Information for Heartburn Sufferers

Imagine yourself in a greasy diner serving the most ghastly choices of comfort food and then imagine yourself eating chili, hot dogs with onions, greasy cheese fries, or a triple decker hamburger slathered with mayonnaise, onions, and cheese. Can you also see yourself with a burning pain in your chest maybe needing to call the ambulance? Are you having a heart attack? Are you taking your last breath? Is your life flashing before your eyes? At least you had a great last meal. Now wait a minute. The intense pain might just be heartburn. Do you know the difference? It is important that you you should.as It could save your life.

Anyone who has ever suffered from heartburn knows how uncomfortable and unpleasant it can be. The condition occurs when the LES, or lower esophageal sphincter, does not close as it should. Because of this, the contents of the stomach come up into the esophagus. This is what causes the discomfort that you feel. Here are some of the variety of symptoms you may experience.

A burning sensation in the chest, which may spread upwards to the neck. Your chest may hurt when you lie down and you may also experience hot, bitter acid coming up into the throat. These symptoms can sometimes be mistaken for a heart attack. If you do experience unexplained chest pain, it's prudent and very sensible to seek medical attention just to be on the safe side. Your doctor can determine whether or not your pain and discomfort is due to indigestion or if it is a more serious problem.

So now that you know a bit more about what heartburn, or acid reflux is and what it feels like, let us look at the different causes of why it occurs. Your diet can play a very large role and some people experience discomfort after eating spicy or acidic foods. There are other foods which can aggravate the problem, including caffeinated beverages, tomatoes, chocolate, alcohol, and fried foods, to name a few. Others experience the problem because the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES, lacks proper muscle tone. One other cause is dysfunction with the way that the esophagus operates and one more cause is that certain prescription medications can affect its operation.

Having established that there are many causes we can now look at different ways to treat the causes and symptoms of this problem. Watching what you eat is one of the easiest ways to prevent or at least reduce the discomfort of acid reflux. Eat smaller, more frequent meals rather than three large ones can often help you as well. Antacids in tablet, chewable or liquid form can offer fast relief from uncomfortable symptoms and can be purchased over the counter at your local pharmacy or supermarket but these should only be needed for the occasional bout of acid reflux. You should consult with your doctor before deciding to take antacids, especially if you take prescription medications because of interaction risk. There are also prescription medications that can help chronic conditions.

Heartburn and acid reflux doesn't have to ruin your life and your doctor can help you devise a plan that may include lifestyle changes, dietary modifications and medications to alleviate your uncomfortable symptoms. You should take these suggestions seriously as they usually are effective. By following the instructions of your doctor to the letter, you will often find you are able to live your life free from the pain and discomfort of indigestion and acid reflux heartburn.

Copyright 2008 Tim Bersaw - All Rights Reserved

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