How Does Heartburn Feel Like

Medical Treatments For Gerd

Medications are available with and without a prescription for acid reflux and GERD.

Antacids: First-line treatments for acid reflux are usually antacids. These medicines act quickly to reduce the effect of stomach acid, which can relieve symptoms. Examples of these medicines are Tums and Rolaids.

If these medicines dont relieve acid reflux or a person has GERD, other treatments can include:

H2 blockers: H2 blockers are designed to reduce the amount of acid a persons stomach produces. Sometimes taking these medicines with antacids can help. Examples of these medicines include cimetidine and famotidine .

Proton pump inhibitors: These medications work longer than H2 blockers to reduce acid in the stomach. They can also help heal the stomach lining. Examples include:

• esomeprazole
• lansoprazole
• pantoprazole

Prokinetics: These are medications like metoclopramide . There is controversy as to whether these medications benefit people with GERD. Many new prokinetics have been removed from the market due to serious side effects .

If medications dont reduce a persons acid reflux symptoms, a doctor may recommend surgery to avoid further damage to the esophagus and stomach. One surgical approach is known as Nissen fundoplication. This involves wrapping a portion of your stomach around the esophagus to strengthen the LES.

• difficulty breathing

Acid Reflux And Headaches

While there are no studies showing that gastrointestinal disorders can lead to headaches, there are publications that illustrate how gastric problems, in particular acid reflux, can coincide with headaches.

A study involving 43,782 patients studies the possible prevalence of headaches in patients with gastrointestinal problems. Compared to diarrhea and constipation, patients with acid reflux symptoms report higher prevalence of headaches.

Another study involving 1,832 migraine patients were tested for heartburn and GERD symptoms. Of the group, 22% reported GERD diagnosis, 11.6% reported heartburn, and another 15.8% reported previously undiagnosed reflux symptoms.

These studies show that patients with acid reflux problems also tend to experience headaches, although there are no clear reasons why. Although unclear, doctors confirm that treating gastrointestinal problems also alleviates headache symptoms, which is how acid reflux-related headaches are treated.

How Acid Reflux And Gerd May Damage The Throat

In addition to potentially damaging the lower esophagus, frequent heartburn or GERD may also damage the upper throat. This can occur if the stomach acid comes all the way up into the back of the throat or nasal airway. This condition is often referred to as laryngopharyngeal reflux .

LPR is also sometimes called silent reflux, because it doesnt always present symptoms that people readily recognize. Its important for individuals with GERD to be checked for LPR to avoid any potential throat or voice damage. Symptoms of LPR may include the following:

• hoarseness
• feeling of a lump in the throat
• chronic cough or cough that wakes you from your sleep
• choking episodes

• Eat smaller meals more frequently and take your time chewing.
• Avoid overeating.
• Increase physical activity if overweight.
• Increase fiber in your diet.
• Increase fruits and vegetables in your diet.
• Stay upright for at least one hour after meals.
• Avoid eating 2 to 3 hours before bedtime.
• Avoid trigger foods like high-fat and high-sugar items, alcohol, caffeine, and chocolate.
• Maintain a healthy weight.

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How Do Antacids Work To Treat Heartburn

Antacids reduce the amount of stomach acid, relieving your heartburn. These medications can also be used to soothe stomach upset, indigestion and other pains in your stomach. Some antacids contain simethicone, which reduces gas. Antacids that you can get without a prescription include:

• Tums®.
• Maalox®.
• Gaviscon®.

Make sure you always follow the instructions on the package or talk to your doctor about the right way to use an antacid. If you use tablets, chew them well before swallowing for faster relief.

What Heartburn Feels Like

You get this problem when stomach acid moves into a tube called the esophagus, which carries food from your mouth to the stomach. When that happens, you could have a burning pain in your chest. Your throat might burn, and you could have a sour taste in your mouth or a cough. You may also hear it called GERD , which is heartburn that happens often. But other conditions can have similar symptoms.

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Not All Of Them Are Obvious

Feel like you just cant keep that nasty stuff in your belly from bubbling up into your throat? What youre experiencing might not be run-of-the-mill heartburn. It could be a case of gastroesophageal reflux diseaseGERD, for shorta condition that causes the acid and food in your stomach to rise into your esophagus, and sometimes even enter your mouth or lungs. GERD is far from rare: In fact, it occurs in 20 percent of the U.S. population, according to the medical journal Gastroenterology. But there are also several factors that make some people an easier target for the disease.

Everyone has a small, normal amount of gastroesophageal reflux, but an abnormal amount of acid reflux occurs when the one-way valve between the esophagus and the stomach, called the lower esophageal sphincter, becomes too loose, says Ketan Shah, M.D., gastroenterologist at Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, California. This can occur for multiple reasons that cause intra-abdominal pressure to be abnormally elevated, including being overweight or obese, frequent overeating, lying down too soon after eating, chronic straining or coughing, or chronic heavy lifting. These are typically the people who are more susceptible to GERD.

Heartburn won’t go away

Bitter taste

Trouble swallowing

Heart Attack Feeling

Coughing

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Natural Remedies For Heartburn

If you are just wondering what to do for heartburn to have it cured naturally, then you will find this list of heartburn home remedies pretty helpful.

1. Almonds

This natural ingredient is great for digesting your food. Its natural oil content helps in neutralizing stomach acid. Just take a handful of almonds and after 30-minutes, you will see that you no more have that burning feeling.

2. Fresh Vegetable & Fruit Juice

Nothing can beat fresh natural juices. Especially, the ones that are made from fresh fruits and vegetables. They help in balancing your stomach acid and make sure that you dont get heartburn.

3. Water

This is one of the best home remedies for heartburn. It not only hydrates you but also washes out the excess acid splashing into your esophagus. However, dont drink too much when you suffer it since it may worsen the condition.

4. Aloe Vera Juice

This is another great natural remedy for heartburn. Fresh juice of Aloe Vera acts as a coolant and helps in reducing skin inflammation too. The nutrients present in Aloe Vera cools the stomach and makes sure that you get instant relief from heartburn.

5. Apple

Just an apple slice is enough to get rid of heartburn. This natural fruit has the ability to calm acid production & even lessen burning sensation that you go through. It helps in neutralizing your stomach acid just in 5-minutes. Gala or Braeburn apples work great for heartburn.

6. Baking Soda

7. Apple Cider Vinegar

8. Buttermilk

9. Chamomile Tea

10. Cinnamon

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Home Remedies For Heartburn

Simple home remedies for heartburn:

Some people today find herbs and other natural remedies to be useful in treating heartburn symptoms. Here are some examples:

1. Dont lie down soon after eating: If you lie flat right after eating your meal, your stomach contents can more easily be pushed back up from the pressure on your esophageal sphincter. Stay vertical and make gravity work in your favor and help keep the food down in your stomach where it belongs. Its ideal to consume four hours until you know youre going to be lying down to allow time for your food to digest completely.

2. Eat Fruit: Some fruits like bananas have natural antacid properties that counteract acid reflux. Eat a fully ripened banana every day to decrease the discomfort of acid coming back up. Another terrific fruit to try is an apple. An apple a day will help to keep the doctor away in this case. Eat it a couple of hours before bedtime. Other fruits that could reduce cases of heartburn are honeydew, cantaloupe, and watermelon. Refrain from eating fruits with high acidic content such as pineapple and grapefruit.

3. Baking Soda: The humble baking soda does more than baking. Just a teaspoon of baking soda neutralizes stomach acid. It has a base material to fight the acid so that even if it comes up, you wont feel that burning feeling. Just dont use it daily as it does have side effects due to high salt content.

Complications Of Untreated Gerd And Esophagitis

If GERD and esophagitis symptoms arent brought under control, your stomach acid may continue to further damage your esophagus. Over time, repeated damage might lead to the following complications:

• Narrowing of the esophagus: This is called esophageal stricture and may be caused by scar tissue resulting from GERD or tumors. You may experience difficulty swallowing or food getting caught in your throat.
• Esophageal rings: These are rings or folds of abnormal tissue that form in the lower lining of the esophagus. These bands of tissue may constrict the esophagus and cause trouble swallowing.
• Barretts esophagus: This is a condition in which the cells in the lining of the esophagus are damaged from stomach acid and change to become similar to the cells lining the small intestine. This is a rare condition and you may feel no symptoms, but it can increase your risk of developing esophageal cancer.

All three of these complications can be avoided with proper treatment for frequent heartburn or GERD.

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What Other Pregnant Moms Do For Heartburn

This will sound odd, but Ive found something that works: Put two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar into six ounces of water, and drink it. Its not so bad to drink, and it works! Something about the enzymes in the apple cider kills the acid and the burning. Ive drank it by itself when Ive been in the midst of a reflux episode and also drank it while eating a meal I thought might give me reflux.

I took Tums for a while, but they stopped working. My doctor told me to get Prilosecsince I started taking that, I havent felt heartburn at allits amazing!

I avoid heavy, spicy, fatty foods and big meals. I dont eat too much at night either.

Plus, more from The Bump:

Do You Feel Pressure In Your Chest And Discomfort In Your Shoulders Arms Neck Jaw Or Back Do You Feel Like You Have Indigestion

Angina signals an underlying heart condition that can lead to a heart attack. Stable angina is triggered by emotional stress, smoking, heavy meals and extreme variances in temperature, all of which cause your heart to work harder.

This type of angina is episodic but controllable. Your doctor can help you understand and manage the condition.

Unstable angina is characterized by sudden chest pain or worsening or persistent chest discomfort that occurs during sleep or reduced physical activity. It is caused by a reduction in blood flow to the heart. This is a serious health issue that requires immediate medical attention.

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About Heart And Vascular Institute

The UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute has long been a leader in cardiovascular care, with a rich history in clinical research and innovation. As one of the first heart transplant centers in the country and as the developer of one of the first heart-assist devices, UPMC has contributed to advancing the field of cardiovascular medicine.

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What To Do If You Have Heartburn

You should consider all your symptoms seriously, even if they dont appear to be a big thing. Theyre signals in the body that something is wrong. Seemingly minor symptoms may result in serious complications. Next, if you find yourself routinely popping an antacid or have been taking acid-reducing medication for more than fourteen days, it is time to find a health expert to get to the bottom of your symptoms. A health expert will provide a proper evaluation to distinguish between the possible causes of your symptoms so that you can decide the best route forward to take care of your symptoms.

Identify the root cause conditions of heartburn issues and to develop and organize individual treatment protocols with lifestyle, diet, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and botanicals, as well as reevaluating any lifestyle treatments. Rather than long-term pharmaceutical usage, lifestyle modifications can help people with heartburn.

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What Lifestyle Changes Help Gerd

Here is a list of lifestyle changes that may help your GERD:

Stop smoking if you smoke.

What Medicines Help Gerd

One kind of medicine that helps includes cimetidine , ranitidine , famotidine and nizatidine . You take this medicine two times a day.

Proton pump inhibitors also help they include omeprazole and lansoprazole . You take them once a day.

Another medicine that helps is sucralfate . You take it four times a day.

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What Happens After A Heart Attack

When a heart attack does occur, the part of the heart that has gone without a blood supply is injured. The extent of damage depends on the size of the area that was nourished by the blocked artery and the length of time between injury and treatment.

The heart muscle heals from a heart attack by forming scar tissue, usually over the course of several weeks. Even though a part of the heart may have been injured, the rest of the muscle keeps on working. However, the damaged heart may be weaker and unable to pump as efficiently as before. Proper treatment and a change in lifestyle after a heart attack can limit or prevent further harm.

Where Do You Feel Heartburn

Heartburn usually starts as a burning sensation in your upper abdomen that travels to the chest. It can also be accompanied by either pressure or pain behind your breastbone, which certain people suffering from more severe symptoms even confuse with a heart attack. Moreover, the pain of heartburn can also radiate to your neck and shoulders.

Some other frequently experienced symptoms include:

• a feeling of not being able to swallow food completely: you might get the feeling of food getting stuck in your chest or throat, or even like your throat is closing and youre choking
• frequent burping: feeling the need to burp a few times after a meal is completely normal and acceptable , but excessive burping may be a sign of heartburn
• bloating: if your belly seems bloated, especially after a regular well-balanced meal, the reason might be heartburn
• discomfort after a meal: if your discomfort grows after eating or you feel abnormally full for no particular reason, acid reflux could be the cause.

In case you experience such symptoms, see your doctor as soon as possible to double-check youre actually experiencing heartburn and not some more serious condition.

More uncommon signs of heartburn include coughing, lasting hiccups, cold sweats, shortness of breath or dizziness.

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What To Do If You Have Frequent Heartburn

If you suffer from more-than-occasional heartburn or indigestion, it is important that you seek attention from a health care professional as soon as possible. These may be symptoms of a serious medical condition like a heart attack, ulcer, or gallbladder disease. Furthermore, the symptoms of heartburn may be a sign of damage to the esophagus which can lead to scarring and narrowing of the esophagus or to abnormal cell growth, increasing the risk of cancer.

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Location Of Chest Pain

Both cardiac and noncardiac chest pain can occur in the center of the chest behind the breastbone.

However, cardiac chest pain can spread across the chest and even affect other parts of the body, such as the:

• arms

• aching
• burning

In contrast, noncardiac chest pain tends to feel like an intense stabbing or burning sensation just beneath the surface of the skin.

Coughing, breathing, or moving can affect the intensity of noncardiac chest pain, while the severity of cardiac chest pain usually remains stable, even when resting.

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When To See A Doctor

If OTC medications arent treating your heartburn, talk to your doctor.

In rare instances when you cant manage heartburn with medications, a doctor may recommend surgery to reduce the risk that acid will reflux up from the stomach.

If you cant tolerate OTC medications for heartburn, your doctor can recommend other options.

Heartburn Or Heart Attack: How To Tell The Difference

While heartburn can cause a number of health problems, the condition itself is not life threatening. Heart attacks, however, can definitely kill you if theyre severe enough and if you dont get help within an appropriate time frame. The problem is the symptoms of a heart attack can be eerily similar to those of severe heartburnso similar that sometimes even a doctor might have a hard time differentiating the two. Complicating matters is the fact that what may be triggering a heart attack can also trigger heartburn. Luckily, there are a few points to keep in mind that separate the two.

Both heart attacks and heartburn can come with sharp chest pain as well as squeezing pains in the chest. In the case of a heart attack, the chest pain is a warning sign. It starts off bad and will worsen as the heart attack occurs.

Heart attacks usually come with a few differences. Shortness of breath, dizziness, and cold sweats are all more associated with heart attacks than heartburn. Heart attacks will also respond to nitroglycerin pills, while nitroglycerin will not help heartburn at all.

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