Burping with heartburn | Symptoms of heartburn

Burping with heartburn

In most cases, heartburn is due to an overproduction of gastric acid. As soon as some of the gastric acid gets into the esophagus, it is attacked. Special cells in the stomach produce a thick protective mucus layer that protects all the cells of the stomach wall from the particularly corrosive digestive juice. However, this protection is no longer fully effective if the stomach acid is too concentrated. This also irritates the stomach and leads to acidic belching.

Sore throat with heartburn

If stomach juice reaches up to the throat through reflux, the mucous membrane there is also irritated. Thus, small injuries can also occur here, which quickly become inflamed. Particularly if one takes new food and beverages to itself, parts of it can sit on the small injuries. In addition, an infection with bacteria or viruses is possible, which can cause a stronger inflammatory reaction. Through these processes, the reflux leads not only to heartburn but also to sore throat.

Nausea with heartburn

Heartburn is often a result of stomach problems. Due to the overproduction of gastric acid, it passes through the sphincter into the esophagus and damages the mucous membrane there. The increased production of gastric acid is often the result of a malregulation in the stomach and is therefore accompanied by nausea and rarely by vomiting. The defective regulation can be triggered by various hormones or signals that are incorrectly passed on to the stomach by the brain.

Heartburn with back pain

The esophagus is the affected organ in heartburn. Normally, the symptoms express themselves as pain behind the breastbone. However, since the esophagus is located between the breastbone and the spine, the pain can also radiate into the back. In such cases, the back muscles often tense up in the upper area and aggravate the back pain by persistent tension.

Esophageal cancer and heartburn

The most feared consequence of heartburn is esophageal cancer. Heartburn is caused by stomach acid that gets into the esophagus and injures it. In chronic heartburn, the normal mucous membrane cells of the esophagus are gradually replaced by cells that are otherwise only found in the stomach.

This protects the surface of the esophagus from the acidic stomach contents. However, these cells can quickly degenerate and thus become cancerous.