Stop Heartburn

Heartburn is an annoying and painful condition that everyone has to deal with from time to time. But how can you stop heartburn?

Gastroesophageal reflux or heartburn is an annoying and painful condition that everyone has to deal with from time to time. In general, the symptoms are quite obvious, although they can also show up as a hidden disorder.

In addition, did you know that in America the drugs against reflux are at the top of the list of the most sold drugs? But America is not the only country where a large part of the population has to deal with this “burning” problem.

Do you sometimes suffer from it and do you want to stop your heartburn, read below some interesting tips to combat this ailment.

Some facts about heartburn

Belching and heartburn are among the most common disorders of the digestive system. They can be quite disruptive to everyday life and almost everyone has experienced them to a greater or lesser degree.

Regurgitation occurs when stomach acid, which is responsible for the digestion of food, flows back through the esophagus to the throat. What are the signs and symptoms of heartburn ?

• A sour and burning, pressing feeling in the back of the throat.
• Belching in which some stomach contents flow back into the oral cavity.
• Nausea with a bad, sour taste in the mouth.
• Trouble swallowing food.
• Painful, burning sensation behind the sternum, just above the stomach. The pinching pain is often confused with heart complaints. This pain can radiate to the neck and between the shoulder blades.

If someone has to deal with the complaints described above at least once a week, it is called gastroesophageal reflux disease. Nearly half of the US population says they have belching and about 20% suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease.

While we know that American eating habits are not among the healthiest, we also see about the same numbers emerging in countries with known healthier diets, such as Spain.
Stop or avoid heartburn. More and more people want that.

After the meal

When food is swallowed, it enters the esophagus. The esophagus is a muscular tube between the oral cavity and the stomach. Muscles in the wall of the esophagus carry food to the stomach.

There is also a muscle at the transition from the esophagus to the stomach that must ensure that the stomach contents do not flow back up.

As soon as the food arrives in the stomach, it is mixed with gastric juice. This gastric juice contains a lot of acids, which have a degrading effect. That is why the stomach has a thick mucous membrane that protects the stomach wall against this acid.

However, this protective layer does not occur in the esophagus and the oral cavity, so if stomach contents enter the esophagus, this can cause serious damage and complaints.

After a meal, when the stomach is a bit heavier, the sphincter to the esophagus sometimes opens and stomach contents or stomach acid flows back into the esophagus. In itself a normal phenomenon that can do no harm.

In people with heartburn, the sphincter is open much more often than normal and stomach acid regularly flows up into the esophagus. This causes the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux.

If heartburn develops regularly and is not treated, an inflammation of the esophagus can develop. Chronic exposure of the esophagus to stomach acid can even lead to lung disease and an increased risk of esophageal cancer.

Dental problems and chronic bad breath are also linked to problems with the esophagus.

Note that there can also be hidden reflux, where the stomach contents come up without being noticed. Only an acidity measurement or endoscopy can make the diagnosis in this case.

Burps are of all ages

Reflux is diagnosed from birth and is common in small children. If the belching does not occur frequently, then this need not be alarming. About 85% of the newborns have to deal with giving back some milk formula.

Until the end of the first year of life, it is a completely normal phenomenon. With the mother herself, the belching mainly occurs during pregnancy as a result of the extra pressure that the growing belly exerts on the stomach.

For the same reason, heartburn is also more common in people who are obese. Excess fat around the waist puts more pressure on the stomach area, which increases the chance that the valve between the stomach and esophagus will open.

Obesity in combination with an unhealthy diet therefore causes a lot of stomach complaints in children, teenagers and adults.

In old age, the belching can reappear due to weakening of the muscles.  As a result, the gastric valve will again be closed less well.

How can you stop or avoid heartburn?

Choose healthy food

What you eat has a major influence on the development of acid indigestion. An increase in existing complaints is seen in almost everyone after eating or drinking coffee, alcohol, chocolate, tomato sauce, spicy dishes and pre-prepared dairy products. Avoid these foods as much as possible and replace them with fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and water.

Improve your eating habits

Your diet itself can also stop or increase heartburn. Large meals and eating until late in the evening will make the complaints more frequent and make the pain more intense.  We often eat way too much, which overloads the digestive system and leaves no time to relax.

Opt for five super healthy meals a day with plenty of fruit and vegetables. Avoid alcoholic drinks and fast food and fatty snacks. The most important things to remember are: smaller portions, more small meals spread throughout the day and drink plenty of water. Eat slowly and mindfully, chew your food enough and enjoy every meal.

Make sure you get enough rest

Take some time to relax after each meal. It is better not to move too much or bend over just after you have eaten. Allow the muscles to rest for a while, so that less muscle tension will be exerted on the esophagus. As a result, digestion will run more efficiently and calmly, which significantly reduces the chance of belching.

For the same reasons , keep stress under control as much as possible. It is certainly not news that stress also has a negative influence on digestion.

Get at least half an hour of moderate exercise a day to help eliminate stress from your body and mind, or find a good stress management course near you. Stopping heartburn can sometimes start with some simple lifestyle changes.