Those who suffer from chronic heartburn will tell you what a terrible affliction this could be. It all starts with a few episodes of heartburn and if left untreated, in no time it escalates to chronic heartburn. You know you reached this stage when you experience heartburn almost constantly, after every meal or rather after anything you put into your mouth.

What Causes Heartburn?

Heartburn is nothing but the return of food from the stomach along with acid and undigested food particles as well as bile. This is why people find this leaving a terribly vile taste in the mouth. The reflux (or return of food) occurs when the “gate” (the lower esophagus sphincter or LES) swings inwards and lets the food escape from the stomach back into the esophagus, to the mouth.

How Does Heartburn Graduate Into Chronic Heartburn?

Usually, when heartburn occurs, one should immediately identify the triggers and eliminate them. Side by side one should take all other precautions to prevent its occurrence. However, sometimes it is not possible to do so. When this happens, the simple heartburn fast develops into constant and then chronic heartburn. You know you are suffering from chronic heartburn when there is absolutely no respite for you even when you take medicines.

Chronic heartburn is usually diagnosed by a special test such as barium x-ray, pH testing and determination, endoscopy and so on. Once the tests determine that you are indeed suffering from chronic heartburn, the treatment is started immediately. This includes H2 receptor blockers and prokinetic activators which will forward the cure by their strength and focused intervention.

The treatment usually has dual aims – one is to reduce and/or eliminate the symptoms and allow the person function as normal as possible and two – to prevent its re-occurrence after the course has been completed.

Of course, the best cure is prevention – and hence all your efforts should go in preventing it from happening in the first place. This would require discipline of food habits, proper diet, and exercise and to some extent meditation and/or yoga. If you are prone to heartburn, avoid fat, milk, aerated drinks, coffee and tea (with milk and without), citrus fruits and so on – because these are specifically heartburn triggers.

Other than that you should ensure that you have plenty of water and regular small meals instead of large and far in-between meals. Eating habits count for more than 67 per cent of the reasons for heartburn. Your eating habits can make you healthy or sick – choose wisely.

If you suffer from frequent heartburn, your best bet for relief is getting good heartburn information. Finding heartburn information is easy – there is a lot of help available on the internet, too many stories from your friends and family and much too much in magazines and home remedy books.

Is It Heartburn?

Your first and most important piece of heartburn information is whether or not you really have it. Heartburn is the painful sensation you feel when digestive acid comes in contact with your esophagus. This happens when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxes and some of the contents of your stomach reach the esophagus. The LES normally relaxes during the swallowing process. If you are eating too fast, you can get heartburn. The solution to this type of heartburn is simple: Don’t eat so fast.

The symptoms of heartburn are similar to those of acid indigestion, which can be quite serious. In addition, frequent heartburn can lead to gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD) which can require a doctor’s care. Before beginning a treatment regiment that you found on the internet or at a family reunion, see a doctor and make sure that heartburn is the real problem.

If the problem really is heartburn, there is no end to the number of treatments and preventive techniques. When you receive your diagnoses, your doctor will be able to provide you with some heartburn information. From there, start gathering some of your own heartburn information. Find out the time of day when you most often feel that burning sensation. Bedtime heartburn, for instance, can be caused by your sleeping position, and simply elevating your head can help.

If heartburn occurs after meals, it may be caused by foods that make too much acid. An antacid or a change in diet can help. Ironically, heartburn can also be caused by too little acid as the LES relies on acid to trigger its closing. Some people find relief with a few tablespoons of vinegar, which is acidic. Try not to confuse the antacid with the vinegar treatment.

Get the list of foods that can cause heartburn and start experimenting. Eliminate all of them from your diet. If the heartburn goes away, the problem is one or more of those foods and that is good heartburn information. You can start adding one food at a time. If the heartburn returns, that food goes off the list permanently. Don’t start listening to strangers until you listen to your doctor and your own body. They are the source of the best heartburn information for you.

It is known that heartburn symptoms are sometimes confused with indicators of other problems. If you’re frequently suffering from heartburn, it may pay to know the symptoms.

A burning sensation in your chest, often accompanied by a bad taste in your throat are two of the most common heartburn symptoms. These light, infrequent occurrences can usually be treated with many over-the-counter antacids. However, gastroesophageal reflux disease has these same heartburn symptoms and a few more.

There may be trouble swallowing, wheezing or difficulty breathing and gas or bloating after meals. These are heartburn symptoms, which may also indicate a more severe episode of heartburn. Frequent and severe cases of heartburn may be indications of other problems and if left untreated can lead to burns, or ulcers, in the esophagus or even a narrowing of the esophagus making swallowing extremely difficult, if not nearly impossible.

When to Seek Medical Help

If you take prescription drugs for other ailments, it is wise to visit your pharmacist before taking any over-the-counter heartburn medications. Your pharmacist will know, or can find out, what medications you are taking and how they will react with different heartburn medications. Since some of the interactions can be dangerous, this is a good first step.

Those suffering from heartburn symptoms for more than two weeks should contact their physician for the possibility of being switched to prescription level drugs to help with their suffering. Your doctor may find you have gastroesophageal reflux disease or a hiatal hernia and a different course of medication may be needed.

A hiatal hernia is a loosening of the lower esophageal sphincter and also is detected by heartburn symptoms, although usually more severe. Further testing will be required to accurately diagnose this condition, but the heartburn symptoms can often lead to this discovery and then to a cure. There are specific treatment and drugs to help while a hiatal hernia heals.

When you suffer heartburn symptoms it may be a good idea to keep track of what you were doing just before they began. The type of foods and drinks being consumed, how much and how often and time of day, especially if it was just before bedtime. Perhaps the heartburn symptoms only surface when lying down or bending over or perhaps there’s a physical reason. By tracking your actions you can determine what triggers an attack and possibly avoid those triggers to reduce the heartburn symptoms from recurring.

Heartburn is usually caused by foods that cannot be easily digested and/or some precondition such as ulcers and other illness that can trigger the discomfort. Persistent heartburn can be very painful and even if it is not fatal, you can end up in the emergency room if you are slow to act as soon as the symptoms appear.

The Symptoms of Heartburn

The most common symptom of heartburn is an ache in the chest accompanied by stomach pain. The sensations of vomiting, which can even be accompanied by headaches in the case of persistent heartburn, are common as well.

Many confuse persistent heartburn with a heart attack and end up in the emergency room for a check up, which is not bad should you have the doubt that you are having a heart attack. However, with a little understanding of how heartburn occurs and how you can prevent it, can bring you comfort, peace and a lot less hassle.

Preventing Heartburns

You can prevent and deal with almost any persistent heartburn if you take the pain to understand which types of food causes them in the first place. When you encounter heartburn, it is suggested you make a mental (or written if necessary) note of the food item that produced it. The next time you are about to have the same food you can prevent it by taking medication before you start eating.

By taking heartburn and indigestion medications before you start eating a hard to digest food you empower you system with the necessary equipment to deal with the situation and therefore not cause you discomfort in the process. Usually those that have persistent heartburn take these medications half an hour before a heavy meal to avoid discomfort.

Another way to effectively combat heartburns and indigestion is to eat in small quantities. However, if you are sensitive or have other medical predispositions, which will anyway give you persistent heartburn, no matter how sensibly you eat, you should always have the necessary medications to prevent it before hand.

A Helpful Tip

Heartburn and indigestion medications can be purchased over the counter as no prescription is required. However, if you suffer from persistent heartburn you may want to mention it to your doctor as there may be other medical factors that can trigger it and which can be avoided or treated by other means.