Heartburn after alcohol: possible causes and what to do, how to get rid of it

Only infants do not know about the negative effects of alcoholic beverages on the human body. And, despite this, even sane people often abuse alcohol-containing drinks. Even more surprising are those who drink, knowing that an alcoholic drink activates diseases that have long tormented the drinker, for example, heartburn. Let's look at the causes of these unpleasant sensations and how to get rid of them.

Causes and symptoms of heartburn from alcohol

The human esophagus is sensitive to food and drinks that enter it. It ensures the transfer of foods to the stomach, where they are digested with the help of juice.

However, sometimes this process stops, which causes an unpleasant burning sensation in the body - heartburn.

Strong drinks, like no other, can negatively affect intestinal function. Due to the high alcohol content, alcohol burns the mucous membrane, blocking protective functions.

The burning sensation from drinking does not differ in symptoms from ordinary heartburn.

Signs that you have esophageal irritation from drinking:

• feeling of heaviness in the stomach
• belching
• burning sensation on and under the tongue
• difficulty swallowing food
• tingling in the chest area
• sore throat.

It is worth noting that not any type of alcohol causes illness.

What to do if there is a burning sensation from beer

Beer is one of the most consumed alcoholic drinks. However, at the same time it has a detrimental effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Heartburn occurs from beer due to the presence of hops in it. The component affects the secretion of gastric juice, accelerating it. As a result, an excessive amount of acid enters the body, which irritates the mucous membrane.

But the negative effects of beer on the body do not end there. The drink is saturated with carbon dioxide, which significantly complicates the work of the lower esophageal sphincter.

This is why belching, hiccups or heartburn occur after drinking this alcohol. Doctors warn that drinking too much beer can lead to ulcers.

Heartburn from vodka

Any drink is harmful to the body. And vodka is no exception. This drink contains a record amount of alcohol.

Binge drinking is extremely harmful to the liver. After all, it disinfects everything that enters the body.

Vodka poses the greatest danger to the stomach. It causes a strong blow to the mucous membrane, disrupting acidity. And therefore, it causes heartburn and leads to the formation of erosion on the intestinal walls.

People suffering from this problem cannot eat spicy and fatty foods because their esophagus cannot cope with digestion.

Heartburn is a constant companion to alcoholism, especially long-term alcoholism. To reduce symptoms, you need to drink alkaline mineral water without carbon every day.

Contraindications

The main contraindication of Mexidol is personal intolerance to the components, allergic reaction and their hypersensitivity. Before taking the drug, special tests are carried out, thanks to which it is possible to understand whether the patient can be prescribed therapy or not.

Important! People with kidney or liver disease are strictly prohibited from drinking or injecting Mexidol intravenously.

The drug is also not prescribed during pregnancy and lactation. A prerequisite for taking Mexidol is constant monitoring of blood pressure; if it increases, therapy should be stopped immediately.

Resumption of treatment will be possible only after the body has been restored and the blood pressure has returned to normal. Mexidol has a number of side effects:

• attacks of nausea, possible vomiting;
• possible drowsiness;
• severe dryness in the mouth;
• the appearance of an allergic reaction.

The medicinal substance is not addictive, and to avoid an overdose, the attending physician will indicate how to take the drug and how often.

For information! According to patient reviews, Mexidol is an absolutely harmless medicine that does not cause negative consequences even when compatible with other drugs.

You can find out how safe and effective the drug is from the video

Mexidol is a drug with a minimal number of side effects, which include:

• allergic response to the components of the drug;
• nausea and vomiting reactions;
• excessive drying of the oral mucosa;
• minor changes in blood pressure.

Before taking the medication, you need to study in advance the contraindications to the drug, including the presence of intolerance to the drug or its components, pregnancy and lactation period, as well as serious impairment of liver or renal function.

The medication is not prescribed to children and elderly patients. When prescribing, an individual dosage regimen selected by a specialist is usually used.

Mexidol is a drug with high therapeutic efficacy and a minimal list of contraindications, which reduces the cost and duration of treatment, and also increases its effectiveness.

The use of the drug has a number of limitations. Contraindications for using the drug are as follows:

• acute course of liver failure;
• pregnancy, breastfeeding;
• childhood;
• kidney failure;
• hypersensitivity to the components of the composition;
• bronchial asthma with hypersensitivity to sulfites.

• renal/liver failure;
• age under 18 years;
• pregnancy and breastfeeding;
• hypersensitivity to any of the components of the drug.

Burning from wine

Wine is considered a noble type of alcohol that does not cause any particular harm to the body.

If the drink is really high quality, then there will be no stomach problems. However, excessive consumption of cheap booze with a high alcohol content will lead to negative consequences.

Drinking the drink too often causes abnormalities in the functioning of the stomach and the development of gastritis.

Heartburn that occurs from wine can be eliminated using traditional methods or pharmaceutical drugs.

What consequences?

Heartburn itself is not a disease. However, if you constantly provoke it by drinking alcohol, this can lead to quite serious consequences:

• Chronic gastritis.
• Chronic cholecystitis.
• Duodenitis.
• Ulcer of the esophagus, stomach or duodenum.

View gallery

Heartburn from champagne

It's hard to imagine a celebration without champagne. Every girl's favorite drink can cause heartburn.

Large amounts of sparkling wine can cause excess carbon dioxide in the stomach, leading to the opening of the lower digestive sphincter.

The carbon dioxide contained in the drink causes rapid intoxication. They suppress the reflexes of the nervous system, powdering the stomach reaction, among other things.

Due to frequent drinking of champagne, heartburn can become a permanent symptom, which is extremely difficult to get rid of.

To treat chronic burning sensation from champagne, you must take medications prescribed by your doctor. Most often, experts prescribe drinking smecta, phosphalugel or hangover remedies.

Burning from cognac

Cognac is one of the noble drinks that powerful members of society love so much.

To create this type of alcohol, complex technology of aging in barrels is used. But even high-quality products cause an unpleasant burning sensation in the stomach. This is because cognac contains a high percentage of alcohol.

A small amount of the drink will not be dangerous. In small doses, it is not even capable of causing a hangover. However, not everyone knows how to control themselves. In case of excessive consumption of cognac, vomiting is possible.

How to Diagnose Heartburn

Often a burning sensation is a symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

First of all, the doctor must determine that the patient’s life is not in danger. Heartburn after alcohol can be a sign of cardiovascular failure, severe esophagitis and ulcers. These pathologies are also characterized by the following symptoms: pain in the chest, abdomen and vomiting with bloody discharge.

If no problems are found in the patient, the doctor prescribes symptomatic treatment.

The causative agent of heartburn is gastroesophageal reflux.

Occurs for the following reasons:

• gastroesophageal disease, both with and without esophagitis;
• failure of intestinal motor function;
• formation of tumors in the stomach;
• acquired hiatal hernia;
• irritable bowel syndrome;
• peptic ulcer;

Regardless of which product caused the problem, the symptoms will be similar.

This disease is accompanied not only by a burning sensation in the throat and stomach, but also by disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract.

Signs that you have chronic heartburn are that the condition gets worse when you eat fatty foods, chocolate, coffee or strong alcohol. Symptoms may worsen with bending or physical activity. Bloating, constipation and flatulence appear.

Heartburn is often accompanied by pain in the chest, dysphagia, and belching of acid and air. A burning sensation in the stomach accompanies serious gastrointestinal diseases. To protect yourself, you need to undergo a laboratory and instrumental examination when symptoms appear.

Doctors recommend resorting to primary diagnosis if esophagitis lasts more than 3 weeks. You will need to donate blood for analysis and undergo FEGDS (internal examination of the stomach cavity using a probe).

At this stage, the cause of the disease is determined, so the doctor will be able to rule out other diseases: ulcers, tumors of the esophagus or intestines.

The duration of treatment for gastrointestinal problems varies depending on their severity.

There are 4 grades: A, B, C and D.

Grade A - harmless. It is accompanied by damage to only one or two areas of the mucous membrane, the size of which is no more than 5 mm.

Grade B is diagnosed if the stomach has 5 mm of damage within a fold of the mucous membrane and does not extend to the adjacent area.

Grade C means that less than 75% of a person's lining is damaged, but the inflammation extends to two or more parts of the organ lining.

The last degree is dangerous for humans - D. It is diagnosed when almost the entire stomach cavity is affected.

Prolonged heartburn becomes the basis for the development of other gastrointestinal diseases: inflammation of the mucous membrane and ulcer of the esophagus.

The appearance of an ulcer disrupts the integrity of the stomach. And even after treatment, a scar remains, which prevents the normal passage of food. This pathology is eliminated through surgery.

What complications can there be?

Heartburn after drinking alcohol the day after gatherings and parties is not the worst consequence. Excessive, uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, in addition, can be fraught with the following:

• Food poisoning.
• Alcohol intoxication of the body.
• The emergence of alcohol addiction.

View gallery

Heartburn Treatment Methods

Anyone can experience a burning sensation in the stomach after drinking alcohol or fatty foods. You need to know how to properly provide assistance in such a situation and quickly remove the symptoms of the disease with medications and folk remedies.

A simple and effective first aid method is baking soda. It can be found in any home. Thanks to its composition, the solution helps to neutralize the increased acidity of the stomach and create an alkaline environment in it.

Important! You should not use soda if a person has pathology of the gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system.

The solution is prepared using 200 ml. warm water and 5 grams of powder. The patient needs to drink the liquid immediately.

Doctors do not recommend getting carried away with this method of treatment, as there is a danger of problems with the functioning of the stomach.

Among pharmaceutical drugs, Maalox, phosphalugel and smecta are considered effective if the patient has a burning sensation in the throat and stomach.

A popular method of treating heartburn is taking nitroglycerin and isosorbide before meals.

If these medications do not help, the doctor prescribes calcium channel blockers, for example, nifedipine and diltiazem. However, these components can lead to increased symptoms of reflux.

Treatment is aimed at reducing symptoms, normalizing the endoscopic picture, preventing exacerbations and complications, as well as improving lifestyle.

Why did the misconception arise?

Is Mexidol really compatible with alcohol? The instructions for the medicine do not give a direct answer. It is indicated that the drug:

• fights alcohol toxins;
• eliminates cognitive impairment, that is, problems of memory and mental activity caused by heavy drinking;
• relieves adverse neurological reactions provoked by constant drinking of alcohol.

Such information, without proper reflection, is perceived by many as a direct indication of the compatibility of Mexidol and alcohol. There is an opinion that taking alcohol and the drug together will help avoid a hangover.

To dispel this misconception, it is important to understand that the concepts of withdrawal symptoms and hangover are now often considered synonymous, but this is just a common mistake.

Withdrawal syndrome is a combination of various symptoms that develops in a person after binge drinking. In this state, a person experiences a lot of unpleasant sensations, but in principle cannot drink alcohol.

Traditional methods of treating heartburn

Relief from heartburn can be accelerated by tinctures of medicinal herbs. Decoctions based on chamomile and plantain are especially effective; nettle, St. John's wort and marshmallow also help.

These herbs have the ability to relieve inflammation and soothe the stomach. The same infusions will be useful during pregnancy, during which heartburn is no less common.

Simple salt helps many people. You need to dissolve a handful in your mouth and then swallow it.

Preventing heartburn

In order to reduce the chances of heartburn to a minimum, switch to fractional meals, which involve eating small portions 5-6 times a day.

Thanks to the small volume of products entering the stomach, the body copes with their digestion and assimilation without problems. It is recommended to pay attention to chewing.

Also, avoid fatty, spicy and fried foods to prevent heartburn.

Stress and short sleep are companions of diseases. Go to bed before 12, worry less and rest, and then health problems will bypass you.

Price for Mexiprim in pharmacies

The price for a package of the drug in tablets ranges from 150 to 350 rubles.

The price of Mexiprim in solution form ranges from 200 to 350 rubles.