Heartburn

The leading symptom “heartburn” describes a burning, painful sensation behind the breastbone, which can rise up to the neck. Often, heartburn is accompanied by belching, which is perceived as extremely unpleasant. Often heartburn occurs in the so-called reflux disease (reflux esophagitis), in which the stomach acid rises into the esophagus, causing pain.

The mucous membrane of the esophagus is irritated and attacked by the strongly acidic pH of the stomach acid. Increased activity of the intestine and weak sphincter muscles of the stomach can also cause heartburn if secretions from the small intestine reflux. However, belching is rather bilious in this case.

Gastric acid reflux can also be caused by food or drinks. Particularly fatty, acidic or spicy foods or drinks trigger a reflux, which can occur more frequently when lying down. Heartburn is also caused by addictive substances such as alcohol, coffee or nicotine.

Before heartburn is treated with medication, it should be tried to be regulated by changing your eating habits. Accompanying then a therapy with proton pump inhibitors can be aimed at, which inhibits the acid production of the stomach. It is important to get the reflux permanently under control, otherwise the esophagus is too much damaged and even the growth of ulcers is possible.

Pregnancy

At the beginning of pregnancy, nausea is a concomitant symptom of hormonal changes and altered metabolism. Nausea and vomiting are therefore quite normal, especially in the first trimester.Due to the pregnancy hormones progesterone and estrogen, the entire musculature is more relaxed, which means that heartburn or reflux is more frequent during pregnancy. In addition, the growing child in the uterus pushes the other abdominal organs upwards.

This can also cause upper abdominal pain after meals during pregnancy. The stretching of the stomach is limited, so it is recommended to eat smaller meals. Pain in the upper abdomen can also be caused by child movements and kicks during pregnancy.

Of course all other diseases can also be considered as a cause for the upper abdominal pain and should therefore be clarified by the physician. However, any medication should be checked to ensure that it is not harmful to the unborn child. Pain in the upper abdomen during pregnancy can also be an expression of a serious complication, the so-called HELLP syndrome.

Symptoms include pain in the right upper abdomen as a result of liver dysfunction, but also unspecific syndromes such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches and visual disturbances. The latter symptoms also occur in the pregnancy emergency pre-eclampsia (edema, proteinuria, hypertension). In HELLP syndrome, on the other hand, the blood and blood coagulation of pregnant women are altered and liver function is severely restricted. HELLP syndrome is a serious emergency in gynecology, as 3-5% of women and up to 40% of children die from it.