Acid reflux and burning happens when the stomach finds difficulty in digesting the food. Once this occurs, the digestion process stops and the stomach will let the remaining food stay undigested. However, the stomach now tries to bring the undigested food substance back up, but it remains stuck in the esophagus with all the acid.
This occurrence will now result to acid reflux and burning. The burning feeling will spread throughout the person's chest fast becoming what we know as heartburn. If this constantly happens to you, set an appointment with your doctor. This might be the beginning of a serious condition or can probably be a "wake-up" call for you to change your lifestyle.
Causes of Acid Reflux and Burning
Acid reflux and burning stems from a lot of causes attributable to the food that you eat and to your lifestyle. Some people may be overweight or over-indulge in food. Hence, take note of the following food and try to avoid them since they often lead to acid reflux and burning.
1. Dairy and fatty foods or those high in fat contents like sour cream, milk shake, salad oils and dressing, and deep fried foods.
2. Foods that contain high amount of acids like orange, lemon, grapefruit, cranberry, tomato and their juices.
3. Beverages which includes liquor, wine, coffee and even tea.
4. Meat particularly ground beef, breaded meats and highly spiced dishes like Buffalo wings.
5. Large and sumptuous meals that are a combination of all the above
Other contributing factors may be your lifestyle or habits which may include the following:
1. Habitually eating large meals which tend to overwork your digestive system. This habit tends to expand your stomach and causes an upward pressure to you esophageal sphincter. The latter refers to that band of muscle in the opening of your esophagus.
2. Lying down immediately after every meal; in which case no gravity force will pull down the food in your stomach while being processed. A supine position will only push it upwards back to your esophagus.
3. Lying flat on your back as this will cause the stomach acids to surge back up. Ideally, elevating your head using a wedged pillow while lying down will help in the proper digestion processes.
4. Being overweight or obese. Too much weight causes abdominal pressure. Statistics show that almost 35% of obese persons suffer acid reflux and burning.
Treatment of Acid Reflux Burning
As a first aid treatment, over-the-counter antacids can neutralize the acidity in the stomach. However, if the burning sensation is still present after 10 to 15 minutes, it is best to immediately visit your doctor or go to the nearest hospital for proper medical evaluation and treatment.
Your doctor is the proper authority in assessing the treatment of acid reflux burning or heartburn.There are instances when heartburns are dismissed as mere acid reflux, which could be very dangerous. This is without considering the possibility of heart attacks.
If you or other members of your family will experience any chest pains in the future, it is best to visit your doctor or the nearest hospital for proper medical treatment. Who knows, the burning sensation may not be acid reflux burning at all but already a heart attack.
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