Tips against Heartburn

Heartburn usually manifests as a burning sensation in the throat and a sour taste in the mouth. The burning pain in the chest is caused by the reflux of stomach acid (gastroesophageal reflux) into the esophagus. The symptom of heartburn (pyrosis) may be harmless, but it does not have to be. You should see your doctor to determine the cause. Heartburn is a widespread condition: In Germany, every second person suffers from it. Some only from time to time, others frequently. Pregnant women and older people are often affected. Many heartburn sufferers also experience acid regurgitation and a feeling of pressure in the chest area. We reveal what helps against heartburn.

Heartburn: Valve into the sour

To understand how heartburn develops, it is worth taking a look at how digestion works. Every day, our body produces about two to three liters of gastric juice, whose task is to process the food pulp and eliminate harmful micro-orgasnisms. For this reason, gastric juice is also very acidic, with a pH of 0.8 to 1.5. The esophagus is a muscular tube about 25 centimeters long and one centimeter in diameter, covered with mucous membrane. It connects the pharynx with the stomach. At the entrance to the stomach there is a sphincter muscle (esophageal sphincter). This resembles a valve that slackens during the swallowing process and opens to the stomach. The contents of the esophagus can flow into the stomach. Normally, this path is a one-way street. The aggressive and highly acidic gastric juice is no danger to the stomach thanks to its resistant mucosa. However, the esophagus is very sensitive. If the valve leaks, the gastric acid can flow back and damage the esophagus.

Causes of heartburn

Heartburn can have several causes. These include stress and certain dietary habits, such as eating too much fat or eating too late. The following reasons, among others, can cause the sphincter muscle to malfunction, causing heartburn:

  • Psychologically stressful situations such as stress stimulate gastric acid production and trigger heartburn.
  • Certain foods affect the pressure of the sphincter.
  • Some medications (including some painkillers) may be causally involved. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about this.
  • A hiatal hernia (called a hernia) may have occurred. In this case, part of the stomach moves through the diaphragmatic opening into the chest cavity.
  • In pregnant women, on the one hand, the hormone progesterone ensures the slackening of the sphincter, on the other hand, the greatly enlarged uterus presses against the stomach and as a result its contents into the esophagus.
  • In people who are overweight, it also happens that increased stomach content escapes into the esophagus.

Heartburn may be a warning sign of an organic disease such as a stomach ulcer or gastritis. This should be clarified by an examination with your doctor.

Burns of the esophageal mucosa.

Occasional acid regurgitation is not a cause for concern at first. However, if the mucous membrane of the esophagus is confronted with the corrosive gastric juice on a regular basis, say several times a week, mucosal irritation and damage (reflux esophagitis) may occur. Under certain circumstances, the mucous membrane may be completely destroyed, and internal bleeding or narrowing of the esophagus may occur. The upper respiratory tract, teeth and gums can also be affected by the refluxing acid. If left untreated, heartburn can lead to a condition such as esophagitis. In the worst case, an ulcer or cancer may even form. Incidentally, the English term “heartburn” is misleading, since the heart is not involved in heartburn. However, heartburn does cause a burning heat in the chest, which is the reason for the name.

15 Tips and home remedies for heartburn

Below are some tips as well as home remedies that can help against annoying heartburn.

  1. Eat several (five to six) small meals a day. Large meals are very bulky and lead to an overfull stomach contents. The risk of stomach acid being pushed into the esophagus here is increased.
  2. Especially in the evening, you should avoid rich meals and do not eat too late.
  3. Do not lie down immediately after eating.
  4. It is helpful to sleep with the upper body slightly elevated.
  5. Reduce your weight if you put too many kilos on the scale.
  6. Avoid stress, because it is a common trigger of heartburn. Relaxation exercises, exercise, meditation and rest can help reduce stress and therefore heartburn.
  7. Do not wear tight clothes and loosen your belt.
  8. Stooped or stooped posture promotes reflux.
  9. Refrain from alcohol and tobacco.
  10. Avoid highly acidic drinks such as grapefruit or lemon juice and other citrus juices.
  11. Proven home remedies are teas with chamomile, fennel or caraway.
  12. Chewing gum is said to reduce reflux; apparently, the increased saliva production when chewing gum protects the mucosa of the esophagus.
  13. Studies have shown that sweets, for example chocolate, can be triggers here in people who struggle with heartburn. In these cases, the theobromine contained in the chocolate is responsible.
  14. The influence of coffee on heartburn is not fully understood. It is possible that coffee consumption increases the discomfort.
  15. Many people describe the occurrence of heartburn after highly spiced, spicy food. However, the nature of the active ingredients in herbal spices differs significantly, so no uniform assessment is possible. Studies have shown that the active ingredient capsaicin, which is responsible for the spiciness in chili peppers, increases the sensitivity of the esophagus to gastric juice and thus intensifies the burning sensation.

Does milk help with heartburn?

Again and again you read recommendations to drink milk for heartburn. This results from the assumption that the protein in the milk buffers the stomach acid. Formerly, patients with this clinical picture were fed exclusively with milk. Whether this helped is questionable. For one thing, such a one-sided diet is not recommended to anyone, and for another, scientists have proven that milk actually stimulates acid production in the stomach.

Treat heartburn with medication

Heartburn can also be treated with the help of tablets. The main medications used to treat heartburn are antacids, which neutralize gastric juice, and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs, also known as proton pump inhibitors), which inhibit the formation of an enzyme needed for acid secretion.