There are times when you may experience a burning and painful discomfort just behind the breastbone. This burning sensation that you are experiencing is commonly called heartburn, and most people tend to suffer from frequent heartburn.
Heartburn doesn’t have anything to do with your heart. Rather heartburn is what occurs when digested food juices go back into the esophagus. The esophagus is the tube like structure that connects the throat to your stomach.
When the digested food juices go back into the esophagus it is called reflux. The stomach has a high amount of acid within it to help breakdown the various foods that we eat. There is a valve called the lower esophageal sphincter or LES that normally separates the esophagus from the stomach. It is when the LES fails to work correctly or when it relaxes frequently at the wrong moment that we experience frequent heartburn.
There are certain triggers in our lifestyles and eating habits that cause heartburn. The triggers vary from person to person, and from lifestyles and dietary habits. However there are some common factors.
They include the following. Eating foods such as citrus fruits and drinks, chocolate, peppermint, tomatoes or tomato-based products and fatty or spicy foods. Drinking beverages such as coffee, tea, and sodas that have caffeine substances in them. Also drinking carbonated fizzy drinks and alcoholic beverages can relax the LES.
Heartburn has varying degrees to it. There is episodic heartburn which is generally experienced. There is the more serious GERD disease. Then there is frequent heartburn. This is the type of heartburn that occurs two or more days a week. Frequent heartburn affects people who may be using medication for heartburn symptoms at least two or more days of the week.
For sufferers of frequent heartburn there is at the moment only one type of relief. This is the proton pump inhibitor or the PPI as it is also known as. PPIs are powerful inhibitors of stomach acid production. They virtually shut down the acid pumps in the cells of the stomach. As this is where stomach the acid is produced, the PPIs eliminate the excess amounts of acid leaving only enough acid for the normal digestion of food.
Prilosec medication is the only over the counter medication that you can get for frequent heartburn. Prilosec is specifically indicated for frequent heartburn usage, and can provide 24-hour relief from the symptoms of frequent heartburn. You will only need to take one pill daily as medical directions state for 14 days.
For frequent heartburn sufferers a complete change in their lifestyles and eating habits may not be enough. Should there be an increase in the pain then having a medical diagnosis may be helpful in correcting your frequent heartburn pain. Stop procrastinating, and delaying, go to your doctor today and get yourself relief from your heartburn.