A fairly large percentage of adults suffer from heartburn on a regular or daily basis. This can be extremely frustrating; eating is usually a pleasurable and an enjoyable experience, but when one is worried about the aftermath, it can be difficult to make or order their favorite meals and dishes.
After a big meal, individuals that suffer from the problem may start to feel a burning sensation in the upper abdomen or chest. Very often, this pain or discomfort travels all the way up the esophagus into the throat displaying a sour taste and possibly making the person feel like food is re-entering the mouth once more.
Though this issue has been nicknamed ?heartburn,? it is actually a digestive problem that has to do with the acidic lining of the stomach coming into contact with the esophagus and causing a burning or painful feeling. There are different levels of seriousness of the condition; the case is considered mild if it occurs once a month, moderate if it happens once a week, and if it is an everyday occurrence, it is considered to be severe.
When you eat and swallow food, it travels down the esophagus into the stomach where it will be digested. Once the substance reaches the stomach, a ring of muscle fibers that separates it from the food pipe prevents it from moving back up.
This muscle fiber grouping is called the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES. If an individual?s LES muscle does not close properly, their ingested food and liquids, as well as stomach acid, can travel back up and cause discomfort and burning.
A serious case like the aforementioned intestinal malfunction is usually referred to as acid reflux, gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. Not all heartburn is caused by this problem.
Eating certain foods can possibly make one?s likelihood of experiencing it increase, especially fatty or fried meals, chocolate, coffee, sugar, alcohol, or peppermint, because they are able to temporarily weaken the LES muscle. Other behaviors that can increase the likelihood include taking certain medications, eating large meals before bedtime, smoking, hiatal hernia, and living a stressful lifestyle.
Depending upon the level of intensity and how often one experiences heartburn, it can range from being a minor nuisance to a serious problem. Those that have chronic cases or suffer from GERD can have scarring of the esophagus over time.
This may cause the esophagus to narrow and make it difficult to swallow properly or without discomfort. When the lining of it is damaged, one?s likelihood of developing esophageal cancer may increase.
Diagnosing the problem can be much easier if you understand the symptoms or indicators of it. A large majority of those who suffer do not initially realize that it is heartburn that is plaguing them, and simply think that they had a bad reaction to foods they were eating.
Common symptoms of the condition are feeling that food is trapped behind the breastbone, nausea after consuming meals, a burning pain in the chest that may be increased by bending or lying down, and/or nighttime esophageal pain. Other indicators that are not necessarily as obvious or common are coughing, hiccupping, sore throat, and regurgitating food.
Those that notice any of these symptoms, even on a sporadic basis, may want to pay a visit to their doctor and find out whether or not the problem is related to GERD. No one should have to suffer through burning pain and worry that it will occur after every meal.
Your doctor should be able to run some tests and find out exactly what the problem is and, from there, assign you a treatment plan that could lessen your likelihood of experiencing discomfort. There are definitely things that you, as a patient, can try to prevent heartburn from occurring.
As opposed to eating three large meals during the day, it could be helpful to try to eat smaller meals more frequently. You may also find that eating slowly can prevent problems, because it is less likely to put your stomach and esophagus on overload.
Understanding your heartburn triggers and avoiding them is another great way to possibly forego having to experience pain after eating. It may also be a good idea to refrain from eating meals too close to your regular bedtime.
Understanding the condition and how one can possibly improve it may help patients to lessen the effect that it has on their lives. If you have any questions or concerned, it is probably best to set up an appointment with your physician.
Tommy Greene has worked in surgical equipment sales for the past 15 years. He has great advice and information on Diathermy units.
Contact Info:
Tommy Greene
tommygreene09@gmail.com
http://www.megadyne.com/es_generator.php
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