Acid Reflux Heartburn
Acid reflux heartburn is the worst. You wake up in the middle of the night with the pain in your chest, while gagging and choking on acidic bile in your throat. It’s maddening to have this trouble at night and during the day while trying to go about your activities with your concentration dampened by what’s going on in your stomach, chest, and throat.
If you suffer from acid reflux heartburn you aren’t alone. Over 40 million Americans also find themselves experiencing acid reflux heartburn symptoms at least once a month. These symptoms can range from mild to severe:
Burning pain in the chest
Sharp pain in chest
Regurgitation
Trouble swallowing
Excessive salivation
Nausea
Even if you only suffer from mild symptoms of acid reflux heartburn you should take it seriously. This type of condition sometimes called GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease can cause damage, especially to the esophagus.
Most of the conditions that can develop from acid reflux heartburn are due to reflux induced inflammation, but some like esophageal adenocarcinoma a rare kind of cancer can be very serious.
A doctor can make a diagnosis of acid reflux heartburn and if the conditions are serious enough to treat an over-the-counter medication such as Prilosec, which contains ingredients, known to control acid production. If these medicines are taken in the morning the lessening of symptoms should be felt throughout the day and into the night.
The doctor will probably also recommend the following:
If you’re overweight try to take off a few pounds and exercise more often. Obesity has been linked to acid reflux heartburn symptoms.
Try to avoid fried, fatty or greasy food.
Eat several small meals rather than three heavy meals.
Don’t to eat in the hours before you know you’ll sleep. Lying down 2-3 hours after eating will cause the acid reflux heartburn symptoms.
Don’t exercise right after eating.
If you smoke try to stop, otherwise avoid being in places where people are smoking as this is known to aggravate the condition.
Watch to see what foods cause your symptoms and avoid them. Everyone is different and while some folks claim coffee, fruit or other foods aggravate acid reflux heartburn only you know what causes your pain.