Causes of heartburn after every meal

Pain behind the sternum and a burning sensation in the throat and throughout the esophagus are a sign of heartburn. It appears due to the unnatural reflux of liquid and food contained in the stomach into the mouth and esophagus. This leads to a feeling of “fire” inside.

Heartburn tends to appear most often after eating and during exercise. There are three degrees of severity of heartburn, which depend on the frequency of its occurrence.

• Moderate heartburn (1st degree) – an attack occurs once every thirty days.
• Moderate (2nd degree) – occurs once every seven days.
• Severe form (3rd degree) – daily attacks with associated problems.

Heartburn can be a signal of some serious diseases of the body - gastritis, duodenal and stomach ulcers, toxicosis, etc.

Causes of heartburn

Heartburn can be caused by several factors, the most common of which is high acidity. In addition, the following reasons can be identified:

• Binge eating. Helps stretch the stomach and increase acid release.
• Diseases of the digestive tract.
• Stress and mental disorders.
• Smoking.
• Spicy food.
• Fried food.
• Citrus fruits and tomatoes.
• Overweight.
• Pregnancy.
• Swallowing air while eating.
• Taking medications.

If heartburn begins to bother you after eating, then this can not be regarded as a separate problem, but as a symptom of other diseases, which include duodenitis, cholecystitis, gastritis, peptic ulcer, diaphragm hernia, oncology, and the consequences of surgery. These diseases are often accompanied by pain in the stomach. Other causes of heartburn.

Heartburn as a symptom of various diseases

Heartburn every day is a symptom of various diseases, and almost all of them are diseases of the gastrointestinal tract:

• gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The main symptom is heartburn;
• peptic ulcer of the esophagus;
• esophageal strictures;
• Barrett's esophagus (precancerous disease);
• esophageal adenocarcinoma;
• gastritis;
• gastroduodenitis;
• peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum;
• hernia in the diaphragm, in the esophageal ring.

Consequences of heartburn

The occurrence of heartburn is caused by the effect of gastric juice on the mucous surface of the esophagus. When the sphincter is in normal condition, gastric contents cannot enter the esophagus. But when the work of the lower sphincter is disrupted, digestive juice may reflux even into the larynx. This happens when there is a disruption in the motility of the stomach and duodenum. As a result, the esophageal mucosa becomes irritated and a burn occurs. This can lead to weight loss, dehydration and bleeding.

Under the influence of acid, destructive processes begin in the esophagus, which after some time can lead to ulcers and erosions. These pathological processes can lead not only to serious illnesses, but also to death. Ulcers on the walls of the esophagus scar over time, narrowing its passage. The patient has a feeling of heaviness in the throat and cannot swallow food normally. This condition not only causes a lot of inconvenience in everyday life, but can also lead to death due to the development of esophageal cancer. No less life-threatening is another consequence of heartburn - rupture of the walls of the esophagus.

To avoid irreversible consequences, it is necessary to consult a doctor at the first signs of heartburn.

Treatment

Heartburn is treated primarily with lifestyle changes and medications.

Lifestyle change

There are several points that play an important role in the treatment and prevention of heartburn and related to lifestyle correction. These include:

• normalization of body weight - excess weight increases pressure on the stomach, increasing the likelihood of acid reflux into the esophagus;
• quitting smoking - addiction to tobacco interferes with the proper functioning of the lower esophageal sphincter;
• control over the diet - it is important to avoid foods that cause heartburn, in addition, it is necessary to reduce the amount of food eaten at one time;
• correct sleeping position - raising the head of the bed slightly reduces nocturnal reflux.

Drug therapy

With constant heartburn, in addition to changing a number of everyday habits, drug therapy will be required.

There are many over-the-counter and prescription medications available for heartburn. They fall into three main categories:

1. Antacids (Maalox, Simethicone, Calcium carbonate, Tums) are medications that neutralize stomach acid and provide quick relief by lowering acidity. These medications do not heal existing damage to the esophagus, nor do they prevent future episodes of heartburn.
2. H2-histamine receptor blockers (Ranitidine, Nizatidine, Cimetidine, Famotidine) are medications that reduce acid production. This group of drugs is named for the receptor they block (H-2). They are available over-the-counter or with a prescription, depending on the strength. Symptom relief from this class of drugs tends to last longer than from antacids, but it takes longer for them to start working.
3. Proton pump inhibitors (Omeprazole, Lansoprazole) are medications that reduce acid secretion by the stomach. Long-term use as part of a medical prescription allows you to heal a damaged esophagus.

Heartburn medications are available over-the-counter and with a doctor's prescription.

It is the patient's responsibility to inform their healthcare provider if they are taking any over-the-counter medications on an ongoing basis, as they may potentially interact with other medications. In addition, information about the frequent use of a particular over-the-counter drug alerts the doctor about the severity of the symptoms.

Traditional methods

The most common home remedy for heartburn is a natural antacid—baking soda. To prepare a medicinal solution, you need to stir 0.5 to 1 teaspoon of powder in a glass of water. Baking soda will help neutralize acid and temporarily relieve heartburn caused by acid reflux. You should not use this remedy if you have regular heartburn. Frequent use may cause side effects such as bloating and nausea.

The following remedies help calm the stomach and improve digestion:

1. Natural apple cider vinegar. You need to add 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to 0.5 glasses of cool water or apple juice and drink immediately before each meal.
2. Almond. This type of nut is especially beneficial for digestion, as their high oil content neutralizes stomach acid. It is enough to eat a handful (about 15–20 pieces), and after half an hour the heartburn will disappear.
3. Vegetable juices, such as those made from raw potatoes, celery and cabbage. They are very alkaline in nature and are useful for correcting acidity. Potato juice not only neutralizes stomach acid safely and effectively, but also heals the lining of the esophagus. It is necessary to mix the juice of one raw potato and cool water in equal proportions. The mixture must be shaken thoroughly until it becomes cloudy with starch. For best results, you need to take the medicine in one gulp.

Photo gallery: folk remedies for heartburn

Baking soda is a natural antacid

Potato juice treats the esophageal mucosa

Apple cider vinegar improves digestion

Almonds neutralize stomach acid due to their oil content

Diet for heartburn

The first step after being diagnosed with GERD is to make dietary changes to minimize symptoms and give the body an opportunity to heal. Proper nutrition can help reduce or even eliminate chronic heartburn.

First of all, it is worth analyzing which specific foods cause discomfort and which do not bring any painful symptoms. Thus, the patient must study his own body in order to develop a personal, safe nutrition plan.

When GERD is first diagnosed, many doctors prescribe a strict diet for a short period of time to allow the body to get the maximum benefit from the medications to speed up the healing process.

There are several general recommendations regarding foods that should be avoided if you have chronic heartburn. Such foods include:

1. Spicy food. Some spices are known to irritate the esophagus and cause heartburn. Eliminating them will help prevent painful symptoms and reduce the risk of peptic ulcers.
2. Trans fats and high-fat foods (including fried foods). They can cause reflux due to the large amount of acid required to digest them. Fatty foods also help relax the sphincter and delay gastric emptying, which leads to the reflux of acid into the esophagus. In addition, doctors associate dangerous trans fats with diseases of the esophagus, so it is best to exclude them from the diet.
3. Very hot food and liquid. It is advisable to allow food and drinks to cool slightly before consuming, as hot foods provoke gastrointestinal ulcers, which can worsen acid reflux symptoms.
4. Peppermint and chocolate. Contain chemicals that stimulate the secretion of gastric juices while relaxing the smooth muscle sphincter between the stomach and esophagus.
5. Alcohol. Irritates the stomach lining and is one of the most well-known causes of heartburn.
6. Foods that cause heartburn in a particular person. Every chronic patient has certain foods that are poorly tolerated. It could be tomatoes, citrus fruits, garlic or onions, and much more. It is recommended to make a list of such foods and avoid them in the future.

Photo gallery: foods prohibited for heartburn

Spicy foods irritate the esophagus

Foods containing trans fats are dangerous for the health of the esophagus

Mint and chocolate stimulate the secretion of gastric juice

Alcohol irritates the mucous membranes of the stomach and esophagus

Hot foods worsen acid reflux symptoms and damage the esophagus

Physical Culture

Physiotherapists say that physical activity helps prevent heartburn. It should be borne in mind that some forms of exercise can, on the contrary, cause acid reflux, especially those performed while lying on your back or bending over, “pushing out” the contents of the stomach. It is not advisable for heartburn sufferers to exercise too actively.

To relieve heartburn and lose weight, it is useful to exercise 2-3 times a week if you feel good.

Activities such as:

• walking or calm running on a sports track (without sudden jolts);
• exercise on a bicycle trainer;
• exercises on an elliptical machine.

Ballroom dancing and long walks in the fresh air are also useful. You should avoid eating within one to two hours before physical activity to ensure that your stomach is empty when you begin your workout. After class, you can snack on something small and light, such as a protein bar or banana.

Treatment of heartburn during pregnancy

Pregnancy tends to worsen heartburn because the lower esophageal sphincter weakens during pregnancy and gradually returns to normal only after childbirth. During pregnancy, a woman's abdominal organs also become displaced, and increased pressure due to the growing fetus causes acid reflux and heartburn.

It is advisable to get rid of heartburn during pregnancy using natural remedies.

Between 17 and 45% of pregnant women suffer from heartburn.

There are no reliable studies on the safety of heartburn medications for the developing fetus. Control of this condition during pregnancy should be carried out mainly by lifestyle adjustments using home folk remedies. Pregnant women are often helped to relieve symptoms by:

• avoiding fatty and spicy foods;
• split meals throughout the day (five to six small meals per day);
• avoiding lying down for an hour after eating.

Before eating, a pregnant woman can eat some yogurt or drink a glass of milk, perhaps with a spoonful of honey.

Treatment of heartburn

The first thing the doctor finds out is the cause of heartburn. Only after this is therapy aimed at neutralizing the effect of excess acid.

Important. The most common method among people to fight a “fire” in the esophagus is to take baking soda. It is worth remembering that this remedy will not only not save you from an attack of heartburn, but will also lead to serious consequences. This is due to the rebound principle, when a sharp decrease in acidity is replaced by its sharp increase.

You can reduce acidity by drinking mineral waters that are not enriched with gas. These can be waters such as: Smirnovskaya, Kislovodsk Narzan, Borjomi, etc.

Among medications, you can take drugs from the prokinetic group, which improve gastrointestinal motility, thereby reducing acidity in the stomach.

Heartburn symptoms

Symptoms manifest themselves in different ways and not necessarily as a burning sensation. But this symptom is the main and important one. It also happens:

• belching of air or food recently swallowed. Moreover, the taste in the mouth will be sour or bitter;
• flatulence in the epigastric region or esophagus;
• nausea, vomiting;
• feeling of a “lump in the throat”;
• pain radiating to the neck, interscapular area, left side;
• increased salivation;
• hoarseness.

Diet for heartburn

The main components of heartburn treatment are proper nutrition and strict adherence to food intake. The first step is to eliminate all harmful foods from your diet.

• Spicy, salty, fried, smoked and fatty foods.
• Fresh pastries and biscuits.
• Confectionery.
• Fatty fermented milk products.
• Chocolate.
• Citruses.
• Tomatoes and sauces.
• Spices.
• Alcohol.
• Fried eggs.
• Coffee and tea.
• Sparkling water.

The heartburn diet involves steaming food. You can also prepare boiled and baked dishes. In addition, the diet should contain complex diets - products made from durum wheat, corn or bran bread, dark rice.

The menu of people suffering from heartburn should include the following products:

• Hard-boiled and soft-boiled eggs.
• Lean meat (chicken, turkey, rabbit, veal, etc.).
• Low-fat dairy products.
• Lean fish.
• Green tea.
• Various cereals.
• Juices and compotes from sweet fruits and berries.
• Apples, pears and bananas.

Traditional ways to get rid of heartburn

Why does heartburn remind you of itself every day? What to do? People often resort to traditional medicine. These methods cannot replace treatment with drugs, but will help get rid of pain, burning and are an excellent option for prevention and auxiliary therapy for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract:

• Chamomile infusion or chamomile tea. Pour boiling water over a bag of chamomile from the pharmacy, dilute with cold water after 20 minutes and drink. Drink at least three glasses a day.
• Flaxseed also helps fight heartburn and restores the lining of the stomach and esophagus. A teaspoon per glass of boiling water is left overnight and drunk before meals the next day.
• Juice from new potatoes also gives excellent results.

Treatment of heartburn using traditional medicine

In addition to following a diet and taking medications prescribed by a doctor, you can take the advice of traditional healers. There are many different recipes, among which you can choose the best option for you:

• Infusion of flax seeds - used warm before bed.
• A collection of chamomile, licorice root, St. John's wort and yarrow.
• Infusion of licorice root with honey.
• Potato juice.
• Chewing boiled peas or oats.
• Fresh carrot pulp.
• Chamomile tea with honey.
• Pumpkin seeds.

However, traditional methods do not solve the problem entirely. Read more about traditional methods of getting rid of heartburn.

Drug treatment

Do you suffer from heartburn every day? See your doctor. You will be prescribed medications that should be taken for a certain period of time. Even if it seems to you that the symptoms have passed and there is no point in taking pills further, then you are wrong. At first, the drugs simply relieve the main symptoms, and only then they engage in recovery and treatment. Therefore, after abrupt withdrawal, heartburn may occur the next day. In addition, all medications must be prescribed by your doctor. It is he who will select the drug and dosage individually for you. In pharmacies, most medications for heartburn are freely available, and you can start taking them yourself, but not more than 3 days. Then you should consult a doctor.

All heartburn medications act on gastric juice and reduce its acidity. Tablets are also prescribed to normalize the motor function of the stomach and esophagus. If there is inflammation of the esophagus or sensitive mucous membrane, then drugs are prescribed specifically to restore the lining.

Prevention of heartburn and its consequences

In order to avoid serious problems with the digestive tract due to the effects of gastric juice, it is necessary to follow a number of preventive measures.

1. Food intake should be rationed - you need to eat in small portions, but often.
2. The consumption of alcoholic beverages, tobacco, fatty and salty foods should be minimized, and ideally, abandoned altogether.
3. All food should be chewed thoroughly.
4. The last snack should be no later than 20.00.
5. You need to drink plenty of liquid, at least 1.5 liters.
6. Rest after a meal should not be spent lying down; it is better to just sit for an hour.
7. You should not take medications for any reason; it is better to endure a headache for a while than to take medications uncontrollably.

The dangerous consequences of heartburn will not occur if you prevent its occurrence or begin timely treatment.

Causes of constant heartburn after eating

The cause of heartburn after eating is stomach overload. For the average person, the volume of food eaten at a time should not exceed 1.5 liters. It's even better to completely reconsider your diet. For example, you can increase the number of meals you eat during the day. This will improve digestion, you will immediately be able to feel lightness that you did not suspect before.

As for heat treatment of products, it is better to give preference to such types of cooking as boiling or steaming. Steamed dishes retain their beneficial properties, contain a low percentage of fatty acids, have a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora, and help the functioning of the stomach. Baked products belong to the neutral category.

In the evenings

Another secret recipe for heartburn is not to eat before bed. The stomach is active only while we are awake. When we sleep, all processes in the body slow down. Remember folk wisdom? “Eat breakfast yourself, share lunch with a friend, and give dinner to your enemy.” There is no need to be your own enemy. Dinner really needs to be made as light and juicy as possible. Important: recommendations for not eating after 6 are relevant for those who go to bed no later than 10 o’clock. Therefore, calculate your schedule individually, do not go to extremes.

During pregnancy

Only heartburn was missing during this already difficult period in a woman’s life! While carrying a baby, every third expectant mother suffers from it with enviable regularity. Heartburn occurs in the third trimester of pregnancy, when the baby is already large enough to “communicate” with the mother’s organs. He actively moves and “kicks”, which causes not only sighs of tenderness. We feel the baby’s blows only on the surface, but in fact they are clearly felt by each of our organs: stomach, liver, kidneys.

In this case, the recommendation is simple: switch to fractional meals to unload the stomach. Every woman during this period of time remembers that her diet should be extremely healthy. You need to eat fresh vegetables, fruits, natural ingredients, freshly squeezed juices, preferably not citrus fruits. Fatty meat is contraindicated; it puts a strain not only on the stomach, but on the liver, pancreas and kidneys. In the last trimester of pregnancy, a woman's organs shift and become difficult to function.

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If heartburn bothers you for more than half a day, consult a doctor to clarify the diagnosis. During pregnancy, diseases may arise that are not directly related to it, but are provoked by it. Regular medical monitoring will help avoid acute diseases that sometimes occur during pregnancy. Take care of yourself and your baby, watch your health. At this time, your internal organs are very vulnerable, especially the stomach, liver, and intestines.

When should you go to the doctor?

If you are bothered by heartburn no more than once a month or you know for sure that heartburn was preceded by a heavy and fatty meal, then visiting a doctor is not necessary. In this case, you can easily adjust your diet yourself and get rid of the burning sensation behind the sternum. It’s worth having a heartburn remedy in your first aid kit, just in case, so that after an unhealthy lunch or dinner you don’t suffer from pain.

If heartburn bothers you often, and avoiding foods that cause burning does not help, then you should consult a doctor, undergo a full examination and be treated with medications prescribed specifically for you!

Problems with the gastrointestinal tract are often hereditary, so if you have a family member with heartburn, you should see a doctor to avoid this disease in the future!

People who suffer from heartburn every day find it much more difficult to cope with. A constant burning sensation in the chest area may be a symptom of some disease, which, if left untreated, can become chronic, and then it will be difficult to get rid of this sensation.