Heartburn comes with a burning sensation in the esophagus which is located underneath the breastbone. The pain starts from the chest then it can escalate to the throat, neck or angle of the jaw. Though heartburn is not associated with any illness of the heart, it is because the pain is felt in the breastbone where the heart is situated.
Acid reflux is a result of the abnormality in the esophagus reflux. This usually happens because of changes that happen in the barrier in between the stomach and esophagus. Acid reflux can also cause heartburn.
Symptoms
For adults the main symptom of acid reflux is heartburn because it indicates that there is acid in the stomach. The common symptoms of acid reflux are:
- cough
- hoarseness
- change in voice
- constant pain in the ear
- burning sensations in the chest
- nausea
- sinusitis
However, heartburn does not always indicate that the patient is experiencing acid reflux.
For children and infants, it is hard to determine if they are suffering from acid reflux. Acid reflux can cause the following to children:
- repeated vomiting
- spitting up effortlessly
- coughing
- crying continuously
- underweight
- does not want to eat
- bad breath
- burping
- respiratory problems
Not all the symptoms stated above are present in a patient suffering from acid reflux. They might only have one or two symptoms.
Heartburn has similar symptoms to acid reflux such as:
- burning sensation in the chest which happens after eating
- chest pain which is felt after lying down, bending over
- swallowing is difficult
- food which feels like it is stuck in middle of the throat or chest
- sore throat, chronic cough or hoarseness
Prevention
In case heartburn happened while lying down it can be relieved by lifting the head, elevating the upper body and sleeping while sitting down. Pillows that raise the head only help a little in alleviating the pain caused by heartburn.
Avoid foods that can cause the opening between the esophagus and the stomach to relax. Once it happens, acid reflux can also occur. Examples of food to be avoided especially before going to bed are peppermint, chocolate and chamomile tea. Fitted clothes around the abdomen can cause the acids and the food to reflux due to the pressure in the stomach.
For both heartburn and acid reflux, consider the following advice:
- Avoid alcohol, excessive amount of vitamins C (which leads to the secretion of gastric acid) and coffee
- Antacids that are found on calcium carbonate may elevate stomach acidity
- Avoid smoking and foods that have high fat content
- Avoid eating two to three hours before going to bed
- Eat meals moderately and not in large amounts
- Avoid drinking carbonated drinks
- Avoid peppermint and chocolate
- Avoid acidic foods like oranges
