Almost everyone has had a sour burp at some point and knows the unpleasant feeling that heartburn causes in the throat and pharynx. Anyone who knows the causes of this can help to prevent heartburn from occurring in the first place.
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Diagnosis: heartburn
Almost a third of Germans struggle with regular heartburn, but how does it develop? The esophagus, a kind of tube between the throat and the stomach, transports chewed chyme from the mouth to the stomach by means of muscular movements. There the food is enriched with the body’s own hydrochloric acid from the stomach. During this process, a sphincter (esophageal sphincter) normally works to keep food in the stomach. However, if this muscle is weakened or has a disease-related defect, the mash mixed with hydrochloric acid can rise back up into the esophagus unhindered.
If you complain of pain behind the breastbone, the body tries to push the chewed food back into the stomach through muscle movements. If hydrochloric acid stays in the esophagus for too long, the esophageal mucosa becomes irritated and you feel an unpleasant burning sensation .
Heartburn: when do you need to see a doctor?
If the symptoms only occur occasionally and disappear again after only a short time, the heartburn is usually considered harmless. You probably just ate too greasy or too much. However, if you suffer more and more frequently from the fact that you are belching from the acidic contents of your stomach, then there may be a reflux disease behind your symptoms, which should be clarified. At the latest, however, if you develop a dry cough, clear your throat in the morning, a sluggish muteness and hoarseness, you should see a doctor.
Quick help for heartburn: Bullrich salt neutralizes excess stomach acid >>
Determine the cause of heartburn
The mirroring of the stomach and the esophagus (gastroscopy) usually shows an inflammation of the esophageal mucosa. In the case of tumors, the doctor takes tissue samples to rule out a malignant tumor. In addition, the doctor can determine the acid value in the esophagus.
Of course, frequent heartburn can also have serious causes, but in most cases it is simply due to a weakened or diseased gastric sphincter. On the following pages you will find out which factors can affect the muscle and which causes are responsible for heartburn.
And if you know what’s causing the burning sensation and acid reflux, you can target it. Of course, you will also find effective remedies for heartburn here >>
Cause of Heartburn: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
In this disease, also called reflux disease, the acidic food mash flows back into the esophagus because the sphincter is weakened. Irritation occurs. This sphincter muscle can be naturally flaccid. However, high alcohol consumption, stress and clothing that is too tight play an important role, since the stomach then produces too much acid or empties too slowly. The absorption of nicotine when smoking also reduces the muscle tension of the sphincter. Especially after eating or when lying down or bending over, you feel heartburn, acid regurgitation, pain behind the breastbone and sometimes even hoarseness and a dry cough several times a week.
Blame for heartburn: medication
Do you take drugs with active ingredients that dilate blood vessels, such as cardiovascular drugs? These reduce the elasticity of the muscle and promote reflux. Other drugs, such as diclotenac and ibuprofen, stimulate increased acid production and promote excess stomach acid — also a common cause of heartburn.
Cause of heartburn: inflammation of the stomach lining (gastritis)
If the gastric mucosa is inflamed by nicotine, salmonella, staphylococci, alcohol or food poisoning, it will recede over time. Another trigger for gastric mucosal inflammation can be competitive sports and the associated stress. In addition to heartburn, symptoms include abdominal pain, flatulence and nausea.
Cause of heartburn: Acid-forming foods
The consumption of animal products such as milk or eggs, sugar or white flour products as well as frequent drinking of coffee stimulate acid formation in the stomach . Because fat is digested very slowly, slowing the emptying of the stomach, eating greasy foods quickly can also lead to heartburn and stomach pain. For this reason, you should enjoy these foods or dishes in moderation and use more alkaline foods such as fruit, vegetables and nuts. Make sure you chew your food well. The smaller the food arrives in the stomach, the less digestive juices are needed.
Esophagitis causes heartburn
If you swallow medicines with insufficient water, they will already dissolve in the esophagus and attack it, which can lead to inflammation. Excessive alcohol consumption and food allergies can also lead to inflammation and erosion in the esophagus .
With a weakened immune system due to AIDS or immunosuppressive drugs, viral infections that cause inflammation in the esophagus occur particularly frequently.
Diabetes promotes fungal diseases in the esophagus and leads to severe inflammation. Signs of a fungal disease are heartburn, difficulty swallowing, pain in the upper throat and diarrhea as well as a white coating on the tongue. Ulcers and scars can develop without treatment by a doctor, so you should definitely have the symptoms clarified by a specialist
Diaphragmatic hernia can lead to heartburn
The diaphragm is the most important breathing muscle in the human body. When it contracts, the lungs fill with air. To get to the stomach, the esophagus enters through the esophageal slit, a small opening in the diaphragm. If the muscles in this area relax, part of the stomach can pass through the slit into the chest cavity. This process describes a diaphragmatic hernia .
This can be due to being overweight, straining when having a bowel movement, constipation or a severe cough. Typical signs of a diaphragmatic hernia are prolonged heartburn, pain behind the breastbone, and a feeling of pressure in the chest, especially after eating.
Pregnancy causes heartburn
Heartburn at the beginning or towards the end of pregnancy is normal. As the baby grows, the space available for the stomach decreases. This moves up and presses on the esophagus.
Heartburn: signs of esophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer is extremely rare and occurs mainly in smokers over the age of 40. If reflux disease has been untreated for a long time, gastric acid can lead to pathological cell changes in the esophagus. The growth can be examined for malignancy by means of a biopsy.
