What Causes Heartburn Symptoms?

Heartburn is a common symptom of acid reflux and GERD, or gastrointestinal acid reflux disease.

Everyone gets to experience heartburn at one point or another. It is estimated that more than 15 million Americans suffer from heartburn daily, with an additional 45 million having heartburn at least at once a month. Globally, acid reflux affects about 7 percent of the population, including men, women, and children.

Many people experience heartburn, but don’t realize it. This article will give information on how to identify the symptoms of heartburn and its causes.

Symptoms of Heartburn

Symptoms may be different from one person to another, but the most common are the following:

A burning sensation in the chest

This usually happens just after eating, lasting for a few minutes to several hours. This burning sensation usually starts behind the breastbone, and may travel up to the throat.

A burning feeling in the throat

This sensation of burning usually happens up in the neck, although it can also affect the lower part. This pain may worsen upon swallowing. It is a result of irritation when the stomach contents reflux up into the throat.

Sour or bitter taste in the mouth

When the stomach contents reflux or flow back into the throat, you will feel a bitter or sour taste in the mouth. This is due to the partially digested food and gastric acids that reflux back to the throat.

Difficulty swallowing

Trouble with swallowing usually occurs when food does not pass normally from the mouth, through the esophagus and to the stomach. There may be a sensation of food sticking in the throat, chest pressure, or a feeling of choking. Sometimes, difficulty in swallowing could be a sign of a more serious condition, and a doctor should be called to examine this if the condition persists.

Chronic coughing

If stomach acid reflux backs up into the esophagus and is aspirated, this can cause chronic cough in several people.

Wheezing or other asthma-like symptoms

Several studies suggest significant link between GERD and asthma. When stomach acid is refluxed back to the esophagus and is aspirated into the airways and lungs, breathing may get more difficult and cause the patient to sneeze and cough.

Causes of Heartburn – GERD

The symptom of heartburn can also be caused by other many things. Although it is mostly associated with GERD, It can also be caused by intestinal motility, cardiac problems, and other conditions.

The cause of GERD is complex. The most common of these conditions are the following:

Lower sphincter abnormalities

The action of the lower esophageal sphincter is perhaps the most important factor for preventing reflux. The esophagus is a muscular tube that extends from the lower throat to the stomach. The muscle that makes up the LES is active most of the time. This closing action prevents reflux. When food or saliva is swallowed, the LES relaxes for a few seconds to allow the food or saliva to pass from the esophagus into the stomach, and then close it again.

One of the abnormalities that involve the LES is the weak contraction of the LES. The second is the abnormal contractions of the LES. These prolonged and abnormal contractions allow reflux to occur more easily. They do not accompany swallows and last for a long time. They also allow reflux to occur more easily.

Hiatal hernias

When there is hiatal hernia, a small part of the upper stomach that attaches to the esophagus pushes up to the diaphragm. As a result, small part of the stomach and the LES come to lie in the chest, and the LES is no longer at the level of the diaphragm.

In individuals with hiatal hernia, the diaphragm surrounding the esophagus is continuously contracted, and then relaxes with each swallow, just like the LES.

Abnormal esophageal contractions

When contractions in the esophagus do not coincide with normal swallowing, refluxed acid is not pushed back into the stomach.

Slow or prolonged emptying of the stomach

Reflux commonly occurs after meals. This is because the slower the emptying of stomach contents, the more likely reflux occurs. Slower emptying is associated with prolonged distention of the stomach with food after meals, thereby increasing the likelihood of acid reflux.

Apart from these, lifestyle and dietary patterns are also associated with GERD, leading to heartburn.

This may be due to eating foods that trigger acid reflux such as acidic, crunchy, spicy, or fatty food.

Smoking and tobacco use have also been associated with increased incidence of heartburn.

Also, make sure not to wear too tight belts or shirts, as these can place pressure on the abdomen, causing acid reflux and subsequent heartburn.