HEARTBURN
A burning
issue
S
By Marjolein Bench, BPharm IMM
ymptoms of heartburn include
a burning pain in the chest that
usually occurs after eating and
may occur at night and pain that
worsens when lying down or
bending over. The pain often rises in the
chest and may radiate to the neck, throat,
or angle of the jaw.
Heartburn is usually associated with
regurgitation of gastric acid (gastric or
acid reflux) which is the major symptom
of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease
(GORD). It may also be a symptom of
ischemic heart disease, though this is
true for only 0.6% of those experiencing
heartburn.
Reflux occurs when the ring-shaped
muscle that normally prevents the
contents of the stomach from flowing
back into the oesophagus (lower
oesophageal sphincter) does not function
properly. Stomach acid and enzymes flow
backward from the stomach into the
oesophagus, causing inflammation and
pain in the oesophagus. The most typical
symptom is heartburn.
The stomach lining protects the
stomach from the effects of its own acid.
Because the oesophagus lacks a similar
protective lining, stomach acid and
enzymes that flow backward (reflux) into
the oesophagus, routinely cause
symptoms and in some cases damage.
When a person is standing or sitting,
gravity helps to prevent the reflux of
stomach contents into the oesophagus,
which explains why reflux can worsen
when a person is lying down. Reflux is also
more likely to occur soon after meals,
when the volume and acidity of contents in
the stomach are higher and the sphincter
is less likely to work properly.
Factors contributing to
reflux include:
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22 | NOVEMBER 2013 FrontShop
weight gain
fatty foods
chocolate
caffeinated and carbonated beverages
alcohol
tobacco smoking
certain drugs.