Home Remedies and Natural Cures
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Whether you have indulged in an all-you-can-eat buffet or need a break from a Thanksgiving feast, the threat of heartburn is a common occurrence that strikes many. As your chest fills with the distinct pain associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (also known as GERD), it greatly differs from the occasional episode of heartburn. This is because GERD is a continual battle that has the power to affect some patients on a daily basis. Individuals suffering from frequent heartburn have a serious problem on their hands – one that calls for immediate medical attention.
GERD is a disease where stomach acid (and sometimes bile) comes back (refluxes) into the esophagus, also known as the food pipe. When the damaging effects of acid continuously reach the lining of the esophagus, irritation is the result. It is the inflammation of the food pipe and surrounding areas that causes the discomfort, pain, and tenderness associated with GERD.
Nonetheless, the valve has the potential to become weak or abnormally function, causing stomach acid to flow back into the esophagus. This is how frequent heartburn and other symptoms begin to take its toll on a person’s daily activities. The acid backup is more intense when in a bent-over or lying-down position.
Some factors are also known to make the condition worse, including certain foods and beverages (spicy, fatty, and carbonated), alcohol, various medications (sedatives and calcium channel blockers), smoking tobacco, and consuming large meals.
Often, giving a description of your symptoms is all a doctor needs to make an accurate diagnosis of heartburn, but when the signs become increasingly severe or do not react to treatment, additional tests are needed. A doctor may conduct a barium X-ray, which produces a picture of the shape and condition of the esophagus, stomach and upper intestine. This is also where a hiatal hernia may show the cause of your heartburn. An endoscopy is sometimes performed, which uses a thin, lighted instrument to take images of the inside of the esophagus and stomach.
Additional tests may include an ambulatory acid (pH) probe (measures the pH of acid in the stomach and esophagus), upper gastrointestinal series (examines the upper part of the digestive system), or esophageal impedance (measures the amount of refluxed gas or liquids).