How Long Does Heartburn Last
As stated earlier, heartburn could cause
problems such as nausea, swallowing burping, bloating and burning pain. These
symptoms sometimes could last for about two hours or even longer. Nevertheless,
there are various ways for people experiencing heartburn to reduce the
intensity, regularity and duration of episodes.
How to Prevent Heartburn
Below are tips that can help you to prevent
heartburn from occurring, they include the following:
First of all you should do your best to
avoid foods and drinks that can trigger heart burn such as chocolate, garlic,
citric fruits, full fat dairy products, coffee, spicy or fatty foods, onions,
carbonated drinks, alcohol, peppermint, items that are caffeinated and tomatoes
and tomato sauces.
When you have just finished eating avoid
bending over or exercising
Eat some hours before bedtime, about 3-4
hours is okay. Going to bed with a full stomach can be harmful. This will allow
the food have enough time to digest and move from your stomach as well as
giving acid levels the chance to reduce before you lay down. Lying down with
your stomach full can cause the contents in your stomach to press hard against
the LES.
Try to eat smaller portions of food
Avoid wearing tight fitting clothes
especially around the stomach area. Also avoid using belts that are tight as
along with the clothes they can squeeze the stomach which force food to reflux.
If you are overweight try as much as
possible to lose weight. This is important because obesity puts pressure on the
stomach. The pressure on the stomach can push its contents back to the
esophagus. It has been noticed that symptoms of GERD goes away after a person
who is overweight loses some pounds.
When sleeping, raise your head about 6
inches. When you sleep with your head and chest higher than your stomach and
legs, it helps to prevent food that is digested from going back into the
esophagus. Place an object under the legs of the head of your bed when
sleeping. Sleeping with an extra pillow may not be a good idea for relieving
heartburn because while sleeping your head may slip of the pillow.
If you smoke you should try to quit because
chemicals like nicotine in sticks of cigarette make the LES weak
Try to relax in order to reduce stress
levels. This should be done especially before you retire to bed at night. Try
out activities that will make you unwind such as yoga, meditation, tai chi
among others to help you relax and reduce stress levels
When you decide to exercise or workout
ensure you get the timing right. Such activities should be done at least two
hours after you have eaten. Doing it sooner may cause heartburn to occur.
When Do You Need To See A Doctor
You should immediately seek medical
attention if you are experiencing severe chest pain or pressure especially if
you notice this along with other symptoms such as feeling pain in the jaw or
arm or finding it difficult to breath. This is important because chest pain
could also be a sign or symptom of a heart attack.
Also try to see your doctor if you
experience the following:
If your heartburn happens more than twice a
week or if you have been experiencing heartburn more than once a week for about
six months or more and it does not get better
You find it difficult to swallow
You have cough or wheezing that is hard to
get rid off
The symptoms continue to show up despite
you using over the counter medications or you feel one of the medicines you are
taking may be causing heartburn. See a doctor before you stop taking the
medicine or change the medicine
You experience frequent vomiting or nausea
or you vomit contents that look bloody or looks like coffee substances
When you stool the color is black or maroon
You lose weight because you find it hard to
eat and experience poor appetite
How To Prepare For Your Appointment With
Your Doctor
You should know the pre appointment
limitations you have such as if you are not to eat any solid food on the day of
the appointment
Before going for the appointment you can
write down your symptoms including those that do not seem related to the reason
you are going for the appointment
Also write down all the medications you
have been taking including vitamins and supplements
Also you should write down your significant
medical information as well as other conditions
You can as well write personal information
such as recent changes or triggers of stress in your life
Write down the questions you will like to
ask your doctor
You can also go along with a friend or
colleague to keep you company and provide you with some support as well as help
with talking and asking the doctor questions
Questions You Can Ask Your Doctor
What are the likely causes of my symptom?
Is your condition a temporary case or a
more serious case?
Do I need to any tests and if so how do i
prepare for them?
What are the likely treatments available?
Do I need to change my diet or change the
food i eat?
Can i effectively manage issues of
heartburn with other health conditions i may have
What Your Doctor Is Likely To Do
Your will likely ask a lot of questions and
you should prepare yourself to answer them accordingly. Some of the questions
include:
When did you start to notice your symptoms
and how severe have they been?
Have your symptoms been regular or occur
once in a while?
Is there anything that seems to make your
symptoms improve or become worse?
Are they worse after you eat or after you
lay down?
Do wake up at night because of the
symptoms?
Do you feel food or any sour content come
up in the back of your throat?
Do feel nauseous or feel like vomiting?
Do you find it difficult to swallow?
Do you feel you have gained or lost weight?
Likely Test To Undergo
To find out if your heartburn is symptom of
GERD, there are some tests your doctor may recommend you do the following tests
An X-ray to see the condition and shape of
your stomach and esophagus
An endoscopy if your esophagus has any
abnormalities
An esophageal motility test to determine
the pressure and movement in your esophagus
Treatment of Heartburn
There are several medications available
over the counter that can help in relieving heartburn such as antacids that
help to neutralize acid in your stomach. They may offer you some quick relief
but will not be able to treat an esophagus that has been damaged by acid in the
stomach. Other options include proton pump inhibitors which can help in
reducing stomach acid.