Health Care

By: Aaron Walker

The term heartburn is used to describe a feeling that people get that isn't actually anything to do with their heart at all. That awful sensation that wells up in your chest isn't even remotely related to your heart; it actually starts in your gut. Heartburn or acid reflux as it's otherwise known starts with a problem with the control of the acid in your stomach.

The pain you feel during a bout of heartburn is down to the acid from your stomach moving back up your throat towards your mouth. Now bearing in mind that the acid in your stomach is hydrochloric acid (strong enough to melt metal) your throat (your esophagus) is going to be severely irritated by this acid. It's actually burning away at your flesh which is what causes that intense pain in and around your chest.

How often you actually get heartburn and how severe it is depends on a lot of factors such as stress and especially what types of foods you eat a lot. Spicy foods or foods that have a very high acid content are almost guaranteed to cause an attack of acid reflux; so if they're part of your diet you may want to cut them out totally. For some people heartburn is a just a passing nuisance pain. For other folks out there it's a constant battle against a painful problem they'd much rather get rid of.

When you get an attack of heartburn the way it appears varies from person to person. Some people feel a burning sensation in their throat, some people can't stop burping and some others even begin to choke. Overall the most common sign of acid reflux is that nasty taste of vomit in the back of your mouth.

So what causes this problem?

Basically there's a valve in your stomach designed to keep the acid down there. Sometimes this valve gets jammed open and the acid in your stomach escapes and flows up towards your throat. This happens a lot when people are laying down - maybe having a nap after a meal. Heartburn itself can be made far worse by your diet - eating spicy foods definitely won't help.

Is it treatable?

Sure. There are dozens of treatments out there for heartburn/acid reflux and you'll be spoiled for choice when choosing one. Actually there's that many options out there just making the choice can be a headache. You have so many different over-the-counter treatments to choose from first. Dozens of them. Then you move into the territory of prescription treatments and all the "potential" side-effects that are tied to those. Some people even go as far as having surgery as a longterm solution for their reflux....which is a bit drastic no?

If you're like me you probably prefer to go the "natural route" for treating a problem like this. Especially considering the fact that most acid reflux "cures" can only be used for 2 weeks and then you have to stop. Not really a cure is it?

About the Author
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