Heartburn- that Unpleasant Sensation in Your Chest

Heartburn does not affect a person's heart, despite its misleading name. Heartburn is actually a burning sensation that occurs in your lower chest, usually accompanied by a bitter or sour taste in your mouth. Most people will experience heartburn while lying down or after they have consumed a large meal. Heartburn can last as little as a few minutes or as long as many painful hours, and those that put up with heartburn can be miserable while they have it..

The food that you eat passes down an approximately ten inch long tube called the esophagus, on its journey to your stomach. To gain access to the stomach from the esophagus, the food needs to pass through an opening between the two. This opening then usually closes, but when it fails to do so, it can allow stomach acid to flow back through it and into the esophagus. This is known as acid reflux, and when the stomach acid irritates the walls of the esophagus, heartburn is the end result. A group of muscles called the lower esophageal sphincter has the job of closing off the esophagus after liquids or foods have made their way down, but sometimes it doesn't close tightly enough. If you have a hiatal hernia, where the top section of the stomach projects up into the chest cavity, you will be more predisposed to heartburn. This condition generates a weaker lower esophageal sphincter, making it more likely to allow stomach acid through in the wrong direction.

There are many things that have the ability to make heartburn worse, including pregnancy, smoking, alcohol, eating tomato products or citrus fruits with their acidic make-up, fatty or spicy foods, onions, medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen, and carrying too much weight. Occasional heartburn is not a serious problem, but if you are a frequent sufferer, it can lead to damage of the lining of the esophagus. This condition is known as esophagitis, and can cause the esophagus to narrow, leading to potential problems swallowing and the chance of bleeding.