You know that burning feeling you get in your heart, the one most people call heartburn? It is really not a heartburn at all. Actually, the burn is happening in your oesophagus (that tube that connects your mouth to your stomach).
What happens is that sometimes acidic content, which is supposed to be in your stomach, helping to digest food, gets into your oesophagus.
This happens when the oesophagal sphincter (the valve between your stomach and your oesophagus) abnormally relaxes. Usually, it should only relax when the food you have consumed is trying to get to your stomach.
So, every time you feel that burn, acidic content goes up into your oesophagus. The burn happens because your oesophagus cannot handle the acid. It is just that simple.
Source: Healthline
Though the oesophagal sphincter is said to relax abnormally when heartburn occurs, certain notable triggers may cause this abnormality, such as;
1. Smoking
2. Being overweight
3. eating certain foods that are spicy, acidic, and have caffeine, chocolate or alcohol.
Apart from these triggers, here are a few more reasons why they could happen and ways to prevent them.
How to stop a heartburn
1. Stop Eating late: Do not eat right before bedtime. It would help if you gave your food time to digest before you go to bed.
2. Reduce your alcohol: Reducing the amount of alcohol you take or removing it completely from your diet will help.
3. Stop smoking: Do not do it. It is not good for your heart or your stomach. It is not good for you, period.
4. Watch out for that trigger food: maybe you have a heartburn every time you eat chocolate, onion or a tomato. Whatever it is, avoid it.
5. Being overweight: Losing weight if you are obese or overweight can help manage heartburn.
6. Do not lie down after eating: this is not good for you at all. You can sit but never lie down. Your food does not digest properly when you lie down.
7. Take it easy while you eat: Having too much food in your stomach can cause pressure on the valve (oesophagal sphincter). This may cause the acid from your stomach to spill out, thereby causing heartburn.
8. Loosen that belt: Eating with tight clothes is not comfortable at all. It would help if you loosened up. Anything that will put pressure on your stomach should be released.
9. Sleep on your left side: It is believed that sleeping on your left side can aid with digestion.
10. Sleep with your head and your chest higher than your feet. This eases acid reflux and reduces heartburn.
11. Try sitting up straighter. Your posture may be the issue.
12. If your heartburn is frequent or occasional, You can take over-the-counter meds like antacids, for example. Please always take the dosages prescribed on the pack.
While these remedies can work to stop or prevent heartburn, you must see a doctor if your heartburn should become a daily occurrence.
Disclaimer
A medical professional did not write this article. If you are experiencing frequent heartburn, please see your doctor.
