Heartburn: Causes, symptoms and treatment

The article was professionally consulted by Doctor Department of Gastroenterology - Endoscopy, Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.

Heartburn is a typical symptom of many diseases on the digestive system. This condition causes the patient to have a burning sensation in the throat, chest and stomach, causing discomfort, distraction, loss of confidence in living and working.

Heartburn is a condition in which stomach acid backs up into the esophagus, causing discomfort and burning in the breastbone and chest area.
This symptom usually originates from the smooth muscle of the esophagus, then spreads to the throat and behind the ears. Heartburn can cause pain when the patient is lying down, bending the body. After heartburn, the person may experience a bitter or sour mouth.
In essence, heartburn is not a disease but just a symptom of an abnormality of the digestive system. Heartburn symptoms occur in people of all ages and populations.

2.1 Causes of eating habits and activities Eating too full, eating fatty foods: Causes the digestion of the stomach to slow down, food stagnates in the stomach for a long time, producing gas and increasing pressure capacity. This puts pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter, causing gas and stomach acid to be pushed up into the esophagus - throat causing heartburn; Eating foods that cause heartburn: Spicy, hot foods, alcoholic or carbonated drinks, mint tea, strong tea, etc. stimulate the stomach to increase acid secretion, making gastric motility disordered. disorder, pushing excess acid back up the esophagus, causing heartburn and indigestion; Exercise habits: Exercises such as weightlifting, crunches, banana tree planting or running too hard, etc. put a lot of pressure on the abdomen or chest area, which can increase the pressure on the stomach, causing acid to be damaged. reflux from the stomach into the esophagus, causing heartburn ; Drug use: Some drugs such as anti-inflammatory drugs belonging to the NSAID group, Glucocorticoids can thin the protective mucus layer of the stomach, allowing acid to contact the stomach lining, causing irritation of the nervous system. Coordinating gastric contractions. This causes the stomach to contract disorderly, pushing back food and acid up the esophagus, leading to damage to the esophageal lining, causing symptoms of cough and heartburn.

Usually, heartburn, indigestion, nausea caused by eating habits and activities only last for about 1-3 days. However, if these symptoms persist, accompanied by other unusual signs, the cause of heartburn may come from dangerous diseases.
2.2 Causes of diseases The results of many studies show that up to 90% of cases of frequent heartburn and indigestion in our country are due to diseases on the stomach. Besides, there are a number of other diseases that also cause heartburn. Specifically:
Peptic ulcer : This condition causes the stomach's ability to digest food is reduced and increases the secretion of abnormal stomach acid. In addition, nerve endings are stimulated by the acid in the gastric juice, which disturbs the stomach's contractions. This causes gastric juice to be refluxed, causing symptoms of heartburn, reflux, nausea, indigestion,...; Gastroesophageal reflux disease: Caused by a combination of 3 causes: abnormal gastric acid secretion, impaired function of the lower esophageal sphincter and contractility disorder of gastric motility. When acid and digestive enzymes in the stomach reflux, they will erode and damage the lining of the esophagus, causing a burning sensation. Some accompanying symptoms include belching, heartburn, nausea and vomiting, chest tightness, pain spreading to the back;

Stomach cancer: Causing pain, impaired digestive function, frequent nausea and vomiting, heartburn, heartburn, bitter mouth,...; Gallstones: Bile is an organ that secretes bile that contains enzymes that digest fats. When suffering from gallstones, the secretion of bile is not enough for the body's needs, causing the ingested fat to not be fully digested, which irritates the intestinal mucosa, causing the patient to experience nausea, vomiting, heartburn and regurgitation. reverse; Heart attack: During a heart attack, nerve impulses become sensitive, easily excitable. The digestive process in the stomach causes a contraction disorder, pushing back gastric acid into the esophagus, causing heartburn. 2.3 Causes during pregnancy About 80% of pregnant women experience heartburn symptoms. However, if this condition has never appeared before, this is just physiological heartburn, not dangerous for the pregnant mother. The cause of heartburn in pregnant women is due to hormonal changes during pregnancy, combined with the compression of the baby in the last months of pregnancy. Specifically:
Hormonal changes: High levels of the hormone progesterone reduce the muscle tone of the lower esophageal sphincter (the valve separating the stomach from the esophagus) and slow down the peristaltic contractions of the stomach. stomach. This causes food to stagnate in the stomach, ferment, produce gas and exit the mouth, causing belching. If belching is accompanied by gastric acid, pregnant women will have a feeling of heartburn, burning in the esophagus and throat;

Fetal development: In the last months of pregnancy, the fetus has grown large, causing pressure on internal organs, including the stomach. This compression causes the stomach to be raised, creating pressure to push gastric acid back up into the esophagus, causing pregnant women to have heartburn.

To control and treat heartburn effectively, it is necessary to simultaneously take measures such as:
3.1 Eat scientifically The patient should not eat too full, but should only eat about 60% of the amount of food, combined with eating more side meals. Eating in small amounts helps the stomach reduce pressure during digestion, limit reflux of gastric juice, reduce the number of occurrences of heartburn.
At the same time, patients need to pay attention to eating on time (to give the stomach a stable circadian rhythm, avoid being stimulated to increase excess acid secretion) and should not eat dinner too late (because when food is not being digested will produce gas, increase acid secretion, leading to bloating, heartburn);

3.2 Avoid psychological stress Pressure, nervous tension also adversely affects the digestive system, indirectly causing heartburn, heartburn. Therefore, people with heartburn need to balance life, work and rest in moderation;
3.3 Routine physical exam Helps to diagnose the exact cause of heartburn and get the right treatment. Patients should strictly follow the treatment regimen of the doctor, take the prescribed medicine and do not arbitrarily use the drug or change the dose and time of taking the medicine unless directed by the doctor.

Should eat bananas because ripe bananas contain less acid, which does not affect the physiological acid concentration in the stomach. At the same time, bananas also have the ability to create a thin layer of mucus on the lining of the esophagus, soothe the mucosa, limit the influence of stomach acid when reflux; Chew gum to stimulate saliva production. Saliva is alkaline, capable of neutralizing excess stomach acid, reducing symptoms of discomfort and burning caused by reflux; Increase eating alkaline vegetables such as broccoli, celery, asparagus, ... because they have the effect of regulating the amount of acid in the stomach. At the same time, the fiber contained in these vegetables also helps to improve the digestive function of the stomach; It is recommended to cook aloe vera tea or grind aloe vera with honey to drink directly, helping to reduce burning of the stomach and esophagus, controlling heartburn caused by reflux; Avoid foods that increase the risk of heartburn such as coffee, alcohol, mints, fried foods, ...; Reduce sugar because an excessive carbohydrate-rich diet increases gas in the stomach, increasing pressure causing gastroesophageal reflux;

Elevate the head pillow or sleep on the left side to reduce reflux, heartburn; To ease the discomfort of heartburn, take slow, deep breaths. Practicing deep breathing for 30 minutes a day also reduces the amount of acid reflux from the stomach into the esophagus. Heartburn can be a symptom of many serious medical conditions. Therefore, when heartburn occurs for a long time, patients should go for an early health check to have appropriate treatment solutions.