What is heartburn?
heartburn is a painful condition involving the upper digestive system, not the heart itself. Because pain often radiates from the central chest area, some suffering from heartburn symptoms of heart attack. In fact, heartburn is due to stomach acids that respond strongly to certain meals during digestion. A small amount of stomach acid is forced to unprotected esophagus and the resulting chemical burn causes medium to severe pain.
Under normal circumstances, the esophagus, which leads from the mouth to the stomach, should not be exposed to stomach acids. The stomach itself contains a layer of mucus that protects its lining from strong digestive juices. Ezophagus does not have such protection, but it has a muscle muscles of the sphincter near the stomach that should function as a one -way valve. If this sphincter becomes weak or stunned, the stomach content can be forced back to the esophagus and cause burns. This condition is called GERD, abbreviation for gastroesofageal reflux disease.
Although suffering FriGerd does not have a heartburn, may have a temporary condition called sour reflux. The stomach can be amazed by excessive amounts of food or foods that are strongly spicy. The result is a feeling of swirling, followed by a sudden urge to vomit. The whole esophagus from the vocal cords to the stomach may be affected by heartburn pain. Severe heartburn incidents can lead to unbearable localized pain and difficulty of speech.
The most common treatment of heartburn is immediate consumption of antacid tablets. Since excessive acid production is the root cause of heartburn, these tablets contain the "base" of calcium and carbonate. Chemically, the acid is neutralized when combined with the base. Excess acid essentially becomes water when antacid tablets get into the stomach. Sparkling tablets such as Alka-Seltzer work in the same way, although other gas bubbles help eliminate trapped drugsto the air and pain to heal other symptoms.
Recent progress in heartburn research has led to new regulations and drugs decreasing acid with free -the -counter acid. A couple against burning, gerd and sour reflux can now take a small pill before using unpleasant foods. These drugs, such as a prilosec and tagamet, focus on the mechanism of production of acid by the stomach itself. If less acid is produced during digestion, then less acid reaches the esophagus if an acid reflux incident occurs. This should reduce the intensity and frequency of heartburn pain.
It is important to understand the difference between severe heartburn and real heart attack or angina. The heartburn pain is located in the central chest, while the heart of a heart attack can radiate the back and down the arm. Suffering from heart burning often reports a series of sharp chest pain, while many heart attack Victi feels more boring difficulties. If you have doubts, it is always good to visit the closest afterCash room. It is better to be sent home with a prescription for antacids than self-diagnostic heart pain as heartburn.