Heartburn is a pain behind the breastbone which radiates upwards into the throat. This burning pain is caused because of digestive juices, including hydrochloric acid, spilling into the throat from the stomach and irritating the unprotected lining of the esophagus. This happens because of the slackening or relaxing of the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) muscle, which normally acts as a one-way valve preventing the flow of food or digestive juices into the throat. The two main conditions due to which heartburn may occur are gastro esophageal reflux disease and hiatal hernia.
Indigestion is any condition affecting the digestive system and, thereby, the digestive process. Some of the effects of indigestion may be belching, flatulence, bloating, upset stomach, abdominal pain, nausea and occasional vomiting. There is a condition called lactose intolerance, wherein the stomach is not able to digest milk and its products. In certain cases the stomach has a condition called low acidity, which again affects the digestive process. Low motility of the digestive muscles makes the movement of food material in the digestive tract slow, and so the digestive process is affected.
The use of antacids to cure heartburn neutralizes the acid in the throat and the stomach. It reduces the effect of heartburn. But it also reduces the effect of the acids, and so the digestive process itself is affected. If the stomach muscle is also weak, the food is not well-mixed with the stomach juices, and this itself can cause indigestion. Many persons with heartburn also suffer from indigestion. Both problems can exist because of weak muscles in the digestive tract. Whichever way the indigestion is caused, it is important that when heartburn medication is taken, a strict diet is necessary. Avoiding the intake of alcohol and stopping smoking will help to control both indigestion and heartburn. Also, avoiding foods like citrus fruits, spicy foods and fatty foods, and eating bland and simple-to-digest foods is good for both problems.
Related Articles of Interest :
-
Heartburn
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Heartburn has nothing to do with the heart or its systems. It is a common problem with the digestive system. When we swallow food, it travels down a tube called the esophagus, passes through a one-way valve known as the Lower Esophagus Sphincter (LES), and...
-
Cause of Heartburn
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Heartburn is a burning pain starting from behind the breastbone and ribs and radiating upwards towards the throat. Basically, heartburn is caused by hydrochloric acid spilling upward into the esophagus from the stomach. The lining of the esophagus, unlike that of the stomach, is not...
-
Heartburn Symptoms
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Heartburn is the most prevalent complaint heard about the digestive system. When the hydrochloric acid from the stomach enters the esophagus – the food tube that connects the mouth with the stomach – it inflames and irritates the unprotected lining of the tube and causes...
-
Chronic Heartburn
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Heartburn is a burning pain starting behind the breastbone and radiating upwards. The hydrochloric acid from the stomach leaks into the esophagus and causes heartburn. Occasional heartburn due to rich food or other lifestyle causes is classified as mild or episodic. Heartburn occurring twice or...
-
Home Remedy for Heartburn
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Heartburn is a burning pain behind the breastbone and ribs that spreads upwards to the throat. It is caused by the acid from the stomach spilling into the esophagus and irritating the unprotected lining of the esophagus. It is usually treated by regulating the diet,...
-
Heartburn Medication
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Over 60 million Americans suffer from heartburn. It is possibly the single most income-creating medical problem for the pharmaceutical companies. Heartburn is a burning pain starting behind the breastbone and spreading upwards. The stomach acid, backing up the wrong way from the stomach, enters the...
-
Hearburn Treatment
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Heartburn is caused due to stomach acid spilling into the esophagus and irritating the unprotected lining of the esophagus. There are quite a few causes of the problem, and the treatment has to be an integrated approach. As the problem involves the digestive system, eating...
-
What Causes Acid Reflux?
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Though the root causes are often unclear, perhaps the most prevalent acid reflux cause is a poor diet. Acid reflux occurs during digestion, when the stomach churns up acid or refluxes it into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation in the chest or throat. So...
-
Infants and Acid Reflux
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Infant acid reflux is quite common. People of all ages, especially infants because they consume only liquids or soft foods, suffer from mild heartburn or acidic regurgitation on occasion. As in adult cases, infants experience acid reflux when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is relaxed....
-
Muscle Pain Relief: An Overview
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
After an auto mechanic spends hours under a car or a writer spends all day in front of a computer, their muscles later complain at this overextension. Everyone gets a muscle ache once in a while, but chronic muscle pain can be a debilitating condition...