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Dewajëönyöhgwa' awënyahsa' o'ga'sgö:dat |
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Heartburn, contrary to its name, has nothing to do with the
heart. Heartburn is a digestion problem that creates a feeling
of burning, warmth or pain in your lower chest and in your
esophagus. It is caused by stomach acid coming in contact with
the lining of the esophagus which causes irritation. Heartburn
is usually more prevalent after a meal and is sometimes called
indigestion, acid regurgitation or sour stomach. Heartburn can
worsen when bending over or lying down, it is best to sit or
stand to keep acid from coming in contact with your esophagus.
Almost everyone will have troubles with heartburn now and then.
Its occurrences are more frequent in adults then in children and
can plague women during pregnancy. Heartburn can be caused by
overeating, eating certain foods, eating large meals before bed,
hiatal hernias, the weakening of your esophageal sphincter,
(valve that keeps acid in your stomach) obesity, lifting, tight
clothes, smoking and stress
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Heartburn may cause problems with: swallowing, burping, nausea, bloating, sour taste in mouth, chronic coughing, hoarseness, wheezing |
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In babies: spitting up or
throwing up after every meal |
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How do you know when you condition is chronic? Chronic heartburn
is defined as occurring more than 2 to 3 times a week. Severe
chronic heartburn occurs on a daily basis. Moderate heartburn
occurs about once a week and mild heartburn occurs about once a
month. On this page you will find helpful hints for a mild to
moderate condition. Make sure to speak with your physician
concerning your heartburn so they can further diagnosis your
condition. Your physician may also be able to offer you pills to
help. If you fall into the category of chronic to severe
heartburn we recommend calling your nearest health center
immediately, left untreated, chronic or severe heartburn can
cause scaring and damage to your esophagus that may make it
difficult to swallow and can also increase your risk of
developing esophageal cancer. |
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The best and most effective way to lessen heartburn is to watch what you eat,
but there are other things you can do to ease to pain, here are some…..
- If you smoke, quit or cut way down. Nicotine is a stimulant and can cause your
stomach to produce excess acid.
- Always allow your food to digest before lying down.
- Avoid late night meals and snacks.
- Eat smaller more frequent meals
- Avoid citrus, tomato products, alcohol, coffee, milk, chocolate, caffeine and
peppermint.
- Eat slower, chew your food longer, less acid is needed to digest food that is in
smaller particles. Your stomach will not have to produce so much acid.
- Elevate your head when lying down to stop acid from coming up your esophagus.
- Reduce consumption of fried, high fat and spicy foods.
- Avoid eating or drinking anything but water 2 to 3 hours before going to bed.
- If you can't avoid tomato products or citrus, sometimes adding sugar will help
reduce the acid content.
- Avoid pressure on the stomach, frequent bending over, tight clothes, heavy
lifting and obesity.
- Check out the recipes link on the upper left for heartburn friendly foods.
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