Heartburn and Reflux

Contrary to popular opinion, heartburn is an extremely common affliction, and every person has probably experienced heartburn at least once in his or her life. Heartburn is a painful sensation in the chest area, caused by the regurgitation of stomach acid into the oesophagus, a phenomenon known as acid reflux. The pain is caused by the flow of acid into the oesophagus, during acid reflux, which burns the soft and sensitive tissue of the oesophagus.

Most of the time, acid reflux is prevented by a muscle that seals the opening between the stomach and the oesophagus. During heartburn, however, this muscle fails to close completely, allowing acid reflux to take place. One of the most common causes of heartburn is eating a very large meal. The contents of the meal, along with swallowed air, creates pressure in the stomach that can force the closed muscle open and allow acid reflux, causing heartburn.

Some simple measures that you can take to reduce your risk of heartburn are eating smaller portions at mealtimes and not lying down immediately after eating. Both smaller meal portions and not lying down after eating help reduce the risk of acid reflux by making it more difficult for acid to flow from the stomach into the oesophagus.

Other treatments for heartburn and acid reflux include antacids and other medicines. Antacids help remove any excess stomach acid left over after digestion of a meal while other medicines prevent production of stomach acid entirely, thus preventing heartburn and acid reflux.