Health Awareness - Severe Heartburn
Symptoms
Heartburn is an occasional symptom that may happen to anyone, especially
after eating spicy or fatty foods. Usually, it is something we don’t have to
worry about, since it is a part of the natural occurrences in our body as it reacts to the food we intake. However,
if the severe heartburn symptoms keep on recurring even after taking all the necessary steps for
relief, this may not be the common heartburn we know, or it may
have developed into a more severe condition.
Heartburn is a symptom of
acid reflux that happens when acids in the stomach, mixed with partially digested food, flows back up into
the esophagus. This creates a burning sensation that spreads out from the
chest, towards the neck and the throat.
The LES or lower esophageal
sphincter normally contracts right after the food gets inside the stomach. This is the body’s mechanism to
prevent acids from rising up.
If the LES is weak, there’s a chance that it might not function
very well, thus failure in contraction occurs, allowing the acids to irritate the esophagus, causing severe
heartburn.
When should you be
alarmed?
Severe heartburn or also known as
chronic heartburn is a major symptom of a condition called GERD (gastro esophageal reflux
disease). Common heartburn usually goes away after a few hours or after taking antacids. If the symptom persists, becomes long-lasting and occurs even when not triggered
by any cause, you should consult a physician right away. Severe heartburn will usually affect a person’s daily
routine, diet and sleep. Despite the changes in dietary habits, or even after taking
prescribed medicines, severe heartburn arises more than twice a week and this should not be taken
lightly.
What causes severe
heartburn?
Pregnancy,
obesity, and asthma are few of the conditions that may cause heartburn. It can
also be caused by some types of food which are acidic, spicy and high in
cholesterol. Chocolates, alcohol and caffeine can also trigger it if taken in large quantities. Severe heartburn
is usually associated with underlying diseases such as GERD, ulcer,
or esophageal cancer, although not at all times. If a normal heartburn is not treated properly, there is a great
possibility for it to develop into a more serious and life-threatening
condition.
Symptoms
To know whether you are
experiencing severe heartburn, here are some of the common symptoms which you should watch out
for.
- Recurrent burning
sensation in the chest
If the chest pains happen more frequent than usual, this may be signs of severe
heartburn. The burning sensation usually passes after several hours, if in any case it lasts for a period beyond
the usual, you should call the doctor immediately.
- Bitter or sour taste
in the mouth
Heartburn is
caused by reflux of acids in the stomach. In severe cases, the acids travel further back up into
the esophagus and reach the area where you can actually taste it. The taste will be very foul accompanied by strong
acidic smell.
- Difficulty in
keeping the food down
As acids reach the esophagus, it can cause severe damage to the lining.
Oftentimes, the track tightens and swells due to the irritation and inflammation
caused by the reflux. When this happens, swallowing will be very difficult, like you are about to choke or as if
the food sticks to the throat. To seek medical help is highly recommended as this may also be symptoms of
esophageal cancer.
- Chronic coughing
and wheezing
Studies showed that 41% of
non-smoking patients suffering from chronic cough have GERD. Another study linked asthma to the
same disease. Results proved that 60% of asthma patients developed GERD, and found out that the
condition, when aspirated into the lung’s airways, causes difficulty in breathing and
wheezing.
If you are a
heartburn-sufferer and have experienced all the symptoms mentioned above, you should immediately
tell your doctor about it. After being diagnosed, your
physician will give you certain medications that will ease the symptom and stop it
from ever recurring. It will also be a way to know if you have underlying diseases other than mere
heartburn.
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