What causes heartburn?
Heartburn symptoms may seem related to a cardiac issue, although heartburn actually is not related to any heart ailment. If the food you had is oily and fried, with a lot of spices, you may begin to have a burning sensation in your chest, and this is what is called heartburn. Heartburn can also be triggered by overeating and lying down immediately afterwards without allowing the food to digest for some time. The sudden change in the position of the esophagus can open the valve and let the gastric juices out, causing heartburn.
Symptoms of heartburn:
- Burning sensation in the chest region
- Burning sensation in the throat
- Sourness in the mouth
- Difficulty in swallowing
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Sweating
The burning sensation in the chest region is what is usually mistaken as a symptom of heart attack. This is because we rarely feel pain in the chest region, which is usually felt behind the chest bone or below the ribs. This symptom occurs immediately after meals, when the person doesn’t take the time to remain in an upright position. It’s important to be able to distinguish the pains associated with heartburn, and those associated with a heart disease.
The burning sensation in the throat is caused by the gastric juices which have risen to your throat. Sore throat can also be a symptom if you have heartburn. The throat becomes dry due to the burning and this has to be treated, or it can cause more serious injury to the organs.
Sourness in the mouth is another symptom of heartburn, and is also caused by the rising acids. This bitter taste restricts the patient from eating properly and adequately.
If you are suffering from heartburn you will also be suffering from difficulty in swallowing. You will not be able to push your food down as a malfunctioning esophageal sphincter can restrict your throat from pulling the food down.
Cough is another bothersome symptom caused by heartburn. The cough you get by this time will be severe and can be irritating. You will be having this chronic cough even if you are not a smoker. For smokers, however, this is an expected symptom.
Heartburn caused by the malfunction of the esophageal sphincter, which allows the regurgitation of gastric secretions back into the esophagus, can also induce asthma. The blocked valve sends the secretions not only to the esophagus but also to the respiratory tract, which affects proper breathing. The respiration process, when this is disturbed, can cause wheezing as well. Thus, it is essential that you are treated for heartburn as early as possible. Some persons affected by heartburn may also get cold sweats.
Heartburn symptoms are numerous and most of them also deprive patients of normal social functioning. Make sure that you are able to determine its root cause with the help of doctors specializing in gastroesophageal reflux disease.
