Causes of heartburn. Constant heartburn, causes: what to do, frequent burning attacks

The mechanism of heartburn development is always the same, and comes down to the physiological process of eruption of gastric contents up the esophagus. The causes of heartburn can be very different: from the usual overeating, which causes a burning sensation in healthy person to serious pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.

The appearance of a burning sensation in the stomach can be an isolated case or a manifestation of a chronic illness.

The main causes of burning in the esophagus can be classified as:

• pathological;
• non-pathological.

The latter can provoke heartburn in a person who has no health problems. Pathological - a disease of the digestive system. In a separate group, false heartburn can be distinguished, which in essence is a burning sensation that is localized in the sternum, but does not imply its development in the upper gastrointestinal tract.

hiatal hernia in the diaphragm

Hernia esophageal opening diaphragm is one of those main pathological reasons why heartburn occurs. The disease occurs when the muscles of the diaphragm lose their tone. This leads to a displacement of the stomach area (sometimes that the movement affects the intestines) up into the chest cavity through the esophageal sphincter.

The disease can provoke frequent overeating, increased exercise stress, coughing, constipation, causing the hole in the diaphragm to become larger. Burning is often localized in the throat or behind the sternum. The patient complains of night pains and worsening of the condition while lying down or bending over after a meal. The disease can also be manifested by vomiting, belching. Diaphragmatic hernia can develop into reflux esophagitis.

Reflux esophagitis

A common cause of heartburn and bitterness in the mouth is reflux esophagitis. The disease is an insufficiency of the esophageal sphincter. Discomfort is aggravated by leaning forward and while lying down. The patient feels pain in the upper part abdominal cavity and discomfort during the transport of food down the esophagus.

Peptic ulcer of the duodenum or stomach

The appearance of gastric and duodenal ulcers usually occurs against the background of increased acidity. This provokes a burning sensation and a feeling of bitterness.

When a person has a peptic ulcer, during the movement of food from the esophagus, the stomach contracts, and its contents saturated with hydrochloric acid enter the esophagus.

Ulcers can cause heartburn due to the fact that food is in the stomach longer than usual. This is a consequence of the fact that the affected walls contract worse, as a result of which vomiting and belching may begin, in which gastric juice enters the esophagus. This leads to erosion of the walls of the esophagus, which further increases the burning sensation.

Inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis)

Many types of cholecystitis are accompanied by heartburn, a feeling of bitterness in the mouth, stool disorders, etc. In chronic inflammation of the gallbladder, a burning sensation disturbs at the same time as pain in the right hypochondrium in the liver localization area. The pain may shoot into the right shoulder blade. Usually, discomfort is disturbed after eating fatty or other unhealthy foods.

Obesity

Obesity is a disease in which excess fats that envelop the walls and organs of the abdominal cavity increase internal pressure at times, due to which gastric contents erupt into the esophagus.

Resection of the stomach

The next factor, what causes heartburn, bitterness in the oral cavity, is a history of resection, regardless of whether a part of the organ was removed or its complete excision occurred. Such a burning sensation provokes a disease of the operated stomach, when juice from the pancreas or bile erupts into the esophagus.

Increasing secretion

Hypersecretion or increased secretion of gastric juice causes discomfort, as there is an excessive amount of hydrochloric acid in the digestive organs. Hypersecretion does not always involve an excess of hydrochloric acid, sometimes its indicators are normal.

It speaks of insufficiency of the valves in the gastric valve, which is why the acidic contents erupt upward.

Increased secretion of gastric juice occurs against the background of peptic ulcer or gastritis.

Decreased secretion

If the secretion of gastric juice slows down, lactic or butyric acid is erupted into the esophagus instead of fermentative juice. These substances are formed during the fermentation of food, when there is too little pepsin and hydrochloric acid to break it down.

Duodenitis

The causes of heartburn may lie in duodenitis - inflammation of the mucous membranes of the duodenum 12. Usually such a burning sensation worries men young age due to increased motor skills. The symptom occurs regardless of the amount of acid in the body. This burning sensation is less likely to bother children, women, or older men.

Digestive disorders

Indigestion is a common ailment, the invariable symptom of which is heartburn, a feeling of bitterness. Pain is manifested due to negative impact hydrochloric acid that rises into the esophagus. This can cause vomiting, bitterness in the mouth, nausea, or dizziness.

The patient complains of a violation of the stool, a feeling of fullness in the abdomen, bad breath, etc. Discomfort occurs 1-2 hours after breakfast (or another meal). Pain intensifies if you eat foods that are high in protein, spices, etc.

Other diseases that cause heartburn

It happens that it burns in the esophagus due to the weakness of its muscles, especially the sphincter, as a result of which it is not able to hold the downward flow of food and the gastric contents go up. Burning can also provoke oncological diseases digestive organs, cholelithiasis, food poisoning or toxins, etc.

Other causes of heartburn

If heartburn appears, this does not always indicate the presence of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Discomfort also arises due to eating habits, lifestyle.

The main non-pathological cause of the phenomenon is the presence in the diet of a large number of foods that are difficult to digest. The effect is enhanced by overeating. A burning sensation may appear if you eat before lying down or bending over.

The problem is also often disturbed due to the fact that a person wears tight and tight clothes, which squeezes the abdominal cavity and chest. Such heartburn usually does not last long and goes away on its own.

Pregnancy

Possible causes of heartburn in pregnant women differ depending on the period. On the early dates pregnancy, it can be associated with toxicosis, which often begins in the morning and does not go away by the evening. Frequent vomiting causes irritation of the walls of the esophagus with vomit.

With each week, the fetus increases in size, which causes an increase in the uterus, which pushes all the organs apart. This leads to an increase in pressure inside the abdominal cavity, which is why the sphincter is not able to fully close, and food is erupted up into the esophagus.

Another reason for burning in pregnant women is the intense production of the hormone progesterone, which causes relaxation of the smooth muscles of the body, including the esophageal sphincter.

During pregnancy, heartburn in women is most often associated with bearing a child, but if this phenomenon is frequent and causes severe discomfort, this may indicate health problems, so you need to consult a doctor.

Medications

Heartburn may occur due to the intake of certain pharmaceutical drugs. At the same time, bitterness and dryness in the mouth and other side effects may occur. The following medications can cause discomfort:

• nitrates;
• hormone-based products;
• medicines to lower blood pressure;
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
• anticholinergics.

These drugs do not always cause a burning sensation, but this side effect- quite frequent.

Consumption of certain foods

Possible causes of burning may lie in the use of certain foods that cause a jump in the secretion of gastric juice, dysfunction of the sphincter, or irritate the mucous membranes of the esophagus. Therefore, in order to get rid of heartburn or prevent it, it is necessary to exclude such foods from the diet:

• coffee and drinks that contain caffeine;
• chips and other hazards;
• sweets;
• alcohol;
• fatty, spicy or fried foods;
• onion;
• canned food.

Mostly in healthy people, it bakes in the esophagus precisely because of bad food, this is especially noticeable after a large amount of food eaten. Therefore, it is better to eat baked and boiled food instead of fried food, to divide food into multiple meals.

fake heartburn

Burning sensation in chest- not always heartburn, so it is important to determine what is the cause of the discomfort. Often bakes in the chest due to angina pectoris (diseases of the cardiovascular system) or other diseases of the circulatory system.

Treatment Methods

Emergency elimination methods

I want to get rid of severe heartburn as soon as possible. Often recommend a honey solution. To prepare it, you need to add about 15 g of honey to half a glass of warm (not hot) water and let it dissolve, then slowly drink the solution.

You can get rid of burning sensation with the help of chalk, crushed to a powder consistency. It must be eaten with plenty of pure water.

Most effective remedy to fight heartburn - a solution of soda, but all doctors strongly recommend forgetting such methods, since such a liquid causes great harm to the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, causing dryness and irritation. A person can and will get rid of heartburn, but soda only exacerbates the problem.

Doctors advise the use of enveloping preparations that will help treat heartburn, bringing quick relief.

How to get rid of with the help of folk remedies?

Folk method of treatment - usually the most popular. But you should not self-medicate, since heartburn can be caused by completely different factors, and the use of grandmother's recipes can be harmful.

It is better to consult a gastroenterologist before using folk remedies - he will determine the cause of the disease. They are usually recommended as adjuvant therapy.

Flax seeds. In the evening before going to bed, you need to steam 5 g of seeds with a glass of boiling water. In the morning, the decoction will be ready for use. It must be filtered and drunk on an empty stomach for 2 weeks. The seeds can also simply be ground into a powder and steamed with warm water when the burning sensation comes up.

Chamomile infusion will help fight heartburn. To prepare it, you need to steam 20 g of a dry plant with a glass of boiling water and let it stand for a third of an hour. You need to drink 3 times a day a glass of this tea.

Prevention

To prevent heartburn, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

• improve nutrition and eliminate dangerous foods;
• drink non-carbonated mineral water;
• do not violate the instructions for the use of medicines;
• food should be divided into many meals in small portions;
• instead of fried and canned, you need to eat more baked or boiled;
• do not postpone food until late in the evening before going to bed, so as not to go to bed immediately after a meal, etc.

Nowadays, people are increasingly faced with problems related to work. digestive system. One of the most common ailments is heartburn, the causes and treatment of which have been sufficiently studied by medicine.

This information is useful to know for every inhabitant of the planet, even if he has never had problems with the gastrointestinal tract. After all, this organ system is one of the most important for human life. Rhythm of life modern people does not always make it possible to get to a gastroenterologist at the first signals of the body, so we will consider the issue in more detail.

The symptomatology of heartburn is such that it can hardly be confused with another disease. However, experts note the following characteristic manifestations of the disease:

1. Unpleasant sensations in the chest area: they can be described as a burning sensation and heat. Usually, a person notices such symptoms in himself a couple of hours after the last meal. Unpleasant sensations disturb for a long time and cause severe discomfort.
2. Belching with air, after which bitterness with a sour aftertaste remains in the oral cavity. Usually, similar sensations appear in the throat, causing itching and coughing, shortness of breath and lack of oxygen. In addition, this condition causes great psychological discomfort, especially if a person is in the company of colleagues or friends at that time.

1. General malaise, accompanied by increased gas formation, a feeling of nausea and heaviness in the stomach. Such a state is also unpleasant for a person and prevents him from leading his usual way of life, spoils his mood.
2. AT severe cases the patient may experience severe discomfort. These conditions are characterized by increased sweating, weakness, frequent vomiting, and traces of blood in the stool. Such a variant of the development of the disease requires close attention, it indicates the presence of more serious pathologies in the body. With such diseases, heartburn (causes of appearance and effective treatment see below) is only one of the symptoms, so the condition described above requires immediate contact with your doctor for a correct diagnosis and appropriate therapy.

Important! A person who has problems with the functioning of the cardiovascular system often has angina pectoris. The manifestations of this disease resemble the sensations of heartburn: the patient experiences heat in the thoracic region, throws him into a sweat, and feels weak.

Burns in the lower jaw, and sometimes gives into the abdominal cavity. The patient may not have enough air, he feels tightness in the chest. Typically, attacks associated with angina pectoris are systematic and occur quite often. AT this case a visit to the doctor does not require delay, he will tell you how to deal with heartburn.

Processes in the stomach

Knowing about the sensations that characterize heartburn, it is quite easy to determine the presence of malaise. However, in order to cope with unpleasant sensations, you must first of all know why they arise and what happens inside the body.

What is heartburn? This feeling of burning heat and burning occurs under the influence of aggressive gastric juice on the sensitive mucous membranes of the esophagus. Intended for high-quality digestion of food, gastric juice irritates the esophageal tube, causing characteristic unpleasant symptoms.

Although these organs are constituent parts of the same digestive system, they are still separate units of the gastrointestinal tract. Each of them performs its own function, and therefore the question arises of how gastric juice enters the walls of the esophagus. This happens as a result of throwing the contents of the stomach into the esophageal tube.

The simplest example is the occurrence of heartburn after eating, if a person performs even a small physical activity or simply changes the position of the body dramatically. Let's talk more about more serious causes of heartburn and its treatment.

The reasons

Before you fight the disease, you need to find out what usually causes a person to have severe heartburn. In the generally accepted order, the causes of heartburn can be divided into the following:

1. inflammatory diseases that affect the gastrointestinal tract and disrupt the digestive system;
2. lifestyle, poorly organized food system and the presence of bad habits;
3. treatment with drugs to which the body reacts negatively;
4. childbearing, especially the last trimester;
5. overweight - from 15 or more kilograms above the norm.

Let's take a closer look at each of the possible factors.

Dysfunction of the digestive system

As practice shows, a burning sensation in most cases is only a kind of signal from the body, indicating a malfunction in the digestive organs.

There are several diseases that, in addition to their characteristic symptoms, also provoke the occurrence of unpleasant heartburn. Topping this list are duodenal ulcers and gastric ulcers. They are characterized by increased acidity of gastric juice, focal compression of the affected areas and, as a result, a slower process of digestion of food.

These symptoms adversely affect the gastrointestinal tract, tk. provide favorable conditions for the process of getting the contents of the stomach into the cavity of the esophagus. Therefore, the patient should undergo an examination with a systematically occurring malaise in order to exclude the possible presence of these pathologies. Heartburn is not as simple as it seems, but you can fight it.

People suffering from chronic gastritis are well acquainted with the manifestations of heartburn. In this case, the burning heat is also accompanied by an unpleasant eructation.

The cause of heartburn is often the presence of inflammatory diseases of the duodenum and gallbladder. They have numerous symptoms, including heartburn.

It can also manifest itself as a result of surgical intervention: partial cutting off of the gallbladder or duodenum. Sometimes surgery is inevitable and is an emergency measure in the fight against oncological lesions of these organs.

The appearance of heartburn sometimes indicates a hidden hernia. In this condition, part of the stomach and intestinal loops can shift into the region of the thoracic spine. At the same time, the digestive process is much more difficult, and the reflux of gastric juice into the esophagus occurs easily. In the described case, malaise occurs frequently: after almost every main meal and snack.

Separately, it should be noted gastro-esophageal reflux disease. It is caused by malfunctions in the functioning of the lower esophageal sphincter. As a result, a person not only suffers from heartburn, but also constantly feels a sour taste in his mouth after burping.

Therefore, before treating such an ailment (heartburn), you should check the state of health. In a medical institution, the answer to the question of how to deal with heartburn is always correct.

Unhealthy Lifestyle

Burning and discomfort in the epigastric region are almost always noted by patients with bad habits. Regular consumption of alcoholic beverages, even in small quantities, negatively affects the health of any person. The same can be said about smoking.

Bad habits disrupt the functioning of vital organs, including the digestive system. The harmful effects of alcohol and tobacco provoke many diseases, the most harmless of which is heartburn.

Many will be surprised, but even the usual lifting of heavy bags of groceries to the third floor can lead to malaise. Lifting weights indirectly causes stomach contents to reflux into the esophageal tube.

Wearing uncomfortable clothes that compress not only the abdominal cavity, but also the sternum causes great harm to the work of the digestive system. Tight belts, tight underwear, and tight clothing contribute to digestive problems.

Stressful situations, anxiety and other shocks nervous system negatively affect the digestion process.

Also, heartburn often occurs if, after a heavy meal, a person decides to take a nap. Sleeping on a full stomach is not the best idea.

However, the appearance of malaise is most often caused by a systematic violation of the principles healthy eating. The following factors have a bad effect on the gastrointestinal tract:

1. heavy and fatty foods;
2. large portions that lead to overeating and an increase in the volume of the stomach;
3. sweet carbonated drinks;
4. food richly seasoned with spices, herbs, salt and marinades - such a menu provokes an increase in acidity;
5. snacking on the go, which does not allow you to thoroughly chew food or eat healthy food;
6. large quantities of strong tea and coffee during the day;
7. an abundance in the diet of citrus fruits and other foods that irritate the stomach;
8. pastries, sweets with rich cream, milk chocolate with additives.

Do you want to know the answer to the question of how to deal with heartburn? Examine your own diet and daily habits.

Taking medications

Sometimes poor health appears as a result of taking certain medications. For example, heartburn is provoked by medications designed to relax smooth muscles and reduce overestimated rates. blood pressure. This list includes antidepressants, ibuprofen, some birth control pills, asthma medications, Aspirin and Ortofen.

How to deal with heartburn in this case? The answer is obvious: the treatment of heartburn comes down to the abolition of drugs that have negative impact on the digestive system, and the selection of an effective remedy.

Pregnancy

The period of bearing a baby in some women is accompanied by severe toxicosis with periodic vomiting. It irritates the esophagus. Closer to the third trimester of pregnancy, along with the growth of the child, intra-abdominal pressure also increases, which leads to the reflux of gastric juice into the esophageal tube.

In addition, before giving birth, almost all girls gain extra weight, which only aggravates their well-being. Therefore, many expectant mothers are interested in what is safe to do with heartburn.

During pregnancy, self-medication is excluded; only a doctor can prescribe therapy for a woman in position.

Problems of excess weight are familiar not only to pregnant women. Increasingly common in everyday life fat people. Extra pounds also increase the internal pressure in the abdominal cavity and contribute to the burning sensation in the chest.

Gradual weight loss will help solve the problem of poor health. In this case, the treatment of heartburn does not require other measures.

How to get rid

Almost every person has encountered the described ailment and at least once in his life wondered how to get rid of heartburn forever. These days, there are several proven ways to get rid of the burning sensation. The answer to the question of how to beat heartburn depends on the severity of the symptoms present.

Medications

Self-administration of drugs for heartburn without appropriate recommendations from a specialist is strictly prohibited. A single intake of proven medicines is possible only if you feel unwell, which is caused by unusual or too heavy food.

All medicines for heartburn are divided into the following:

1. sorbents ("Enterosgel", "Laktofiltrum", activated carbon);
2. antacid medicines ("Almagel", "Maalox", "Tsimedin", "Smekta", "Phosphalugel");
3. inhibitors ("Omez", "Pantoprazole");
4. prokinetics ("Mezim", "Cerukal", "Domperidone");
5. enzyme-containing ("Festal", "Pancreatin").

What to do with heartburn is well known to the gastroenterologist. He establishes the diagnosis based on the results of the initial examination, laboratory tests or instrumental studies of the digestive system with ultrasound or endoscopy.

Usually, a specialist supplements medical appointments with a sparing diet.

With the correct selection and intake of these drugs, the question of what to do with severe heartburn disappears.

Quick Methods

Heartburn always appears unexpectedly, not every person has the right pills at hand. In such situations, folk methods are excellent.

First aid for heartburn consists of simple manipulations, for example, it is recommended:

1. eat fresh carrots or an apple;
2. drink a glass of warm milk;
3. eat a handful of nuts or sunflower seeds;
4. Dissolve a pinch of baking soda in a glass of water and drink.

Traditional medicine recipes

Traditional medicine has not bypassed such a disease as heartburn, the question of how to treat it correctly is solved by using useful properties some plants. Treatment of heartburn by such methods practically eliminates side effects and has high efficiency.

Very popular in this direction are:

1. chamomile;
2. anise;
3. St. John's wort;
4. mint;
5. fennel;
6. yarrow.

Tips traditional medicine they also offer you to drink freshly squeezed juice when you feel unwell raw potatoes or chew on calamus root.

Home treatment should not be underestimated, in mild cases it is quite effective. Heartburn, its causes and home treatments are still being actively studied by specialists in search of new, simple and harmless recipes.

Sometimes surgery may be needed. Remember how to treat heartburn in a particular case, only a physician can determine.

Prevention

Having wondered how to avoid heartburn, one should also remember about preventive measures. After all, her symptoms cause a lot of inconvenience, ranging from physical discomfort, which is sometimes painful, and ending with a sense of embarrassment and shame. That is why humanity has always paid attention to this issue.

Prevention of heartburn is designed to prevent the disease and significantly reduce the risk of its occurrence. To this end, a patient who is concerned about heartburn should:

1. eliminate bad habits. Most people will not be able to immediately and abruptly abandon them, but their gradual exclusion from everyday life will be a huge step towards the health of not only the gastrointestinal tract, but the whole organism as a whole;
2. monitor fluctuations in your own weight;
3. significantly reduce the number of cups of coffee and strong tea consumed during the day, try to quench your thirst clean water room temperature;
4. completely remove carbonated drinks from the diet, first of all, you should pay attention to sweet water, which contains bright dyes of chemical production;
5. cook food with a slight addition of spices and seasonings. Sometimes the causes of heartburn are only this;

1. exclude pickles, marinades, spicy dishes, sweets with cream and fatty foods from the use for the duration of treatment. Also exclude onions and garlic. Often, after simple dietary adjustments, even chronic heartburn recedes;
2. be careful in lifting weights;
3. be sure to include foods that are good for digestion in the everyday menu: fresh vegetables, whole grain bread, seasonal fruits and berries, low-fat dairy products and cereals. They will help eliminate the burning sensation in the stomach;
4. Minimize or, in some cases, eliminate foods that increase acidity as much as possible. It is she who causes a burning sensation in the chest and epigastrium;
5. listen to your body, especially to malfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract;
6. choose extremely comfortable clothing of appropriate size and good quality, avoiding tight belts and constrictions in the abdominal and chest areas;
7. try to avoid stressful situations, allocate sufficient time for rest, not only physical, but also psychological. It will be useful for the patient to find an exciting hobby. It will help to distract from everyday troubles and problems and complement the treatment of heartburn.

Heartburn is not a fatal disease, with a correct examination and identification of the true causes of poor health, it can be easily dealt with. However, there is always a risk of complications and pitfalls. What is dangerous heartburn, discussed above.

Therefore, in no case should one ignore such body signals, and even more so self-medicate if the malaise manifests itself regularly. Get rid of constant heartburn in the power of each person. Stubborn struggle with excruciating heartburn always gives positive results.

Important! If heartburn, belching, nausea and other symptoms associated with discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract appear from time to time, for example, if a burning sensation in the stomach occurs after a heavy feast in which the patient ate unusual foods or overeat, it is allowed solve the problem with a one-time intake of the necessary medications.

However, if the patient notes malaise more than twice a week, and even more so regularly, it is necessary to consult a doctor and undergo a mandatory examination. Based on its results, the specialist will decide on the need for treatment, choosing best option therapy.

The useful information above will help you identify the ailment and choose the best way to cure heartburn forever, depending on the causes that caused it. The recommended principles of nutrition and lifestyle provide an opportunity not only to create the right menu, but also to form healthy habits.

Constant heartburn, the causes of which are not always clear, can annoy a person throughout the day for an extended period. The place of its localization can be the throat, the lower part of the chest under the ribs (under the pit of the stomach) or the esophagus area.

Etiology, due to the diversity of localization, can be variable and depend on chronic diseases of internal organs, physiological conditions or dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract. It is not possible to name a single reason. What do you do if you suffer from heartburn?

The reason for the occurrence of heartburn in adults is a combination of causes or a separate negative impact factor. Modern look life with its constant stressful situations, malnutrition, overwork, physical inactivity, chronic and hereditary diseases that develop against the background of an unfavorable environmental situation, has led to the prevalence of this phenomenon.

Not everyone knows - with constant heartburn, what to do? Constant heartburn has become one of the most common symptoms that accompany a person in different periods his life. Elimination of a symptom is always possible only when the underlying cause that causes it is eliminated.

Persistent heartburn is a general term for an unpleasant sensation usually associated with eating or being hungry for an extended period. The existing classifications of the general term make it possible to distinguish the differences in the disease according to a special feature or according to the degree of development of an unpleasant symptom.

According to the place of occurrence, permanent heartburn is divided into:

• retrosternal (discomfort behind the sternum);
• epigastric ("under the spoon", or in the epigastric region);
• pharyngeal (in the throat).

According to the duration of the course of negative sensations, heartburn can be mild, moderate (medium), or severe. When heartburn occurs every day, the causes are not always clear.

Approximately 2/5 of the adult population suffer from concomitant manifestations of pathological processes in the body, accompanied by unpleasant sensations in various areas with a pronounced frequency of occurrence or a permanent condition, and do not think that this is a sign of a serious disease in the body.

Attention! The causes of constant heartburn almost always lie in a violation of the anatomical structure, a change in the physiological state of the ongoing pathological process, the development of a chronic or systemic disease and should be the reason for serious complex therapy or surgical intervention.

The mechanism of the appearance of heartburn is explained by the inadequate functioning of the gastric sphincters, which in a pathological state do not keep its contents within the prescribed limits, but allow it to enter the esophagus, the walls of which are not protected from gastric acid.

The main reason for the occurrence of heartburn is insufficient closure of the walls of the sphincter or even partial non-closure, which can be caused by various diseases of the digestive system, as well as by a physiological state (pregnancy).

Additional Information! Frequent heartburn during pregnancy may be due to natural hormonal changes or the growth of the uterus associated with an increase in the fetus and the pressure of the uterine contents on the stomach.

Reasons for the occurrence of a persistent symptom

The cause of persistent heartburn can be a surgical intervention, in which the natural volume of the stomach is reduced. The causes of frequent heartburn can also lie in cardiovascular diseases and sometimes lead to myocardial infarction.

Obesity, as a factor accompanying endocrine diseases, can cause a person to squeeze the walls of the stomach with excess fat mass and lead to heartburn.

Negative feelings can also appear in a healthy person if he does not follow his lifestyle. Daily unpleasant symptoms accompany a healthy person with the following ailments:

• improper diet (non-compliance with the proper frequency or volume of food consumed);
• excessive consumption of harmful products that cause irritation of the mucous membrane;
• heartburn often appears with constant alcohol use;
• in some people, this may be a reaction to smoking (nicotine irritates the gastric mucosa);
• negative sensations can also occur with the abuse of carbonated drinks containing dyes and preservatives;
• cause of persistent heartburn healthy body may be covered in wearing tight clothing, leading to squeezing of the stomach;
• overeating and late eating lead to the entry of gastric contents into the esophagus, and this is a common reason that gives an answer to the question of why heartburn torments.

Any deviation from healthy lifestyle life, including physical inactivity, and staying in an uncomfortable static position that causes constant squeezing of the walls of the stomach, and a violation of the diet, and bad habits - all this can be not only the cause of heartburn, but also the reason for the development of chronic diseases or a signal of the body about the already running mechanism of their development.

For a healthy person, the answer to the question of what to do if I suffer from heartburn all the time should be a set of measures to eliminate possible causes and a radical change in existing priorities.

If heartburn does not go away, and a visit to the gastroenterologist did not reveal any special violations, it's time to change the diet. You should give up bad habits, increase the time spent in the fresh air, great attention take care of your own health.

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

Heartburn is the most common symptom of gastrointestinal diseases. In medicine, there is a conditional division of diseases into two groups of reasons why heartburn torments every day:

• weakness or dysfunction of the gastric sphincter;
• excess production of hydrochloric acid, necessary for the digestion of food.

This may be a pathology of the intestines or stomach, but the mechanism of leakage is always based on two factors. Gastroesophageal reflux disease or reflux esophagitis is the most common cause of weakening of the ring between the esophagus and stomach, occurring in an acute or chronic course.

Every day, heartburn in this disease is due to the ingestion of the contents of the stomach on the lining of the esophagus. There are a lot of reasons why such a pathology may occur. These include both traumatic injury and the destructive effects of agents of variable etiology: from alcohol to hot and spicy food, from drugs to constant exposure to chemicals.

If heartburn is caused by cancer of the esophagus, a hernia of the diaphragmatic opening, or cardiospasm, in which there is a persistent spasm of the lower sphincter, then these are pathologies associated with the activity of the esophagus.

A prerequisite for them may be swallowing air when eating, eating junk food, or swallowing insufficiently chewed food, which the muscles of the esophagus are forced to push through with additional effort.

Esophageal dysphagia very often leads to regurgitation, chest pain, belching, and heartburn. With pathologies of the esophagus, negative symptoms will torment periodically.

If persistent heartburn is noted, then the causes may lie in peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum or the stage preceding the onset of the disease - gastritis of various etiologies.

Heartburn in these diseases is caused not only by low or high acidity, but also by drugs that many patients use without an appropriate doctor's prescription, not knowing for sure about the nature of the disease, but only assuming its presence.

The appearance of heartburn every day, the causes of which lie in diseases of the gallbladder or pancreas, requires an immediate visit to a doctor who will tell you what it is and how to treat it after appropriate diagnosis and hardware studies.

Polyps in the stomach or oncological pathologies of the digestive organs are always accompanied by a similar symptom. The manifestation of this etiological group is best diagnosed at an early stage of the disease, while effective help is still possible and time has not been lost.

Heartburn worries every day, and what to do with it is not clear. It is better to immediately consult a doctor and undergo an examination. Whatever the mechanism of occurrence of an unpleasant phenomenon, it still shows that the state of health is either on the verge of a disease, or in a state of a progressive negative process.

If the condition lasts for several days, and there are no objective and visible reasons for this, this means that the condition of the digestive system requires immediate help.

Prevention of the appearance

There are several necessary steps that every person who is concerned about their health can go through if they are seriously concerned about the question of what to do if heartburn is tormented, and really wants it to go away.

The first and indispensable condition is to undergo a medical examination and exclude possible chronic or acute pathologies. Causes and treatment in case of inflammatory, degenerative, destructive or oncological processes will be different, because heartburn is just a blurred clinical symptom.

If no pathologies are diagnosed, what to do with constant heartburn, you need to decide not with the help of medicines. What to do if you suffer from heartburn? You just need to bring the rhythm of your life and the process of proper nutrition in line with the norm.

You just need to make some effort on yourself and for many days in a row accustom yourself to proper nutrition. Refuse harmful foods, canned, spicy and salty foods, marinades and smoked meats. During the day there are several times with certain breaks. At lunch, you need to eat the first.

Try to keep the breaks in the meal were uniform and not very long. It is necessary to exclude food before bedtime, because if a person has eaten and lay down, this will certainly contribute to the ingress of food from the stomach into the esophagus in the supine position.

Avoid overeating and alcohol as one of the factors contributing to the excitation of appetite. Alcohol destroys the normal state of many digestive organs. It is necessary to give a convenient and comfortable position to the stomach, without squeezing it with clothes or prolonged stay in an uncomfortable position.

If you limit yourself to use for some time certain types food, in particular, fatty and meat, you can give rest to your digestive system, improve the body, help cleanse it of accumulated toxins and toxins. An adult should be able to take care of the digestion and metabolic processes of his body, know the causes leading to their violations, and be able to eliminate them in time.

This condition negatively affects the quality of human life, especially if it occurs 3 times a week or more often. The prevalence of the problem is striking in its breadth - we are talking about 30-50% of the inhabitants of developed countries. In this regard, it is important to clearly understand what is the source of this unpleasant sensation and how to deal with it correctly.

Improper diet is the cause of frequent heartburn

Heartburn, like most other phenomena in the body, can form either as an independent process or as a symptom of a specific disease. If an unpleasant sensation bothers you after meals, then you should not immediately look for ailments in yourself, first of all, you need to pay attention to what was on the plate. So, the most common and frequent cause of the reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus is malnutrition.

A number of products, getting into the stomach, provoke too active production of hydrochloric acid, which leads to discomfort. The next meal may well end with a burning sensation behind the sternum, if it was present:

• spicy foods and spices - they strongly irritate the gastric mucosa, which significantly increases the production of gastric juice;
• alcoholic drinks;
• sweet and starchy foods create favorable conditions for increased formation of gases, which creates pressure on the sphincters and increases the likelihood of reflux of gastric juice from the esophagus;
• carbonated drinks - their effect is equated with the effect of overeating. So, the pressure on the walls of the stomach and the sphincter, which prevents reflux, increases significantly;
• fatty, fried, smoked dishes;
• citrus fruits, as well as fruits with a high level of acid - stimulate the active production of hydrochloric acid;
• coffee - caffeine, which it contains, relaxes the esophageal sphincter, which leads to reflux;
• other irritating or heavy foods. In particular, nuts, mint, chips, cheese, etc.

Possible diseases

In the case when the relationship of heartburn with the nature of the food consumed has not been confirmed, the nutrition is done correctly, but, despite this, after eating, there is still a burning sensation, then the problems should be looked for inside. Most likely, heartburn is a symptom of the disease. There are a lot of pathological causes of an unpleasant feeling after eating, we highlight the main ones:

• the presence of ulcerative lesions either in the stomach or in the duodenum;
• chronic inflammation of the stomach walls (gastritis) with high acidity;
• leakage inflammatory process in the duodenum;
• obesity - the presence of excess deposits on the internal organs increases the pressure inside the abdominal cavity, which also affects the stomach;
• the presence of a hernia in the esophageal opening of the diaphragm;
• reflux disease is an ailment related to the functioning of the lower esophageal sphincter. The presence of such a diagnosis suggests that the muscle ring is not working properly and simply does not provide the required closure;
• features of conditions after surgery, in particular, removal of part of the intestine, gallbladder, oncological tumors in the abdominal cavity, etc.

What else can cause heartburn after every meal

Heartburn as a symptom of a certain condition can be combined with other manifestations, which significantly narrows the range of possible causes of the problem. Noting a certain set of symptoms, you can orient yourself regarding the source and immediately contact the right specialist.

Causes of constant heartburn and belching

Belching is the release of air that has accumulated in the stomach, through the esophagus and mouth. With the normal functioning of the digestive tract, this happens quite rarely, but if cases of belching with air have become more frequent, it is worth paying attention to Special attention to his condition. In the event that belching is a symptom of the disease, then along with the air from the stomach, its contents will also come out, which will lead to heartburn. Such a complex can be caused by the following reasons:

• the presence of neoplasms in the lumen of the esophagus, which prevent the normal passage of food;
• hiatal hernia;
• pathology of the biliary tract, pancreas;
• low stomach acid - this reason may seem wrong, but it actually takes place. Due to the fact that the stomach does not produce enough gastric juice, food is digested very slowly and begins to rot, which is accompanied by the release of gases - they also leave the body in the form of belching with the contents being thrown into the esophagus.

It is worth noting that sour belching in combination with heartburn is often found during pregnancy, especially starting from the second trimester. This is also related to changes in hormonal background, and with an increase in intra-abdominal pressure due to the increasing volume of the uterus.

What causes heartburn and nausea

The combination of these symptoms is very interconnected, since usually a strong burning sensation as an irritation of the walls of the esophagus causes severe nausea. This is a classic picture for almost all cases of heartburn, but it is worth highlighting the most common causes. Thus, food intake can end with dyspepsia - insufficiency of digestive enzymes, due to which food stagnates in the stomach, and decay processes begin.

With heaviness and pain in the stomach

The main cause of this combination of symptoms immediately after eating is overeating, that is, eating too much food. The walls of the stomach stretch, their ability to contract to further push food along the tract decreases, and food simply stagnates. On the other hand, overcrowding presses on the sphincter that connects the stomach to the esophagus. A particularly high risk of heartburn occurs if a person in this state also lies down. It is better to refuse plentiful feasts, which end not only with large volumes of food consumed, but also with a violation of the diet. It is always worth remembering that immediately after eating there should be a slight feeling of hunger.

Why does heartburn torment and gives pain to the arm

The main cause of this condition is gastroesophageal reflux disease. It can form either due to a weakening of the sphincter at the bottom of the esophagus, or due to the constant reflux of contents from the stomach into the lower parts of the organ. Typical symptoms of the disease: sour belching, heartburn, burning pain behind the sternum, which radiate to left hand. If you do not deal with the treatment of the condition, then this can result in unpleasant consequences, in particular the narrowing of the lumen of the esophagus.

Why does burning appear 1-2 hours after eating?

In adult patients, it often happens that heartburn does not occur immediately after eating, but a couple of hours after. Most probable cause such a "delayed" symptom is a violation of the diet and unhealthy food. It is in such situations that the reflux of the contents of the stomach into the esophagus does not occur immediately, but through 1-2 hours, since initially the body is still trying to cope with the load that is assigned to it.

What to do and how to get rid of constant heartburn after eating

If the source of the problem is malnutrition, then all that is required of the patient is to adhere to a certain diet and not provoke new cases with overeating, fast food and frequent snacking. In other situations, when the problem is not independent and rare, high-quality therapy is necessary.

Treatment with medications

As already noted, heartburn is a phenomenon that can be due to a number of reasons. It is not always possible to identify these causes on your own, and therefore an adequate diagnosis is carried out by a doctor in order to identify the factor provoking this symptom. Thus, a specific pharmacological agent is also selected by a doctor and a treatment strategy is built not on suppressing heartburn itself, but on eliminating the problem that causes it.

However, in some cases, the described phenomenon can be extremely pronounced, causing serious discomfort. In this case, you can use emergency drugs that cannot cure heartburn, but will reduce and neutralize Negative influence abandoned masses on the walls of the esophagus. Among the drugs, the use of which may be relevant under the described conditions, it is worth highlighting:

• Magnesia;
• Vikalin;
• Bouget mix;
• Gestid;
• Alumag;
• Maalox etc.

Effective folk remedies

There are a lot of folk remedies that allow you to temporarily get rid of the reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus. Some drugs that are commonly used as express drugs can do more harm to the body than good. In this regard, it is worth considering the main folk remedies that are customary to drink in case of heartburn.

Instead of drinking soda, which, when interacting with gastric juice, severely injures the mucous membrane, forming a large amount of carbon dioxide, it is better to resort to the help of herbal remedies. Among the most effective recipes, it should be noted:

• Pour 20 grams of yellow gentian root with a glass of boiling water, insist for a couple of hours, strain and take a tablespoon 30 minutes before meals;
• chopped walnut is taken one incomplete tablespoon a day in the morning as an effective therapeutic and prophylactic product;
• mint leaves mixed with currant leaves, pour boiling water and drink as tea at the time of exacerbation of heartburn.

Video: how to quickly get rid of heartburn

To quickly deal with the problem, you need to know the causes of heartburn and how to treat it with the help of folk remedies.

With such a nuisance as heartburn, anyone can face. This is not always the case, for example, before an important trip or an interview.

Heartburn is an unpleasant burning sensation in the chest area, which can be accompanied by nausea and belching, as well as a sour or bitter taste in the mouth. With the help of research, doctors managed to prove that this problem worries almost half of the population of the entire planet.

This disease can be random or permanent. In the first case, a person experiences discomfort in the esophagus for some time after eating, which disappear if you take a pill.

Constant heartburn worries much more often and it is not so easy to get rid of it. In any case, the symptoms of the disease are quite unpleasant and require treatment. To do this, first of all, you need to know what reasons caused it.

Among them are:

• eating too spicy, fatty, sweet and salty foods;
• excess weight;
• drinking coffee, alcoholic or carbonated drinks;
• taking certain drugs, for example: acetylsalicylic acid, Ibuprofen, Naproxen;
• wearing sufficiently tight clothing that presses in the abdomen;
• lifting weights after eating;
• constant stress.

The most common cause, as a rule, is malnutrition. This means eating large amounts of foods that provoke a high secretion of gastric juice. Many people may have an individual intolerance to certain foods, which is also a cause of heartburn.

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract should also not be ignored.

And ulcers not only cause pain and prevent you from eating whatever you want, they can also cause heartburn and other consequences. Therefore, it is important to always monitor the state of the body so that one disease does not contribute to the emergence of others.

This also applies to diseases such as pancreatitis, food poisoning, etc. Even a small injury inside the stomach can cause heartburn.

After determining the causes, you should deal with the symptoms of the disease.

Symptoms of the disease

The main symptom of the disease: an unpleasant burning sensation in the upper part of the abdominal cavity. It can reach the esophagus or the throat. This unpleasant sensation intensifies when lying down or bending over.

In addition, there may be a sour or bitter taste in the mouth, belching. If these signs appear for the first time, after a violation of the correct diet, it is quite possible to try to cope with this problem on your own.

If the symptoms appear often enough or recur periodically, and there is a chronic cough, or heartburn occurs after taking medications, you should seek medical help. If there is constant heartburn, which is accompanied by loss of appetite and fatigue, you should not hesitate - you must definitely go to the doctor.

Emergency medical attention is required when, in addition to heartburn, there is dark, bloody stools, severe back pain, vomiting, chest pain, or worsening abdominal pain. In the hospital, the person will receive the necessary assistance and prescribe a course of treatment.

Heartburn treatment

Treatment may be required as described emergency or with persistent heartburn. The standard treatment is medicines. This includes and folk methods treatment. Of course, it is best to have a specialist prescribe a course of treatment, because treatment should be individual.

To establish a correct diagnosis, patients are advised to consume both chemically, mechanically and thermally sparing food. If heartburn is pronounced, frequent and fractional meals are prescribed, mandatory restriction of carbohydrates and an increase in easily digestible fats in food.

Those patients whose secretory function of the stomach has not returned to normal are recommended drugs, adsorbent and enveloping preparations. In addition, it is desirable for them to drink alkaline mineral waters.

If the disease is associated with the release of alkaline fluid from the intestine (duodenal) - it can be removed by taking weak solutions of some organic acids: acetic or citric acid. In sick people with achlorhydria with anemia (pernicious), the feeling of heartburn disappears after taking vitamin B 12.

After the doctor prescribed the treatment, the causes were clarified and eliminated, the treatment folk remedies may have an additional effect.

Folk remedies for the treatment of heartburn

Traditional medicine offers a huge number of different recipes: soda, healing herbs, milk, potatoes, etc.. Treatment of heartburn with traditional medicine can be done with herbal tinctures and teas, which perfectly neutralize stomach acid.

Herbs

The most popular recipe for medicinal infusion: mix chamomile, dry wormwood and mint in equal parts. Pour two teaspoons of this mixture with a liter of boiling water. Tea should be infused for several hours, you can leave it to infuse during the night.

Helps well and normal chamomile tea. You can also add dried mint to it if you don't like the taste of wormwood.

Soda

If you need to urgently get rid of heartburn, a great helper will be soda solution. To prepare it, you need to stir one teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water. After that, the solution is completely drunk.

But it is important to remember that this is not a method of treatment, but simply emergency help. And it is not recommended to use it regularly, because it can serve as a violation of the acid-base balance in the stomach.

Well, this solution helps with occasional heartburn. If it is constant, then this method will be of little use.

You can quickly get rid of the disease with the help of ordinary milk. This method provides only a temporary improvement. After taking a glass of milk, not only heartburn disappears, but also stomach aching pains.

However, after the breakdown of milk, acid is formed, which can become a new cause of heartburn. So milk should be drunk with caution and in small quantities - a glass will be enough.

Poppy

From the disease, soda-lemon fizz helps well. This method is quite simple: in a glass of water, stir half a teaspoon of soda and add 0.5 teaspoon of lemon juice.

The mixture is stirred until the soda disappears completely, after which it is drunk. But do not forget that such a fizz will not cure, but only relieve heartburn and its symptoms. Frequent use of the popper is not desirable.

Seeds for heartburn

The seeds seem to be an ineffective remedy for heartburn, as they can irritate the esophagus. In fact, this can be avoided by eating the seeds raw.

You can remove the burning sensation if you eat pumpkin seeds every morning or eat several raw pumpkin seeds several times during one day.

Seeds are good because you can take them with you to work, where another attack of heartburn can happen. The main thing is not to overeat, a small handful of seeds is enough for a day.

Activated carbon

Activated charcoal can absorb excess acid that forms in the stomach. It can be considered as medicine as well as traditional medicine.

Charcoal does not irritate the intestines at all Therefore, it is considered to be completely safe. Coal intake is allowed even during pregnancy.

At the initial signs of heartburn, you need to drink a few tablets. This can be done several times, but if the attacks recur, you will have to see a doctor.

Honey

Honey has a calming effect on the body and eliminates pain and irritation in the esophagus.

Honey is taken in this way: when symptoms of heartburn appear, eat a teaspoon of honey and drink it with chamomile tea. Honey can be added to tea instead of sugar and you can drink this tea instead of the usual one several times a day.

After a person has chosen a suitable treatment with folk remedies, eliminated the causes of heartburn, he should familiarize himself with its consequences.

Consequences of heartburn

May be quite dangerous diseases like esophageal cancer. Scientists have been able to prove that, if left untreated for a long time, heartburn can contribute to the occurrence of cancer.

From less dangerous consequences you can isolate caries, which will slowly destroy teeth if you do not get rid of its pathogen. Also, constant heartburn without proper treatment can provoke the appearance of diseases and damage to the stomach: ulcers, erosions and scars.

That is why it is impossible not to pay attention to heartburn, it must be cured. In addition to the course of medicines and folk remedies, changing eating habits will help in this.

Nutrition for heartburn

Nutrition should be dietary or correct. All harmful products should be excluded from the diet.

It is better to give preference to healthy food: vegetables, fruits, cereals. At least a week it is desirable to adhere to such a diet.

From drinks it is preferable to drink freshly squeezed juices, herbal teas, mineral water. It is desirable to exclude coffee and alcohol from the menu for a while.

Heartburn prevention

Highly important point in the fight against the disease is the observance of the necessary preventive measures. They are quite simple:

• you need to eat slowly and little by little, chewing food thoroughly, taking a small amount of food at one time;
• you need to eat right, limiting the consumption of junk food;
• it is necessary to monitor the weight and not gain it more than the norm;
• do not wear tight, tight-fitting clothing that squeezes the stomach;
• do not lift weights immediately after eating;
• avoid stressful situations.

Adherence to preventive measures, knowledge of the causes, consequences and treatment of heartburn folk remedies will help a person who is faced with this disease in many ways.

It does not hurt to be examined by a doctor several times a year to exclude the presence of diseases of the digestive system that cause heartburn.