Heartburn is a burning sensation in the chest. The sensation is often accompanied by a sour-bitter taste in the mouth and the throat. It is a common symptom of acid reflux. Acid reflux is a condition where the content of the stomach travels back to the esophagus and food pipe. These symptoms tend to worsen after an extremely large meal or even when the person is lying-down. In most cases, heartburn can be treated at home with simple home remedies and sometimes with over-the-counter medications available at the online pharmacist. But, if the symptoms are frequent and do not go away with home remedies or OTC drugs, it might be a sign of underlying serious medical conditions. Keep reading as we are about to break down the causes, treatment, and other relevant information surrounding heartburn. 

Heartburn is known to be a symptom of GERD which is gastro esophageal reflux disease. 

Causes of heartburn – 

Heartburn is very common and can occur occasionally. Very rarely heartburn can be alarming.  It is a good practice to keep a check on the frequency and severity of the condition. If you see your general practitioner with a complaint of recurring heartburn, chances are they will diagnose the acid reflux as GERD. It is a rather serious medical condition that can negatively impact the individual’s health and could be an indicator of other health disorders. GERD has the potential to attack people of any age group. But obese individuals and chain smokers are highly susceptible to it. It is important to make use of the pharmacies online and stock up on medications to ease acid reflux. 

What happens within our body that causes acid reflux?  When you swallow, a muscle around the bottom of your esophagus, also known as the lower esophageal sphincter tends to relax. It is to allow food and liquid to flow down into the stomach. Once the job is done, the muscle tightens or contracts again. If the lower esophageal sphincter shows abnormal relaxation or is weakened, the acid in the stomach can easily flow back up into the esophagus, leading to heartburn. As we mentioned earlier, the acid backup or reflux can be worse when you are in a bent-over or lying-down position. 

Foods that can trigger acid reflux – 

  • All sorts of spicy foods
  • Onions or shallots
  • Citrus food items
  • Tomato-based, such as ketchup
  • Fried item
  • Peppermint 
  • Chocolate
  • Alcohol, carbonated beverages, coffee, or other caffeinated beverages
  • Large meals
  • Smoking, obesity, and pregnancy increase the risk of having heartburn. 

Remedies to get rid of acid reflux  

Bringing in lifestyle changes as well as eating habits can drastically reduce heartburn. Here’s what you need to do:

    • Following a healthy and nutritious diet with a very limited amount of fatty items.
    • Avoid having your last meal right before sleeping.
    • Keep your head elevated while in a lying-down position.
    • Say no to foods that can trigger heartburn. Things like alcohol, caffeine, spicy food, highly acidic food items, and food that has the potential to cause flatulence.
    • Maintaining a healthy body weight.
    • If you are a smoker, quit it now.
    • Regular workouts.
  • Consuming small and frequent meals to avoid eating large portions at once. 

Consult the online pharmacist to get the necessary antacid medication for emergency days. Bear in mind these minor lifestyle changes may help some people. But, if you are suffering from GERD, you will have to consult a GP to help you further as these remedies may not work for you. The pharmacy online UK medications can only help people with mild and less frequent heartburn. 

Heartburn and pregnancy 

Acid reflux is common, but the condition gets worse if you are pregnant women. The experts say that heartburn is common in pregnant women. It is mainly because of the hormonal changes occurring in the body. As the pregnancy proceeds, the baby starts to push the stomach leading to acid reflux. 

Some basic and simple recommendations for pregnant women – 

  • Consume small and frequent meals.
  • Avoiding lying down within an hour after meals.
  • Staying away from spicy and high-fat foods.

Treatment for heartburn 

A person may ease the symptoms of heartburn by using drugs available at the UK pharmacy:

  • Over-the-counter (OTC) medications like antacids greatly help in relieving mild to moderate heartburn.
  • Another option is to use the proton pump inhibitor (PPI). These can reduce the amount of acid in the stomach.
  • A medication called the H2 blockers reduces the stomach acid levels and may also help in the healing of the esophageal lining.

If GERD is your concern, proton pump inhibitors do a better job at healing the esophageal lining as compared to the H2 blockers. Moreover, H2 blockers can show ugly side effects in many individuals. These side effects include upset stomach, headaches, diarrhea, etc.

Complications caused by heartburn-

Acid reflux that occurs regularly and interferes with your daily routine is said to be gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD). The treatment for GERD requires prescription medications as OTC may not work. Occasionally, surgery or other procedures are needed as well. GERD has the potential to damage your esophagus. It can also lead to precancerous changes in the esophagus called Barrett’s esophagus.

Conclusion –

Heartburn is extremely common. But, if it is a regular visitor, the person should get in touch with the GP who can diagnose and help ease the symptoms. If it is mild acid reflux that happens once in a while, the Life Pharmacy has all the OTC medicines that will help you get rid of the symptoms. If you are unsure about what you are experiencing you should seek immediate medical help; you may be confusing a heart attack with heartburn.

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