Symptoms, Causes and Treatment of Hearthburn

Though most times heartburn is not a major cause for concern,but having Scabies does. Heartburn does come with some discomfort which some people are able to manage by using
medications and changing the way they live their lives.

In situations where heartburn becomes more regular and starts
disturbing individuals a lot to the extent it prevents them from doing their
daily and normal activities, there may be some cause for concern. At this
juncture, this may signify a more serious problem that will require the
attention of a medical personal.

READ ALSO: Benefit and Significance of Immunization

                                              WHAT CAUSES HEARTBURN

When people swallow, a group of muscle at the bottom of the
esophagus (known as the lower esophageal sphincter) tends to relax so that food
and liquid content can easily flow into the stomach with ease. After this
happens the muscles then stiffens up.

If at any time, the lower esophagus becomes weakened, this
could allow stomach acid to move upwards back into the esophagus which then
leads to heartburn occurring. This process could be more terrible and cause
some pain when the person involved is lying down or bent over.

Certain foods, medications, alcohol, being overweight and
pregnancy can lead to heartburn occurring. It is very important to seek medical
attention as this process can cause damage to the esophagus.

                                              SYMPTOMS
OF HEARTBURN

Generally, symptoms of heartburn include:

A painful burning sensation in the chest that occurs most
times after a person has eating.

The pain usually occurs during the night.

The pain in the chest could be followed by a person having a
bad taste behind the throat

A person could also have feeling of food clogged in the
throat which could be quite uncomfortable.

Another symptom of heartburn is when the pain in the chest
becomes worse when the person involved tries bending over or lying down.

                         FOODS THAT PUT PEOPLE AT RISK OF GETTING
HEARTBURN

There are certain foods and meals people eat which can put
them at risk of having heartburn,but monitoring your Vitamin C intake can be hugely beneficial. People react in different
ways to various types of foods they eat, that is why it is important and
necessary to take note of what they eat and when the food was eaten especially
when they are experiencing heartburn symptoms so they will know what triggers
or sets it off.

Over a period of time, people will now be able to know the
types of food associated with their heartburn episodes and these can be very
helpful when they seek medical attention.

Foods that can set off heartburn in people include the
following:

                                             TREATMENT
OF HEARTBURN

Heartburn can be treated by using medications or by changes
in lifestyle. In some few cases, surgical procedures could be needed for people
who experience extreme heart burn situations.

Medications include over the counter drugs which consist of antacids
which can help relieve stomach acid. Where over the counter drugs do not work,
you will need to see a doctor to get a prescribed medication to help ease your
heartburn.

Changing the way you live can help relieve and ease
heartburn. Lifestyle changes that can help include

Lose weight:Too much
weight leads to a lot of pressure on the stomach which causes acid to go back
into the esophagus. You might be interested in reading this: HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT THROUGH PROTEIN

Quit smoking: Smoking affects the lower esophageal sphincter
from functioning properly.

Avoid eating meals late in the night, as this is very harmful especially to heartburn patient.

Try not to lie down immediately after having a meal. You can
wait a few hours. Some people don’t wait and just go to bed immediately after eating.

If you experience heartburn at night when sleeping you can
raise the head of your bed to relieve any symptom.

Recommended post: Why Is It So Hard to Quit Smoking?

Photo credit: Health.com