Heartburn is the common name for acid reflux or acid indigestion. This disorder in most cases has very little to do with the heart. The initial symptom is a burning sensation or irritation in the esophagus – the food pipe that carries food downwards from the mouth to the stomach. The person may also feel pain in the chest and the upper central abdomen areas. People also feel the taste of acid in the mouth. Other symptoms are bad breath, breathing problems and vomiting. Depending on how long this disorder lasts, the pain can radiate to the neck, jaw, and throat.

The underlying cause of heartburn is an unusual upward flow of the stomach’s contents into the esophagus. The stomach contains ingested food, acids, and enzymes. The stomach’s inner lining is built to withstand the effects of the stomach’s acid, but this is not the case with the esophagus. The burning sensation in the food pipe is caused by the acid in the stomach’s contents. The lining in the esophagus cannot withstand the presence of acids.

Normally there is no reversed upward movement of the contents in the stomach into the food pipe. At the junction of the esophagus and the stomach, there is a muscular valve known as the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). This valve is meant to stop the reverse upward movement of food that is pushed into the stomach by the muscular wave-like rhythmic movements (peristalsis) of the esophagus. The sphincter valve opens only to allow food to pass from the esophagus into the stomach, and opens occasionally to allow gases to escape upwards causing a burp or belch. Too frequent opening of the sphincter valve causes food, acid, and enzymes to move back up the food pipe, causing irritation, burning, and pain.

There are underlying reasons for heartburn. The obvious reason is overheating, causing the stomach to be full beyond its capacity. Other causes may be obesity, constipation or pregnancy – all of which puts pressure on the stomach, in turn causing acid reflux and heartburn. People who are diabetic and smoke are also prone to heartburn. Mobility disorders (disorders pertaining to the mixing and propelling of food through the digestive tract) and hiatal hernias (conditions where the organs in the abdomen slip through the diaphragm into the chest area) are also risk factors contributing to the onset of heartburn.

There are items of food and drink that could cause heartburn. The over-consumption or intolerance to these foods could also be the reason:

• Citrus fruits
• Onions and garlic
• Spicy foods
• Cheese
• Fried or fatty foods
• Tomato products, such as ketchup
• Chocolate
• Peppermint
• Tea, coffee, sodas, or alcohol

An episode of heartburn can last for a few minutes or can go on for hours. About 20% of people in the country experience heartburn at least once a week. Infrequent heartburn is not a cause for concern. But if the heartburn is frequent, lasts long and is not addressed properly, there can be serious consequences:

• Inflammation of the esophagus or ulcers
• Problems swallowing or dysphagia
• A long-term cough
• Laryngitis
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Barrett’s esophagus
• The possibility of esophageal cancer