Monday, October 09, 2006

Heartburn occurs when lower esophageal sphincter (LES) does not close properly and stomach contents reflux back up into the esophagus. When this happens, you can experience any of the symptoms below:
A burning feeling or feeling of pressure in the chest just behind the breastbone (the sternum) that may radiate upward toward the neck.
Chest pain that occurs when bending over or lying down, especially soon after eating.
# A hot, sour, acidic, or bitter tasting fluid at the back of the throat and/or in the mouth.
# A feeling like food coming back into the mouth, or sticking in the chest or throat.

What you eat ?
There are certain foods that can worsen heartburn symptoms. Some foods can weaken the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), allowing stomach contents to flow up into the esophagus, while other foods will increase the production of stomach acid.
Some of these foods are:
Fried foods, Fatty foods,Spicy foods,Citrus fruits,Tomato products,Coffee,Caffeinated tea ,Alcoholic beverages ,Citrus fruit drinks ,Chocolate ,Peppermint ,Pepper .

Medications
It isn't just food that can cause heartburn. Sometimes it's the medications we take to treat other conditions that can be the culprit. Some medications can cause heartburn by relaxing the LES, allowing stomach contents to reflux back up into the esophagus.
Some of these medications are:
@ Anticholinergic drugs .
@Beta-2 agonists (bronchodilators [Inhalation] -- asthma)Includes Alupent, Bronkaid Mist, Primatene Mist, Proventil, Ventolin, Ventolin Rotacaps.
@Calcium channel blockers (high blood pressure)Includes Cardizem, Dilacor-XR, Norvasc, Procardia, Vascor.
@Diazepam (anxiety disorders, seizures)Includes Librium, Paxipam, Valium, Xanax.
@Nitrates (angina)Includes Nitrogard, Nitrostat, Nitroglyn E-R, Sorbitrate.
@Opioid analgesics (prescription pain killers)Includes morphine, oxycodone, synthetic opioid narcotics.
@Theophylline (bronchodilators [oral] -- asthma)Includes Aerolate Sr, Choledyl, Respbid, Slo-Bid Gyrocaps, Theobid Duracaps, Theo-Dur.
@Tricyclic (psychotherapeutic agents, antidepressants)Includes Anafranil, Elavil, Norpramin, Pamelor.

Lifestyle Habits
- Eating Large meals expand your stomach and increase upward pressure against the esophageal sphincter. It is better to eat smaller, more frequent meals.
- Lying down shortly after eating.Gravity helps to keep the stomach juices from backing up into the esophagus and assists the flow of food and digestive juices from the stomach to the intestines. When laying down, especially on a full stomach, the chances of refluxed stomach contents increases. It is best to wait at least two hours after eating to lie down.
- Lying flat when sleeping at night.Lying down flat presses the stomach's contents against the LES. You should elevate your head when sleeping. With the head higher than the stomach, gravity helps reduce this pressure. You can elevate your head in a couple of ways. You can place bricks, blocks or anything that's sturdy securely under the legs at the head of your bed. You can also use a wedge-shaped pillow, to elevate your head.
- Wearing tight clothes or belts Clothing that fits tightly around the abdomen, such as slenderizing undergarments, will squeeze the stomach, forcing food up against the LES, and cause food to reflux into the esophagus. It is a good idea to wear looser-fitting clothing, and not cinch up belts too tightly.

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