Heartburn

Heartburn is the burning sensation behind a breast caused by a gastro-ezofagalny reflux. So the phenomenon at which a part of contents of a stomach gets into a gullet is called. Its mucous have the neutral PH level, and the acid gastric juice causes burns of different degree on gullet walls.

In literal translation from English "heartburn" ("heartburn") designates burning of heart. Actually the irritation of a gullet has nothing in common with cardiological diseases. Unless symptoms of heart attack and other pathologies of heart mistakenly take for a heartburn attack.

Main symptoms of heartburn

Periodic attacks of heartburn are not harmless. Especially in the light of the fact that the highest intensity of symptoms of heartburn is usually observed at night in time of a dream. Therefore the person practically does not feel discomfort. In the morning on last attack can specify only sourish and bitter smack in a mouth.

The main day symptom of heartburn – burning or pain behind a breast. At severe forms of a gatro-ezofagalny disease fits of coughing or suffocation, a voice osiplost, a chronic pharyngalgia when swallowing are possible, predisposition to respiratory diseases.

Heartburn attack duration – 2 hours and longer. Most often the throwing of acid contents of a stomach in a gullet happens in 20-30 minutes after food at inclinations or in a prone position.

Heartburn reasons

The physiological reason of heartburn, i.e. the mechanism of hit of a gastric juice in a cavity of a gullet are easily explainable.

In a stomach the food masses and secretory liquid of body keep by means of the lower esophageal sphincter. It passes food in a stomach and prevents the return current of liquid in a gullet. Leaky closing of this sphincter or its untimely opening becomes the reason of heartburn.

The easy form of heartburn is not dangerous. Every 10th inhabitant of the planet and about 50% of all pregnant women periodically suffers from it. In the latter case as the reason of heartburn serves forced opening of an esophageal sphincter a fruit of the large size. For this reason heartburn – a scourge of most of women in the second half of pregnancy.

Obesity – one more possible reason of heartburn which is also caused by forced opening of the lower esophageal sphincter. And, respectively, provoking attacks of heartburn carry to the food stuffs weakening a tone of a sphincter:

• tomatoes,
• onions,
• garlic,
• citrus,
• chocolate,
• alcohol,
• coffee,
• mint tea.

At the people predisposed to a gastro-ezofagalny reflux, excessive consumption of animal and vegetable fats can act as the reason of heartburn.

One of the possible reasons of heartburn – the stress causing the strengthened secretion of a gastric juice, and also smoking, in time which it is irritated mucous a gullet.

Chronic heartburn – a symptom of serious problems of digestive tract:

• peptic ulcer of a stomach and/or duodenum,
• gastritis,
• pancreatitis,
• dyskinesia of biliary tract,
• cholecystitis,
• zhelchekamenny disease,
• oncology of a gullet, stomach or pancreas.

Treatment of heartburn

Timely treatment of heartburn is extremely important for prevention of an esophageal stenosis and development of its functional insufficiency. When a gastro-ezofagalny reflux – only one of symptoms of more serious illness, doctors of narrow specialties are engaged in treatment of heartburn: gastroenterologist, oncologist, toxicologist.

The main role in conservative treatment of heartburn is played by a dietotherapy. In time of an attack fractional food is recommended to all patients for prevention of a gastro-ezofagalny reflux and relief of discomfort (5-6 times a day in the small portions).

It is also recommended to limit the use of the food stuffs irritating mucous a gullet and at least an hour after food to stay in vertical position.

Carry the drugs defoaming agents reducing abdominal distention to medicamentous heartburn medicines: Espumizan, Milikon, Gerbion, etc. Treatment of heartburn by means of so-called carminative means is applied, as a rule, at children.

At adults the standard of treatment of heartburn is use of antacid drugs – antacids, and also the enveloping heartburn medicines and adsorbents: Маалокс, Gastal, Almagel, etc.

At children systematic treatment of heartburn means of this type can lead to development of rickets.

Part of conservative treatment of heartburn are also antiemetic drugs and the heartburn medicines stimulating work of intestines: Raglan, Metoclopramidum, Domstal, Gastrosil.

In surgical treatment of heartburn the fundoplication method across Nissen is applied. It represents a forced wrapping of an upper part of a stomach around a gullet for formation of the cuff holding a gastric juice in a cavity of body.

Surgical treatment of heartburn is highly effective. However it demands long presurgical inspection and is seldom applied at heartburn at children.

Folk remedies from heartburn

One of the most effective folk remedies from heartburn is kalinovy jam. For its preparation berries are picked late fall, exempted from stones and cooked as usual jam. For preparation of this funds from heartburn for 1 kg of berries of a guelder-rose 1,5-2 kg of sugar and 4-5 glasses of water undertake. There is a jam it is necessary for treatment of heartburn on a tablespoon several times a day.

Other effective folk remedy from heartburn – freshly squeezed potato juice. It is applied not only in treatment of heartburn, but also in therapy of gastritis or stomach ulcer. To prepare this heartburn medicine it is necessary to stir one tablespoon of honey in a glass of potato juice. Mix is recommended to be drunk on a half-glass in day, it is desirable before going to bed and in the morning till a breakfast.

Among folk remedies from heartburn also call a celery. The fresh or dried-up roots of this plant are used for preparation of infusions. The recipe of preparation of folk remedy from heartburn following: 2 teaspoons of the crushed roots should be filled in with a glass of boiled water and to insist 30 minutes. It is necessary to drink infusion 3 times a day for half an hour to food.

Because burning behind a breast can be a symptom of a serious illness of a GIT, all folk remedies from heartburn have to be applied only after consultation with the doctor.