What Is Heartburn?

What is heartburn? The simplistic answer is that's a form of indigestion associate with a burning sensation in the center of the chest. Since most people associate the heart as being in this area this burning sensation came to be called "heartburn".

Although your heart is not on fire, the phrase is not as far off base as you may think. You see, most heartburn is due to acid reflux. Acid reflux means the acid from the stomach is backing up into the esophagus which doesn't have a lining that can handle it. Acid reflux causes an irritation of the esophagus (esophagitis) which is in essence a chemical burn of the esophageal lining.

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So it really is reasonable to refer to the problem has a burn.

Since acid causes the problem it also makes sense that some of the earliest treatments involve using antacids to neutralize the acid. You can find out about a lot of other treatments for heartburn and acid reflux on other pages on this site.

It's very important to keep in mind that pain in the chest actually can come from the heart. If you're having chest pain you should just assume that it's "indigestion". Even if chest pain feels like it's a burning sensation there is a chance that it could indicate a heart problem. You should be checked out by a doctor.

For many people heartburn is just an occasional annoyance. They know that if they eat certain foods or overdo it at a party that they may have some problems but most of the time they're fine.

For other people, heartburn is a daily problem gradually getting worse over time. Such people definitely should seek out effective treatments. If left untreated the situation can progress from simple heartburn to competitions associated with acid reflux.

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