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THAT EXTRA HELPING at dinner sure was
doubly delicious. But now you’re starting to
feel the flames.
Specifically, you’re noticing a burning
sensation simmering behind your breastbone,
where your ribs meet. And you might have a
sour taste in your mouth, too.
Symptoms like these—which usually
start after overeating at meals and tend to
worsen when you lie down or bend over—
are classic indicators of heartburn, or acid
indigestion.
What’s fueling the fire?
Heartburn actually has nothing to do with your
heart. It happens when stomach acids irritate
the esophagus. Normally, a gatelike muscle
closes after food enters the stomach. But if it
doesn’t shut properly, stomach acids back up,
which is called reflux.
This unpleasant sensation can have a
profound effect on your life. Some people
find it hard to sleep at night because of their
symptoms.
Certain actions can contribute to heartburn
or make it worse:
■■■■■
Eating large meals
■■■■■
Lying down after eating
■■■■■
Consuming certain foods and drinks, such as
chocolate, onions, tomato sauce, fatty or spicy
meals, coffee, alcohol, or fizzy drinks
You also may be prone to heartburn if you
are overweight, smoke or have a condition
called hiatal hernia, in which the stomach
pushes into the chest area through the
diaphragm. Heartburn is also a common
pregnancy complaint.
Heartburn
How to douse the flames
Easing the burn
Frequent heartburn may damage the
esophagus and cause scarring, which can make
swallowing difficult. An even more ominous
concern is Barrett’s esophagus, which is a
precancerous change in the esophagus.
“We generally say if you experience
heartburn more than two or three times a
week—especially if you’ve taken measures to
alleviate it and it persists—we need to take a
look at what’s going on,” says Andrew Mirhej,
MD, a gastroenterologist with PeaceHealth
Medical Group at RiverBend Pavilion.
But for the most part, he says, occasional
heartburn can often be avoided. You may want
to try the following:
■■■■■
Don’t eat less than two hours before bed
■■■■■
If you find that certain foods and beverages
bother you, you may want to avoid them. Keeping
a food journal may help pinpoint the culprits
■■■■■
Raise the head of your bed 6 inches with
blocks or books
■■■■■
Shed excess weight
■■■■■
Avoid tight clothes or belts that squeeze your
stomach
For relief, you also can buy nonprescription
medicines, such as antacids, to use now and then.
Sources: American Academy of Family Physicians; American
Gastroenterological Association; American College of
Gastroenterology
Scan this QR code to learn
more about heartburn, or
join us for a free seminar
from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on
Thursday, Oct. 25. To
register for the seminar,
visit
www.peacehealth.org/gastrooregon
or call
541-222-3209
.
If you have heartburn
more than a few times
a week, it’s time to
see your doctor.
www.peacehealth.org
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