Persistent heartburn: causes, treatment with drugs and traditional medicine
The content of the article:
- Diagnostics
- Causes of persistent heartburn and risk factors
- Frequent heartburn: signs and symptoms
-
Constant heartburn: treatment and prevention
- Diet
- Folk remedies
- Video
Constant heartburn can occur in response to the habitual use of unsuitable food, but in some cases it indicates the presence of a pathological process in the body. This symptom is present in 75% or more of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. According to statistics, heartburn occurs in 20-50% of people in developed countries, and 10-20% of people experience it once a week or more.
If heartburn is persistent, specialist advice is required
Diagnostics
To exclude pathology, you should visit a doctor, undergo an examination and, if necessary, begin treatment.
To make a diagnosis in the presence of discomfort in the throat and esophagus, in addition to collecting complaints and anamnesis, you may need:
- laboratory tests (general and biochemical blood test, determination of antibodies to Helicobacter pylori, coprogram);
- instrumental studies (manometry of the esophageal sphincter, fibrogastroduodenoscopy, pH measurement in various parts of the stomach, as well as in the esophagus and duodenum, etc.).
Causes of persistent heartburn and risk factors
The stomach contents are acidic. The reverse movement of food from the stomach is normally prevented by the sphincter, but in some cases it does not work properly, and the acidic contents of the stomach are thrown into the esophagus, causing irritation of its mucous membrane. Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the esophagus due to the reflux of gastric contents, i.e. reflux, is called reflux esophagitis. In addition to hydrochloric acid, pancreatic enzymes, pepsin, and bile acids contained in gastric juice damage the mucous membrane of the esophagus.
One of the most common causes of pathology is the weakening of the esophageal sphincter, which leads to the development of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in humans. This is facilitated by an increase in the content of hydrochloric acid in gastric juice. GERD develops with prolonged exposure to the acidic contents of the stomach on the lining of the esophagus.
Complications of GERD accompanied by persistent heartburn are:
- cicatricial strictures of the esophagus (the appearance of areas where the esophagus is narrowed due to scar tissue), their malignancy;
- Barrett's esophagus (Barrett's syndrome), in which there is a degeneration of the mucous membrane - instead of a flat stratified, columnar epithelium appears. Barrett's syndrome is found in 1% of the population (in 10% of patients who consulted a doctor for heartburn due to gastroesophageal reflux disease) and refers to precancerous conditions.
In addition, if a person constantly has heartburn, this may mean:
- neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract;
- cholelithiasis, cholecystitis;
- diabetes.
In the absence of diseases, heartburn can occur when:
- the use of a number of drugs (in particular, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antihypertensive drugs);
- irregular meals;
- overeating;
- unbalanced diet (especially with excessive consumption of fatty, fried, spicy, spicy foods, fresh pastries, chocolate, strong tea and coffee);
- frequent stressful situations;
- abuse of alcoholic beverages;
- wearing tight clothing;
- excessive physical exertion;
- smoking (especially on an empty stomach and immediately after eating).
The reason why heartburn develops during pregnancy is the pressure of the growing fetus on the internal organs, which disrupts the sphincter's ability to prevent gastric contents from entering the esophagus.
Obesity is a predisposing factor for the development of persistent heartburn.
In some cases, a burning sensation behind the breastbone is not a manifestation of heartburn, but occurs in the patient during an attack of angina pectoris, with myocardial infarction.
Frequent heartburn: signs and symptoms
Usually, discomfort in the esophagus occurs 15-30 minutes after eating, in some cases they bother the patient at night. The nature of heartburn and the accompanying symptoms may differ depending on the disease.
| condition | Signs |
| GERD | A burning sensation in the esophagus usually occurs immediately or 20-30 minutes after eating, it can be accompanied by sour belching, cough, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, hoarseness, with the development of erosions and ulcers, bleeding may occur. The patient's condition can be aggravated when the body bends forward, as well as at night during sleep. |
| Acidic gastritis | Heartburn occurs 15-30 minutes after eating, and patients may also complain of abdominal pain, heaviness in the stomach, belching. |
| Stomach ulcer | The patient usually begins to feel discomfort in the esophagus 15-30 minutes after eating (in case of duodenal ulcer - after 1-2 hours). There may also be sour belching, nausea and vomiting after eating, weight loss, pain in the epigastric region. |
| Barrett's Syndrome | Prolonged heartburn, impaired swallowing, vomiting with blood impurities, weight loss against the background of difficulty in eating are noted, a person may be tormented by pain in the epigastrium. |
Constant heartburn: treatment and prevention
For infrequent bouts of heartburn associated with eating disorders or dietary errors, treatment is usually not required. A person's condition is normalized with a change in lifestyle.
To select a therapy regimen for this pathological condition, first of all, it is necessary to determine the cause of its occurrence. A doctor should do both.
The table shows some drugs that can be prescribed for this pathology.
| Medicine | Explanation |
| Antacids | They are prescribed in a complex of treatment for acid-dependent pathologies (gastroesophageal reflux disease, chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease), the effect occurs relatively quickly, but is short-lived |
| Gastroprotectors | These drugs not only relieve symptoms, but also affect the cause of their occurrence, can be used for acid-related diseases, as well as for functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract |
| Alginic acid salts (alginates) | Used for reflux esophagitis and discomfort in the esophagus, not associated with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract |
| Antisecretory drugs | These drugs reduce the production of hydrochloric acid, are used for gastritis, peptic ulcer |
| Prokinetics | These medicines improve the motor function of the digestive tract, are used to treat reflux esophagitis, peptic ulcer, functional disorders |
If conservative treatment is ineffective, surgery may be required.
Heartburn in pregnant women often develops due to pressure from the uterus; special treatment is not required in this case
Diet
To reduce the manifestations of persistent heartburn, the patient is advised to make a list of foods that cause discomfort, and limit their use or completely abandon them.
As a rule, it is necessary to exclude from the diet fatty, fried, spicy and salty foods, carbonated drinks, chocolate, strong tea and coffee, citrus fruits, tomatoes - these foods most often contribute to heartburn.
It is recommended to take food 4-5 times a day in small portions. The volume of one serving should not exceed 200 ml. Patients should not take a horizontal position immediately after eating. The last meal should be no later than 3 hours before bedtime. The patient should consume at least 1.5 liters of liquid per day.
Folk remedies
With this pathological condition, after consulting a doctor, you can use alternative methods of treatment. The most popular are:
- Baking soda. For heartburn, you can eat a pinch of baking soda with water (or dissolve the baking soda in warm water and drink), but this remedy is not recommended for frequent use.
- Vegetable oil. If you experience discomfort in the esophagus, you can drink 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (olive or sunflower).
- Flax seed infusion. To prepare the product, 2 tablespoons of dry raw materials are poured in 100 ml of boiling water, insisted for 3 hours, drunk warm before going to bed.
- Celery root infusion. To prepare the product, 2 tablespoons of ground root are poured with 1 glass of boiling water, infused for 30 minutes, drunk throughout the day. The infusion should be consumed for at least 1 week (even if the signs disappear earlier).
- Infusion of yellow gentian. This tool is effective even with severe attacks, for its preparation, 20 g of dry raw materials are poured with 1 cup of boiling water, the infusion is allowed to cool and 1 tablespoon is taken 30 minutes before meals.
- Potato juice. This remedy can be used to prevent the development of heartburn, but it helps to get rid of the already appeared burning sensation in the esophagus. Potato juice should be taken 2 tablespoons 20 minutes before meals.
Video
We offer for viewing a video on the topic of the article.
Anna Aksenova Medical journalist About the author
Education: 2004-2007 "First Kiev Medical College" specialty "Laboratory Diagnostics".
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