Introduction
The term heartburn comes from the Old High German “Sod”, which means boiling. Heartburn is not a disease in itself, it is rather an expression of another disease, usually a disorder of the esophagus. Rarely can heartburn occur even when all organs are perfectly healthy.
Heartburn is typical of reflux disease (it is considered the leading symptom of so-called reflux esophagitis), in which acidic stomach contents reflux into the esophagus and occasionally also into the mouth. Since the stomach acid is very acidic and thus extremely irritates the mucous membrane of the esophagus, the pain typical of heartburn occurs in the course of the esophagus. Since the esophagus is located behind the breastbone, the pain is classically felt here, although it can sometimes radiate into the immediate vicinity, especially into the throat and mouth area.
The pain can also be felt more as a burning or pressing sensation. In addition, heartburn often occurs as a result of food. This means either that the symptoms can always appear after eating or only if a person has eaten certain foods or a large amount of food.
However, in some patients, the symptoms also manifest themselves particularly during sleep. Adequate nutrition can also help to alleviate some of these symptoms. Other problems that are often noticed at the same time as heartburn are difficulty swallowing, a feeling of fullness, nausea that can even go as far as vomiting, hoarseness (especially early in the morning), chronic coughing or gum inflammation.
These complaints can be caused by the fact that the stomach acid is unnaturally located in places other than the stomach and causes irritation there. The intensity and frequency of the symptoms of heartburn vary from person to person. However, if the symptoms mentioned above are noticed more frequently, it is definitely advisable to consult a physician in order to determine a possible underlying disease and treat it appropriately.
Can heartburn also indicate heart disease?
Heartburn is usually perceived as a burning pain behind the breastbone. Pain in the entire chest area can always indicate a heart problem and should therefore not be underestimated. In case of doubt, a heart condition should be excluded, as this could have serious consequences.
Pain in the chest area can, for example, be a sign of coronary heart disease (calcification of the coronary vessels) or a heart attack. It is not uncommon for these symptoms to be misinterpreted as heart disease. However, in contrast to the symptoms caused by the heart, heartburn is often accompanied by other symptoms. These include above all the increased, often either bitter or acidic belching.
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