Causes of Heartburn
Heartburn is felt as a burning sensation plus pain in the stomach and chest behind the breastbone.
The symptoms of heartburn include bloating, gas, and nausea, often accompanied by shortness of breath and an acidic or sour taste in the throat and mouth.
Heartburn is caused when hydrochloric acid, which is use to digest food, is released up the esophagus.
On its way up the acid can irritate the sensitive tissues in the esophagus and throat.
In normal stomach function, the esophageal sphincter muscle contracts and prevents the stomach acid from passing up into the esophagus.
Heartburn occurs if this muscle is not functioning properly and allows the acid to slip past it resulting in when heartburn symptoms.
Other names used include Gastroesophageal reflux disease ,dyspepsia, chronic heartburn or acid indigestion.
If left un treated, repeated flow of acid through the esophagus can scar and produce changes in the cells lining, sometimes causing cancer.
A hiatus hernia develops when the stomach bulges up into the diaphragm, this condition can also cause heartburn.
Other triggers for heartburn are alcohol, smoking and eating acidic foods.
