What is heartburn?
Heartburn, sometimes called acid indigestion, is a painful, burning feeling in the middle of your chest or the upper part of your stomach. The pain, which can also spread to your neck, jaw, or arms, can last just a few minutes or stick with you for hours.
What causes heartburn?
There’s a muscle at the entrance of your stomach, called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), that acts like a gate: It opens to let food move from your esophagus to your stomach, and it shuts to stop food and acid from coming back out.
When the LES opens too often or isn’t tight enough, stomach acid can rise up into the esophagus and cause the burning feeling.
What triggers heartburn?
Triggers vary from person to person, but you may be more likely to get heartburn when you:
- Overeat
- Eat spicy, fatty, acidic, or greasy foods
- Consume caffeine or alcohol
- Smoke
- Lie down shortly after you eat
- Are under stress
Who gets heartburn?
Some people have a higher risk of heartburn, including those who are:
- Smokers
- Overweight
- Pregnant
- Have a hiatal hernia, where the stomach bulges up into the chest through an opening in the diaphragm
How should I change my diet to avoid heartburn?
You might have noticed that your heartburn gets worse when you eat or drink certain things. Here are a few that can trigger heartburn:
- Alcohol
- Chocolate
- Coffee
- Fatty or fried foods
- Greasy foods
- Onions
- Oranges, lemons, and other citrus fruits and juices
- Vinegar, hot sauces, and salad dressings
- Peppermint
- Sodas and other bubbly drinks
- Spicy foods
- Tomatoes and tomato sauce
Big meals can also set off heartburn. Instead of eating three big meals a day, try to eat several small meals throughout the day.
What else can I do to prevent heartburn?
Here are a few steps to try:
- Lose weight if you’re overweight. Extra pounds put pressure on your stomach, forcing more acid up into your esophagus.
- Wear loose clothing. Tight clothes that press on your stomach can trigger heartburn.
- If you smoke, quit. Cigarette smoke relaxes the muscle that prevents acid from backing up into the esophagus. It also may increase how much acid your stomach makes.
- Check your medicines. Regular use of anti-inflammatory and pain medicines (other than acetaminophen) contributes to heartburn.
- Avoid high-impact exercise.
If heartburn bothers you at night:
- Eat a light dinner and avoid foods that trigger your heartburn.
- Don’t lie down for at least 2 to 3 hours after you eat.
- Use blocks or books to raise the head of your bed by 4-6 inches. Or put a foam wedge under your mattress at the head of the bed. Sleeping at an angle will help stop acid from backing up into your esophagus.
Can exercise cause heartburn?
Exercise has more than a few health perks. Among them is weight loss, which can help you avoid getting heartburn in the first place if you are overweight. But some types of exercise can trigger the burning sensation. You’ll be less likely to reach for your heartburn medicine if you avoid crunches and inverted poses in yoga. You may need to find alternatives to high-impact workouts. For example, bicycle or swim instead of going for a run.
Credit: webmd
