Heartburn could suggest a bigger condition
Sep 12, 2011
“I have had chronic heartburn for the past three years. At first, I thought it would go away by itself, but the condition only got worse. When I visited a doctor, I was given medication which I take daily.
By Gilbert Kidimu
Sandra’s story
“I have had chronic heartburn for the past three years. At first, I thought it would go away by itself, but the condition only got worse. When I visited a doctor, I was given medication which I take daily.
The doctor said the condition would have gotten worse if I had left it to chance. I had to stop eating acidic foods such as oranges and pineapples because these made the situation really bad.
I cannot enjoy a cup of coffee or a cold soda without having to pay for it later. It feels like the stomach pushes up into the back of the throat and then causes a painful burning sensation when I consume such food.â€
Heartburn can be dangerous
Heartburn is that nasty nagging sensation at the back of your throat down the oesophagus, excruciatingly burning, just behind your breastbone. It gets worse when lying down or bending over.
Heartburn may develop into life-threatening complications such as perforation of the stomach or chronic bleeding after a blood vessel is eroded, which can become cancerous, says Dr. Wilberforce Kabweru of Doctors’ Medical and Surgical Clinic.
That uncomfortable burning sensation in your chest is the most common sign of acid reflux, which happens when your sphincter muscle (which connects the oesophagus to the stomach) relaxes at the wrong time and stays open too long (it normally only opens for a few seconds when you swallow), allowing stomach acid to flow back up into the oesophagus.
Ignore it at your peril, it is dangerous. Left untreated, chronic acid reflux can increase your risk of developing an oesophageal infection, ulcers, scarring of the oesophagus and even precancerous conditions.
Women are especially prone during pregnancy, and some experience more symptoms right before their periods. Obesity is a risk factor as well since it puts pressure on the sphincter muscle, triggering reflux.
Most frequent causes
If there is loss of mucus, which is a protective layer for the oesophagus and stomach walls; you are exposed to the acids working on food.
Increased production of gastric acid creates that burning sensation, while some foods contain citric acid, for example, oranges and pineapples, and increase the production of gastric juice, says Kabweru. Soda, he adds, escalates the situation because it contains a lot of carbon dioxide.
Contrary to popular belief, beans do not have anything to do with worsening ulcers.
Kabweru says excessive vomiting also creates emptiness in the stomach.
Certain medication, especially pain killers, escalate the condition when taken often. Some of them cause excessive production of acids, while some are acidic themselves.
An increase in irritating factors such as when you are hungry, which mainly happens in people who are fasting or taking meals later than usual. Since the stomach is used to getting food at certain times everyday, it produces the gastric acid anyway, which finds nothing but the stomach walls hence inflaming them.
People experiencing excessive stress both physical and emotional often experience heartburn and ultimately ulcers, says Kabweru.
Going to bed immediately after eating is another major cause of heartburn as the food refluxes to the oesophagus, bringing with it chemicals
The risk will be greater after big or fatty meals, where the food is in the stomach for a long time before it passes on to the intestines.
Sandra’s story
“I have had chronic heartburn for the past three years. At first, I thought it would go away by itself, but the condition only got worse. When I visited a doctor, I was given medication which I take daily.
The doctor said the condition would have gotten worse if I had left it to chance. I had to stop eating acidic foods such as oranges and pineapples because these made the situation really bad.
I cannot enjoy a cup of coffee or a cold soda without having to pay for it later. It feels like the stomach pushes up into the back of the throat and then causes a painful burning sensation when I consume such food.â€
Heartburn can be dangerous
Heartburn is that nasty nagging sensation at the back of your throat down the oesophagus, excruciatingly burning, just behind your breastbone. It gets worse when lying down or bending over.
Heartburn may develop into life-threatening complications such as perforation of the stomach or chronic bleeding after a blood vessel is eroded, which can become cancerous, says Dr. Wilberforce Kabweru of Doctors’ Medical and Surgical Clinic.
That uncomfortable burning sensation in your chest is the most common sign of acid reflux, which happens when your sphincter muscle (which connects the oesophagus to the stomach) relaxes at the wrong time and stays open too long (it normally only opens for a few seconds when you swallow), allowing stomach acid to flow back up into the oesophagus.
Ignore it at your peril, it is dangerous. Left untreated, chronic acid reflux can increase your risk of developing an oesophageal infection, ulcers, scarring of the oesophagus and even precancerous conditions.
Women are especially prone during pregnancy, and some experience more symptoms right before their periods. Obesity is a risk factor as well since it puts pressure on the sphincter muscle, triggering reflux.
Most frequent causes