Understanding Heartburn and How it Effects Your Overall Health, Wellness, and Quality of Life

It creates an uncomfortable sensation in your chest. Yet, what you are feeling may actually be an indicator of what is happening in your stomach and esophagus. It’s called heartburn, and it is more common than you may realize. Many people experience heartburn occasionally. Others, however, have it frequently – perhaps even on a daily basis. In these situations, the condition can dramatically impact your overall health, wellness, and quality of life. For this reason, it is important to understand what heartburn is, how it feels, what causes it, when it is serious enough to require treatment from a specialist, and what can be done to resolve it.

What is heartburn?
Heartburn is often described as a burning sensation, felt right in the middle of your chest. The feeling, in many cases, is a result of acids from the stomach rising into the esophagus – best known as reflux. Some people wonder why this creates pain in the chest, and the answer is a simple one: your esophagus runs through your chest and is positioned close to your heart.

Heartburn can last a few minutes or several hours. It can occur sporadically or chronically. It can also become more problematic as you age, as your weight increases, or as a result of medications you have been prescribed for other medical reasons. Heartburn tends to be more rampant when you are laying down, bending over, and eating late in the day. It can also be triggered by heavy, acidic, and spicy foods.

How does heartburn feel?
Heartburn affects everyone differently. Some people experience a burning or even painful feeling in their chest. Others feel nauseous, find themselves regurgitating food, hiccupping, burping, or end up with a sour taste in their mouth. In some cases, people with heartburn feel bloated, have a hard time controlling their cough, or feel soreness in the throat.

What causes heartburn?
There is a valve at the bottom of your esophagus called a lower esophageal sphincter. Its job is to prevent the contents in your stomach from rising. But sometime that valve weakens, and isn’t able to close completely. This is how acids and enzymes from the stomach ultimately end up rising to the esophagus, and cause heartburn. Smoke inhalation and digestion of coffee, chocolate, citrus fruits, mint, and tomato sauce can also increase the likeliness that you may experience heartburn.

At what point should I see a doctor?
If you are experiencing heartburn often, or if the pain you are feeling is severe, it is recommended that you consult with a doctor, for two primary reasons. The first is that you want to make sure what you are feeling is in fact heartburn, and not a sign that you are experiencing or about to experience a major medical emergency such as a heart attack or a stroke. The second reason is that heartburn really impact your overall health, wellness, and quality of life, but it doesn’t have to. It is treatable. There is a lot your doctor can do to help you.

How is heartburn treated?
In some cases, your doctor will suggest medication to resolve heartburn. Many over-the-counter medications can help but do not fix the problem in the long term. In those cases, he or she may prescribe an antibiotic or a topical steroid to treat the issue. Additionally, your doctor may also offer a few lifestyle adjustment recommendations; simple things you can do to reduce the likeliness of having heartburn, day-in and day-out.

Beebe’s Heartburn Center gives people who live in, work in, and visit Sussex County a place to turn for comprehensive care and guidance, when heartburn needs to be medically addressed. To schedule an appointment with one of our expert providers, please call 302-291-6033.