Health and Nutrition

what does heartburn feel like

Most people experience heartburn at one point or another in their lives. It disturbs the sleep of many unfortunate sufferers. You might think, then, that the question “what does heartburn feel like?” is a simple one. It can be misleading, however. Heartburn is typically felt as a burning sensation in the chest. It can also burn in the throat as well. While it feels like it is in the chest, heartburn has actually nothing to do with heart health. It is actually the esophagus, the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach, that’s filling with acid and causing that pain. It usually hurts in the area near the heart, however, so that leads to confusion.

The problem with heartburn is that other, more serious problems feel just like it. Many diseases actually involved with the heart hurt in similar ways. Heart attacks and angina can feel similar as well. If your family has a history with heart disease, it may be wise to play it safe. If you have a history, you better be very careful not to dismiss pain as heartburn.

If you always have had heartburn, and it feels exactly the same as you’ve always had it, it could be safe to go ahead and treat it like that is what it is (consult a doctor ahead of time and ask if this is safe for you). If you decide to take steps to ease your heartburn, you have several options.

If the problem occurs at night in bed, you may want to try propping your self with pillows or some such thing. Some think that drinking water helps with their pain, so you can try that too before taking medicine.  This might work if you drink the bulk of your water several hours before bedtime, otherwise, you’ll have to deal with needing the bathroom in the middle of the night.

There are many over the counter medications you can try as well. You can make your own with baking soda and water, although pregnant and nursing women and people sensitive to salt should be careful. There are also antacids that work quickly, but some say that these don’t last for long. Other over the counter medications blocks the production of acid in the stomach. These work for longer periods of time, but they can sometimes take a while to work.

If you are having repeated problems of heartburn, you really should see a doctor.  Even if you feel confident that it’s only a case of heartburn, it could be something like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or even a more serious, heart related issue. Get advice before it gets worse.

If you are questioning what does heartburn feel like, realize that  you are not alone. Millions of people suffer from heartburn.  Just make sure you don’t dismiss chest pain if you or your family has a history of heart disease. If you ever have serious concerns, the best thing to do is  to consult a doctor and discover the path to a more pain-free life.

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