Despite its name, heartburn doesn't affect the
heart. Heartburn is a burning feeling in the lower chest, along with a
sour or bitter taste in the throat and mouth. It usually occurs after
eating a big meal or while lying down. The feeling can last for a few
minutes or a few hours.
When you eat, food passes from your mouth down a tube (about 10 inches
long in most people) called the esophagus. To enter the stomach, the
food must pass through an opening between the esophagus and stomach.
This opening acts like a gate to allow food to pass into the stomach.
Usually,
this opening closes as soon as food passes through. But if it doesn't
close all the way, acid from your stomach can get through the opening
and into your esophagus. This is called reflux. Stomach acid can
irritate the esophagus and cause heartburn.
Hiatal hernia is a condition in which part of the
stomach is pushed up through the diaphragm (the muscle wall between the
stomach and chest) and into the chest. Sometimes this causes heartburn.
Many things can make heartburn worse. Heartburn is
most common after overeating, when bending over or when lying down.
Pregnancy, stress and certain foods can also make heartburn worse. The
box below lists other things that can aggravate heartburn symptoms.
Can heartburn be serious?
If you only have heartburn now and then, it's
probably not serious. However, if you have heartburn frequently, it can
lead to esophagitis (an inflamed lining of the esophagus). If
esophagitis becomes severe, your esophagus might narrow and you might
have bleeding or trouble swallowing.
If you get more than
occasional heartburn, it may be a symptom of acid reflux disease,
gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), an inflamed stomach lining
(gastritis), hiatal hernia or peptic ulcer.
What can I do to feel better?
Tips on preventing heartburn
- Place 6- to 9-inch blocks under the legs at the head of your bed
to raise it.
- Try to eat at least 2 to 3 hours before lying down. If you take
naps, try sleeping in a chair.
- If you smoke, quit.
- Lose weight if you're overweight.
- Don't overeat.
- Eat high-protein, low-fat meals.
- Avoid tight clothes and tight belts.
- Avoid foods and other things that give you heartburn.
