A visual guide to understanding heartburn and GERD

The article was professionally consulted by Doctor Gastroenterologist, Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

Heartburn occurs when the esophagus becomes irritated due to stomach acid. If heartburn occurs frequently, it may be a sign of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

When you eat and swallow food, it travels through your esophagus to your stomach. Between the esophagus and stomach is the lower esophageal sphincter, a "valve" that keeps food and stomach acid from backing up into the esophagus. Therefore, this muscle will have to close to protect the esophagus.

In some people, the lower esophageal sphincter does not close properly, allowing acid to back up into the esophagus causing pain and irritation of the lining of the esophagus. Not all people with acid reflux have heartburn, and some people have "heartburn" symptoms that aren't caused by acid reflux.

A sign of gastroesophageal reflux is heartburn, the patient feels a burning pain in the middle of the chest. Heartburn usually occurs after meals and lasts up to several hours, the discomfort will increase when the patient bends down or lies down. Other serious symptoms of acid reflux include sour-tasting liquid in the throat, trouble swallowing, or feeling like food is stuck in your chest or throat. Your doctor can diagnose GERD based on a description of your heartburn symptoms.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a medical condition where the reflux of stomach contents causes unpleasant symptoms and/or complications.
Cause:
Due to temporary dilation, lower esophageal sphincter pressure. Esophageal peristalsis is too weak to push back the contents of the stomach into the esophagus. Esophageal anatomy: Esophageal shorter than normal, Esophageal tumor. Movement of the lower esophageal sphincter from the diaphragm into the thorax reduces pressure and shortens the intra-abdominal sphincter Increased pressure in the stomach and stagnation of food Increases intra-abdominal pressure: Obesity, pregnancy, ascites... Due to a diaphragmatic hernia Due to heavy drinking of alcohol, carbonated water, tobacco, improper medication, Heartburn does not usually pose a serious health threat, but if it occurs, it is common. If left untreated, acid reflux will get worse. If you have severe heartburn or heartburn twice or more a week, you may have GERD and need to see your doctor. If left untreated, chronic GERD causes inflammation, ulcers, and scarring of the esophagus, especially when the lining of the esophagus is eroded, leading to Barrett's esophagus, which is a risk factor. increases the risk of esophageal cancer.

Have you ever woken up with a sore throat, cough, or a bitter taste in your mouth? It could be acid reflux at night. In addition to affecting sleep quality, nighttime reflux can increase the risk of esophageal damage because lying down allows stomach acid to stay in the esophagus longer.

You can manage mild heartburn with a few changes to your daily routine like eating less, finishing dinner at least three to four hours before bedtime, and avoiding late-night snacking.
Be careful what you eat Some foods contribute to heartburn by adding acid to the stomach or relaxing the lower esophageal sphincter such as tomatoes, onions, garlic, chocolate, mint, foods high in fat and citrus fruits, including oranges and grapefruit. If you find spicy foods a heartburn trigger, try eating less spicy foods instead of giving up your favorite foods altogether.
Be careful what you drink Some drinks can also cause heartburn like coffee, tea, soda, alcohol, tomato juice and orange juice. However, you don't need to avoid these beverages if they don't cause acid reflux symptoms.
Change in exercise habits Exercise can increase abdominal pressure leading to an increased risk of acid reflux. Some exercises increase the risk more than others by reversing the flow of the digestive tract such as the banana tree pose and yoga poses such as downward dog.
Elevate the head of the bed If you have heartburn at night, try placing hard blocks at the foot of the bed to raise the head of the bed about 15cm or using a wedge pillow. These measures are intended to help keep acid in the stomach, and if there is a reflux, the acid will flow back to the stomach, not staying long in the esophagus. For some people, reflux also occurs less often when lying on the left side than on the right side.
Wear loose clothes Wear loose clothing to relieve pressure on the abdomen and thus relieve heartburn. Therefore, you need to lose weight if you are obese or overweight and wear loose clothing.

More than half of pregnant women have severe heartburn symptoms, especially during the last 6 months of pregnancy. Due to changes in hormone levels and increased abdominal pressure during pregnancy, pregnant women are at increased risk of acid reflux and heartburn. Mild symptoms can be treated with lifestyle changes, such as eating several small meals a day instead of three large ones, avoiding fried, spicy foods, and not lying down after eating. However, if diet and lifestyle do not relieve symptoms, you should consult your doctor before taking any medication.

Antacids For frequent heartburn, people need to take antacids right away for immediate relief. This is a medicine intended to help neutralize stomach acid. However, when using this medicine, patients need to follow the instructions of the doctor because overuse of antacids can cause serious side effects.
Antihistamines H2 (H2 blockers) Have the effect of inhibiting acid secretion in the stomach. This can help prevent heartburn caused by acid reflux if taken about 30 minutes before a meal.
Proton pump inhibitors inhibit gastric acid secretion and are more effective than H2 antihistamines.

Article reference source: webmd.com