of an unpleasant symptom? There is an opinion among people that if you take soda, the attack will quickly pass. It is strictly not recommended to do this. Why? Because the Stone Age. Baking soda will certainly relieve the condition, but the effect will be short-lived. The symptom will return within a few minutes. As a result, upon completion of the reaction, acid will be formed even more intensely and this will only aggravate the burning sensation. And will contribute to damage to the esophageal mucosa.

You should know that such remedies as antacids have long been invented. For example, Maalox, Gastal, Almagel, Rennie. They are great for first aid. And they will quickly relieve unpleasant symptoms. In addition, they promote the formation of a protective film on the surface of the esophagus, thereby protecting it from damage.

But do not forget, long-term use of antacids masks the symptoms of more serious diseases.

If these drugs are not available, and the burning pain bothers you, then take up to 4 tablets of activated carbon or smecta. They will absorb most of the acid and remove it from the body. This will make the situation easier. They can be taken once.

Well, if you really don’t have anything at hand, then you can just drink a glass of water. It will dilute stomach acid and reduce its harmful effect on the mucous membranes.

When to see a doctor

Remember that all the means and methods listed above are suitable as first aid. But this should not become a habit. You should seek help if:

• experience the symptom more than 2 times per week
• the symptom does not disappear after using medications
• experience constant nausea and vomiting
• having trouble swallowing or belching
• having difficulty eating and unexplained weight loss

Heartburn syndrome is a fairly common complaint among patients. It can easily be confused with other pathologies associated with chest pain. It could be:

• pulmonary embolism
• pneumonia
• very often heartburn pain can be falsely mistaken for a heart attack

Therefore, it is important to find out from patients with reflux whether their heart rate is rapid, whether they are short of breath and whether they are sweating. This will rule out or confirm a heart attack.

Aloe, calamus and buckwheat in the fight against high acidity

An invariable lifesaver in the treatment of any disease is aloe juice, the composition of which is a natural storehouse of useful substances. By accelerating the body's metabolic processes, increasing its tone and immunity, this healing remedy improves appetite and stops possible inflammatory processes, which is what heartburn is so afraid of.

Treatment with folk remedies sometimes has an effect that we do not even expect. So, 1 teaspoon of juice should be diluted with boiled water (1:2) and take this mixture 15-20 minutes before meals. To prepare the medicine, it is preferable to use the fleshy lower and middle leaves of a three-year-old plant.

Calamus root, which has the property of reducing stomach acidity, will also ease pain and relieve them. It can be consumed whole, chewing thoroughly, or it can be crushed to a powder state. In the latter case, the product is taken in small doses: a third of a teaspoon of powder diluted in ½ cup of boiled water is enough. You need to take the medicine 15 minutes before meals. After 3 doses, your physical condition will noticeably improve.

Buckwheat is an anti-heartburn remedy recommended for regular morning breakfasts. Its use is especially relevant in the chronic form of the disease. You can also use cereal that has been heated to brown for treatment. In its ground state, it must be consumed 3 times a day on the tip of a knife. Then heartburn, the treatment of which with folk remedies shows its effectiveness in practice, will cease to bother the person.

Heartburn during pregnancy

It is known that 17-45% of women suffer from heartburn symptoms during pregnancy. Pregnancy makes reflux attacks worse. This is due to the fact that during this period the lower sphincter is weakened. And also, due to pressure on the internal organs of the growing fetus. These changes contribute to the reflux of acid into the esophageal space.

Unfortunately, there is no information about the safety of some heartburn medications in a developing fetus, so they should be avoided. Antacid drugs such as Gaviscon and Rennie are considered clinically safe. Try managing reflux with lifestyle changes. As well as control over nutrition and food choice. The problem will completely disappear after childbirth.

Heartburn at night

It is known that we spend a third of our lives sleeping. And waking up with a cough, sore throat, and a sour or bitter taste in the mouth usually indicates nocturnal acid reflux.

These symptoms are extremely dangerous. The fact that acid from the stomach interacts with the esophageal mucosa for several hours at night. Affecting and destroying tissue of the esophagus and oral cavity (which can cause stomatitis in adults).

Whereas, while we are awake, we constantly swallow saliva. It helps in neutralizing acid from the stomach. But at night, when we sleep, this does not happen.

Description

The appearance of a burning sensation in the stomach and esophagus most accurately reflects the essence of the medical term, but does not reveal it completely. An increase in acid balance occurs due to the ingestion of aggressive food. In fact, there is a kind of explosion called reflux. Gastric juice and sometimes parts of the contents enter the esophagus. All this irritates the delicate mucous membrane, which is why the burning sensation occurs. Heartburn in the morning can be caused by an incorrect sleeping position.

You need to understand that if you have a tendency to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, then sooner or later such an unpleasant symptom will make itself felt. There is a type of organism that is predisposed to heartburn when the causes of its occurrence are unclear. The quantitative ratio of acid and alkali forms the very acid-base balance of the body, which is so important to keep normal. The balance of these indicators affects not only the condition of the stomach, but also the cardiovascular system, bones, joints, and can sometimes provoke diabetes.

A burning sensation does not always appear after eating; many people are bothered by heartburn on an empty stomach. There are also several reasons for heartburn on an empty stomach. If you've been eating dry food for a long time, it's not surprising that your next snack will end with an unpleasant taste in your mouth. Discomfort occurs after prolonged abuse of strong coffee and even drinks with a high concentration of mint.

Thus, even chocolate with mint filling is dangerous. If you have very severe heartburn and nothing helps, it may be something else. Reflux may not be an independent disease, but only a side effect of more serious ailments, including ulcers, gallstones or gastritis.

Consequences, dangerous and very dangerous

Heartburn is not at all a harmless symptom, as everyone is used to thinking. Especially if the attacks are systematic. This is a signal to suspect a serious illness. If you ignore constant, recurring burning pain, the consequences can be dire. So, why is heartburn dangerous?

• the fact that 30-50% develop esophagitis - inflammation of the mucous membranes of the esophagus
• in addition, in 10-15%, precancerous degeneration of the esophageal mucosa occurs - Barrett's esophagus
• 5-10% of Barrett's esophagus develops adenocarcinoma - cancer of the esophagus
• esophageal strictures - non-stretching narrowings and bleeding

Irritation of the esophagus can lead to the formation of ulcers with areas of tissue damage. In turn, this can lead to serious bleeding . In addition, scarring can form, which is a serious complication of GERD. Recent research suggests that chronic heartburn may be the leading cause of asthma in adults.

What diseases can heartburn be a manifestation of?

The main pathology of which heartburn is a symptom is gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. This condition can also occur when:

• Barrett's esophagus;
• stomach ulcer;
• esophagospasm;
• infectious, traumatic, allergic or other nature esophagitis (inflammation of the esophagus);
• hiatal hernia;
• functional dyspepsia (digestive disorders in the absence of organic changes in the gastrointestinal tract caused by stress or other reasons).

Modern diagnostics

Preliminary diagnosis requires a thorough survey. Next, to assess the damage and find out how severe the heartburn manifests itself and progresses, the doctor will suggest some examinations:

• endoscopy – it will allow you to examine and evaluate the condition of the esophagus and stomach. And also, if necessary, take a biopsy . This will help determine the causes of the symptoms and determine their malignancy.
• X-ray contrast study - performed if the patient refuses endoscopy, but it is considered less informative
• pH test - to measure the acidity of the esophagus, the test is performed on an outpatient basis, through a tube that passes into the stomach through the nose
• ECG - to exclude cardiac pathology

In most cases, these procedures are enough to determine the causes of heartburn. Some doctors may prescribe a general blood test and stool test for scatology. They will help assess your overall health.