Heartburn and acid reflux are two related gastro-intestinal conditions which affect countless patients around the world. They can affect individuals of all ages, from infancy and childhood to old age.
Heartburn is manifested as a burning sensation in the patient’s chest, behind the esophagus. On its own, this condition shouldn’t be worrisome; it is caused by the accidental reflux of gastric acid into the esophagus, and the burning sensation is the result of the acid’s effect on the esophageal lining. Short term exposure of the esophageal tissue to gastric acid doesn’t pose a real threat to the patient’s health.
On the other hand, if a patient suffers from heartburn regularly and other symptoms appear along with it, such as nausea and vomiting, chronic cough, sour or acidic taste in the mouth, voice hoarseness and bad breath, he or she is strongly advised to seek the advice of a specialized health care professional, as the condition may have developed into acid reflux.
There are several possible reasons why a patient’s condition evolves beyond simple heartburn and acid reflux sets in. One of them is a dysfunctional lower esophageal sphincter. The role of the LES is to allow food and liquids to enter the stomach while at the same time preventing the gastric contents from passing back into the esophagus; if this sphincter doesn’t function properly, the acid gastric contents can reflux and attack the soft esophageal tissue often enough to become a health risk.
Other factors which can cause or influence heartburn and acid reflux are related to the patient’s eating habits and life style. For example, an individual who habitually eats a large meal right before going to sleep is more likely to suffer from these affections than someone who allows one hour to pass between finishing his or her meals and resting.
There are numerous treatment options for heartburn and acid reflux, ranging from dietary treatments to medication therapy and even surgery. In most cases, the behavioral and dietary treatment plans are preferred, and the other options are only employed if the patient’s condition fails to improve or gets worse. As part of the dietary regimen, the patient should avoid any food or beverage which causes or worsens his or her symptoms, especially chocolate, tomatoes, coffee, spicy, fried or fatty foods, etc. Among the behavioral changes, the patient should avoid big meals which will fill his or her stomach; instead, smaller meals over the course of the day should be preferred. Also, horizontal sleeping positions should be avoided where possible, by tilting the head side of the bed ten to twenty degrees higher than the foot side.
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