Causes of Heartburn

Some people assume there are many causes of heartburn because it seems to happen in many different situations. In fact, there is really one cause with multiple triggers. We’ll talk about that cause in a moment, but first a few definitions.

Heartburn is a symptom, not a disease. That is, saying you have heartburn is like saying you have a pain in your big toe. It doesn’t say what’s causing it.

As the name heartburn implies, it’s a burning sensation. People usually feel it in their mid or lower chest. Since that’s the area usually associated with the heart, people named this symptom of burning pain “heartburn”.

What we think of as heartburn has nothing to do with the heart. Instead, it’s a problem with the GI tract.

The stomach produces high acid levels as part of the beginning of the digestive process. The stomach is really the only part of the GI tract that can tolerate this acid without damage because it has a specialized lining.

Bicarbonate produced by the pancreas neutralizes the acid as stomach content enters the small intestine and a muscular sphincter at the end of the esophagus usually prevents stomach content from backing up into the esophagus.

Weakness in that sphincter is the usual cause of heartburn.

When the sphincter is weak, stomach acid can back up into the esophagus. This is why you hear the phrase “acid reflux” associated with heartburn. The problem is the reflux (backing up) of acid into the esophagus. The page Symptoms of Acid Reflux discusses some of the other signs of reflux in more detail.

Since the esophagus doesn’t have a lining that can withstand the acid, it causes damage. In essence, it’s an acid burn of the esophagus so it’s not surprising that it’s a burning sensation.

Things like eating certain foods, lying down after eating, being overweight, etc. might trigger an episode of heartburn, but they aren't the cause.

Hiatal Hernia As a
Cause of Heartburn

You may have heard that a hiatal hernia causes heartburn. Not necessarily.

A hiatal hernia is a weakness in the diaphragm that allows some of the stomach to slide up into the chest. It will sometimes weaken the sphincter and allow the acid to back up, but not always.

Many people have hiatal hernias and don’t have symptoms of heartburn. Also, people can have reflux and heartburn without having a hiatal hernia. So a hernia by itself is not a cause of heartburn.

One thing to keep in mind is that sometimes what seems like heartburn really is a heart problem. If you have chest pain, it’s a good idea to get it checked out.

Acid reflux can cause symptoms besides simple heartburn. Unusual Symptoms of Acid Reflux explains them in some detail.

As you’ll see, heartburn and acid reflux aren’t always trivial so treatment is important. You can see what your treatment options are at Acid Reflux Treatment Options. You may also want to see if these Acid Reflux Home Remedies work for you.

The main thing is that once you know what the causes of heartburn are you’re in a much better position to treat it successfully.

Heartburn No More