Severe Heartburn – Don’t Do Drugs
Heartburn is a painful burning feeling in your chest. It has nothing to do with the heart, but severe heartburn can sometimes be mistaken for a heart attack because it’s so painful. Heartburn is caused by stomach acid leaking through the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) into the esophagus. If your LES is relaxed or if there is too much pressure on the stomach, acid can leak through.
The stomach contains a layer of mucus which protects its lining from the burning acid. Your esophagus does not have that protection from the acid. It relies on the LES which is supposed to stop the acid and other stomach contents from getting through. Drugs and antacids only temporarily reduce the symptoms of severe heartburn which can often return worse than before.
Severe heartburn is the main symptom of acid reflux or Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). If you leave it untreated, GERD can go beyond being painful or irritating and lead to dangerous complications such as the dissolving of enamel on your teeth. It can also causes fluid buildup in the sinuses, lungs and middle ears, as well as more serious medical conditions such as ulcers, erosive esophagitis, or creating multiple scars within the esophagus.
Pain in the chest is normally the most common heartburn symptom but there are sometimes other symptoms. For instance, when stomach acid moves higher up the esophagus it can give you a burning feeling in the throat as well as a sour or bitter taste in your mouth. Chronic coughing is also caused by stomach acid backing up the esophagus.
Long term use of drugs and antacids can actually worsen your heartburn condition and may lead to dangerous complications. Most prescription drugs including the ones for treating heartburn, can potentially damage your delicate natural inner balance. They sometimes interfere with your liver function, increasing the toxins in your body, or slow down your metabolism which can result in other serious side effects.
Drugs like Prilosec, Prevacid or Nexium aimed at treating acid reflux are to be taken for a period of no more than 8 weeks. If these drugs are taken for longer periods they can actually stimulate the stomach to produce more acid. When these drugs are taken a hormone called Gastrin is produced by your body. An over production of this hormone can often lead to cancer in the esophagus or pancreas when cells in these areas grow too large.
Modern research has proved that a regulated diet, healthy lifestyle and a holistic system can permanently cure acid reflux, severe heartburn and achieve lasting freedom from most digestive problems without the need to use drugs or antacids.
Click here to see the best heartburn treatment.
Heartburn Treatment
If you suffer from heartburn you will know how painful it can be. This pain usually starts after eating or when you lie down. So for many people who suffer from severe heartburn, sleeping can be something to fear because they never know if they will wake up with the horrible pain in there chest.
When looking for an effective treatment that doesn’t involve surgery or the need for prescription medications, it is possible to make simple changes to your lifestyle that will decrease the amount and severity of the heartburn symptoms that you experience. It is even possible to completely stop heartburn from ever being a problem again.
Changing your diet and the way you eat is one of the most effective heartburn treatments. You should avoid eating spicy and acidic foods late in the day. Heartburn attacks are mostly related to the food that you consume. A good way to find out what foods and drinks give you severe heartburn is to write down what foods you have eaten when you have heartburn pain. Then you simply remove one kind from your diet at a time and see if your heartburn symptoms lessen. If not try removing another type of food that is on your list until you notice an improvement.
Never overeat. Having a full stomach causes stomach acid to leak into the esophagus. Instead of having three large meals every day, have several smaller meals and spread them throughout the day. The stomach releases acid to help digest the food, the less food there is in the stomach the less acid is needed to digest that food. So it makes sense that having less food and therefore less acid in the stomach will reduce your heartburn symptoms and pain.
Another important thing to think about is when you eat. You should avoid consuming any food before lying down. It is best to wait two to three hours before you lie down to give your food time to digest so the amount of stomach acid returns to normal.
For heartburn relief drink plenty of water after each meal and throughout the day. Water will dilute your stomach acid making your heartburn less severe.
If you are still having problems with heartburn when you sleep try raising the head end of your bed. If you are lying flat it will be easier for stomach acid to leak into your esophagus, but when the head of your bed is raised then gravity can help keep the acid in your stomach.
If you still find yourself suffering from severe heartburn after you have tried these tips you could try this natural heartburn treatment that could permanently cure your heartburn forever!
Causes of Severe Heartburn
Severe Heartburn occurs when the passageway from your esophagus to your stomach, known as the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), relaxes inappropriately letting food and stomach acid into the esophagus. Heartburn also occurs when the stomach produces too much acid so that it leaks into the esophagus.
Some common foods that can cause the LES to relax include;
- Fried (greasy) foods,
- High fat meats butter and margarine,
- Mayonnaise,
- Creamy sauces,
- Salad dressings,
- Whole-milk dairy products,
- Chocolate or peppermint,
- Caffeinated beverages (e.g. soft drinks, coffee, tea, cocoa).
Some foods over stimulate stomach acid production, which can result in severe heartburn. Foods like caffeinated beverages, carbonated beverages, alcohol, spicy foods, black pepper, citrus fruit (e.g. orange, grapefruit) and tomato juice.
Smoking cigarettes relaxes the LES and stimulates more stomach acid. This double action makes it a major contributor to severe heartburn.
Another thing to watch is eating too much food at one time. When the stomach is too full, the stomach acid is more likely to leak upwards into the lower esophagus or throat and cause a painful burning sensation. So many people experience heartburn simply from eating a big meal.
Constant pressure on your stomach such as obesity or pregnancy can contribute to heartburn. Putting pressure on the stomach forces food against the LES, and causes the food and stomach acid to reflux into the esophagus. Even wearing clothing that is tight around the abdomen can have a similar effect.
