Heartburn is the sensation that you feel when stomach acid backwashes into your esophagus, which is the muscular tube that leads from the back of your throat to your stomach. Heartburn is usually described as an intense, burning pressure, much like the symptoms of a heart attack. While many people experience occasional episodes of heartburn, if you suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, you may have heartburn quite frequently.
A Weakened Sphincter
Normally, a muscular narrowing, or sphincter, at the bottom of your esophagus prevents your stomach contents from refluxing upwards and entering the esophagus. Age, obesity, alcohol, certain foods, medications and other factors can weaken the sphincter and allow caustic stomach acid to rise into the esophagus and injure its delicate lining. Over time, esophageal irritation can lead to the formation of esophageal ulcers or even to the development of esophageal cancer.
Irritating Foods
According to a 2005 review in "American Family Physician," modifying your diet to exclude irritating foods is a standard approach to managing heartburn, but there is limited scientific evidence to show that it is effective for treating GERD. It is generally accepted that fatty foods remain in the stomach longer, thereby increasing the likelihood for reflux and heartburn. Alcohol, peppermint, chocolate, onions, garlic and coffee are presumed to decrease the strength of the esophageal sphincter, but, again, such effects have not been confirmed in clinical trials.
Personal Diary
If you suffer from frequent bouts of heartburn, you should keep a journal of the foods that seem to aggravate your condition. While some people with documented GERD can eat spicy foods or tomatoes without experiencing heartburn symptoms, you may find that such foods cause a great deal of discomfort. Likewise, some foods that have traditionally been used to relieve heartburn and ulcer pain, such as milk, may actually increase symptoms in some people.
Consensus
Smoking, obesity, alcohol and certain foods have been implicated in the genesis of heartburn and GERD. Medications that weaken the lower esophageal sphincter, such as calcium channel blockers, may also contribute to heartburn. If you are troubled by heartburn, you should at least address these issues. If you track your heartburn history and discover that specific foods exacerbate your symptoms, avoid those foods. Don't eat for at least four hours before going to bed, and avoid eating large or fatty meals, which increase the likelihood of reflux. If you have recurrent heartburn, you should seek medical attention to rule out GERD or other potentially serious medical problems.
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