Symptoms of Heartburn - What does Heartburn Feel Like?

Knowing what heartburn feel like is key to curing it!Recognizing the symptoms of heartburn and knowing what does heartburn feel like is important as it will enable you to seek for treatment and remedies early to avoid further complications. Symptoms may be similar in almost everyone suffering from frequent heartburn due to acid reflux disease or indigestion however, foods and other lifestyles that trigger heartburn may be different.

Symptoms of heartburn - Does everyone feel the same

It is true that everyone may not feel all the symptoms at the same time, but there are common symptoms. Even though you may not feel all the symptoms, it's important that you know all of them and evaluate yours to know whether complications will soon surface. Majority of people who sought for home remedies for heartburn often want to know "what is heartburn" and "what does heartburn feel like". This is because its symptoms can be confusing with that of other ailments such as heart diseases, agina or heart attack.

 

Symptoms of heartburn - List of signs of heartburn to look out for.

From my personal experience and others I have interviewed, the most common symptoms of heartburn are:

• A burning sensation in the chest that is painful and radiating behind the breastbone;

• A burning pain and sensation in the chest that got worse when you lie down, bend over, eat too full or at night;

• Feeling of pressure around your epigastric region (upper stomach) and behind your breastbone;

• Feeling like food has stuck in chest or esophagus (throat) after you finish eating; 

• Regurgitation or feeling of wanting to vomit. This is due to acid backing up into your esophagus or indigestion;

• Bloating (feeling your stomach is filled with gas) and burping;

• A sour or bitter taste in your mouth. This is because acidic content from your stomach make its way to the back of your throat leaving the unusual taste in your mouth; 

• others are burning in the throat, hoarseness, sore throat and cough.

One thing you should know is that the symptoms are often worse at night when lying down, after a heavy meal, when one has delayed gastric emptying or indigestion. They may wake you up at night and also makes it difficult to sleep at night.

Symptoms of heartburn - Uncommon signs.

 

In my case and from others, there are situations where in addition to the above symptoms you will experience some unusual symptoms. This includes:

• Chest pain that radiates to your neck and shoulders. In fact, I felt so much pain and weakness in my neck and arms that I felt i was having heart attack, even the doctors were confused until electro-cardiograhic test and others were carried out to ascertain that it's heartburn;

• Pains when swallowing. This signal the onset of injury to the esophagus;

• In severe cases you may feel light-headedness, dizziness, or feeling faint or shortness of breath;

• Vomiting or frequent nausea;

• Persistent hiccups;

• Poor appetite due to difficulty eating and it's resulting to weight loss;

• Spitting blood.

 

Symptoms of heartburn - When to see the doctor.

 

Because of the serious and painful nature of severe heartburn I encourage you to book an appointment with your doctor:

1.  As soon as you start experiencing any of the "common symptoms" two or more times within a week. This is the best time because it will help you talk to your doctor and know what to do on time to stop it. 

      2.  If you are using over-the-counter medications and heartburn symptoms still don't go away.

      3.  If you are using over-the-counter medicine longer than as it's specified on the label. This brought to mind that before you take any over-the-counter medication, please go through the label first.

      4. The heartburn is debilitating that it's becoming difficult for you to carry out your daily
           activities.

      5.  Please go and see your doctor right away if you are experiencing any of the uncommon       symptoms mentioned above. The reason is because other serious disease conditions may be responsible.

      6.  In case you are passing out black or bright red stool go see physician.

Knowing the signs of heartburn is a key to knowing how to get rid of heartburn.   Before you go ahead seeking for heartburn treatment and/or home remedies for heartburn, I strongly feel you should know the symptoms of heartburn.


 

What causes heartburn - Identify Your Heartburn Triggers.

What causes heartburn that is frequent and severe is GERD. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is not a disease per say but a situation where the acid reflux and the consequent heartburn occur more than two times in a week. The reason why people suffer from gerd is because the valve between the neck of the esophagus and the stomach – the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) has lost its normal functionality. In this article you will discover what could have been causing your heartburn.

 Normally when you eat, the LES has to relax and open to allow food enter the stomach from the gullet and then closes back to prevent food and stomach acid backing up into the esophagus. But when the LES cannot close tightly to prevent the back flow of acidic stomach content into the food pipe – the esophagus, acid has to reflux. The reasons for this are:

1.     The  LES may have become weak or relax to allow for acid reflux; 
2.       There could be too much pressure on the stomach that’s forcing the LES to open.

What causes heartburn: Weak and relaxing LES.

Certain foods are known to weaken or "relax" the valve, making reflux more likely. A weak LES over time is enough to cause chronic heartburn. Here are some major foods that weaken and relax your LES or increase the amount of acid secretion in the stomach when you consume them thus, triggering heartburn.

• Peppermint, spearmint, mint gums and other mint-flavored candies; 
• Spicy and peppery foods, Chili, garlic, and onions;
• Acidic fruits such as Oranges, pineapples, grapefruit, and lemons, as well as citrus juices.
• Tomatoes, tomato sauce, soup, and tomato juice are all high in acid.
• Chocolate, coffee (including decaf) and tea promote heartburn.  
• Carbonated drinks such as Sodas and Coca-cola.
• Margarines, mayonnaise, Creamy soups and salad dressings often trigger heartburn because of their fat content. Butter and food cooked in butter whether low-acid foods or alkaline can linger in the stomach and cause heartburn.
• Fried and fatty foods which tend to slow down digestion.
• Smoking encourages acid production and cause the sphincter to relax.
• Alcohol –wine, beer, even your favorite cocktail relaxes the LES and increases the production of stomach acid.

What causes heartburn: too much pressure on the stomach.

Excessive pressure on the abdomen make it easier for the stomach acids to flow back into the esophagus. As a rule, anything that increases the pressure on the abdomen can promote back flow of stomach contents to the esophagus. For some people they do not have a faulty LES but they constantly put pressure on their stomach which causes the LES to open. Ways we exert pressure on the stomach are:

• Eating too much of food. Large meals create pressure and also make the stomach to produce too much acid.
• Eating too quickly or on the run.
• Eating late at night or before bedtime. 
•  Slow digestion – some people may have delayed gastric emptying as a result of diabetes, the type of food they ate or other reasons. 
•  Overweight: Medical researchers have discovered that a weak LES is more common with people who are obese. Some people experience heartburn only when their weight passes a particular limit. What happen is that the stomach fat put pressure on the top of the stomach and the LES which result to heartburn. If you cannot ascertain if you are overweight, it is time to get close to the scale and the bmi chart to find out and then a weight loss program. 
• Pregnancy: Hormonal changes during the first trimester of pregnancy seem to weaken and relax the LES pregnancy.  At later stages, the baby physically putting pressure on the woman's digestive tract is the big problem.
•  Stress and exercise may also put pressure in your stomach or cause your stomach to produce excess acid. 
• Wearing tight clothes which can put pressure on your stomach.

Other causes of heartburn are medicine use to treat heart problems, asthma, high blood pressure and some antibiotics. Disease condition such as causes of heartburn and other digestive problems can also cause heartburn. So it is better you consult your doctor before arriving at a conclusion.

Even when you are taking acid reflux medicine, the general rule is to avoid heartburn food triggers and stop unhealthy lifestyle that put pressure on your stomach until your heartburn is cured. However, the list above is just a guide because not all of them may trigger your heartburn. You should have a diary of the specific foods and situations that triggers your heartburn and avoid them.

I believe you can identify your heartburn triggers and take action accordingly. Like I said if you can’t identify yours after reading this article, visit your doctor. Using home remedies for heartburn after knowing what causes heartburn is “key” to heartburn cures. 

What is Heartburn - Understanding GERD and Heartburn.

Understanding “what is heartburn” and “what is gerd” will better equip you on how to stop heartburn symptoms. Heartburn is a painful burning sensation you feel in the middle  of your chest sometimes radiating to the upper back region behind the breastbone and your arms.  This is as a result of stomach content usually hydrochloric acidic backing up or flowing back into the esophagus – the food pipe or gullet through which food moves down from the mouth to the stomach. When the acidic stomach content finds its way into esophagus it causes the irritation and burning sensation you feel. 

Usually there is a muscle at the angle at which the esophagus enters the stomach. This muscle creates a valve called Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) that prevents acidic stomach content – duodenal bile, enzymes and stomach acid from traveling back into the esophagus. Acid Reflux is the medical term given when the content of the stomach acid flows back, and enters the esophagus causing heartburn at any time the LES fails to function properly.

What is GERD? 

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (gerd) on the other hand is not a disease per say but a situation where the acid reflux and the consequent heartburn occur more than two times in

a week or it’s persistent. In such case, the LES has lost normal functionality. This lead to severe heartburn and indigestion symptoms and as such you need home remedies for heartburn to get instant heartburn relief.

You can therefore understand that gastroesophageal reflux disease is the culprit behind the severe heartburn you are having and you need to take action to stop it. Why? Because recurrent heartburn or GERD over time can cause inflammation or injury to the esophagus leading to other serious conditions such as:

• Reflux esophagitis. This is a necrosis of the esophageal epithelium resulting to ulcers around the “neck” of the stomach and esophagus;

•  Strictures of the esophagus, which is a persistent narrowing of the esophagus;

•   Esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is a form of cancer of the esophagus;

• Barrett’s esophagus – alteration of the epithelial cells from squamous to intestinal columnar epithelium of the distal esophagus.

Functional heartburn.

Functional heartburn is heartburn that looks as if it has no cause because the cause is unknown. It is linked to other functional gastrointestinal disorder such as irritable bowel syndrome. This is the primary cause of lack of improvement post treatment using acid reflux treatment with acid reflux medicine such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs).

What Does Heartburn Got to do with Heart Attack?

Often times heartburn symptoms can be confused with the pain that accompany acute myocardial infarction or heart attack. This is because the heart and the esophagus share the same nerve supply as a result one condition can mimic the signs and symptomatic findings of the other. In fact, it can also confuse some doctors! 

With heartburn you will feel a burning sensation pain around the centre of your chest which may also radiate to the upper back and your arms. As an "ex-sufferer" I felt severe pains from my chest to my two arms and weakness in my hand and worse of with my right hand that the doctor felt I had heart attack. After been diagnosed of heartburn and long period of taking antacids and other heartburn medication without help, I resolved to strictly following natural remedies for heartburn, though still took lansoprazole occasionally.