Painful Episodes Of Heartburn Acid Reflux

Excessive production and accumulation of acid from the stomach may cause it to spring back and flow into the upper esophagus and throat. The acid stings and irritates the esophagus around the upper abdominal area and pain can be felt from the abdomen shooting upward to the middle of the chest up to the neck area. This episode is sometimes called heartburn acid reflux. A strong burning sensation in the chest area is felt by patients afflicted by this condition.

Heartburn medication is similar to those given to patients with gastro esophageal reflux disease. Because the primary symptoms that cause heartburns may be attributed to uncontrolled acid production and accumulation in the stomach, patients are required to take regular doses of antacids to temporarily stop and suppress the anomaly. Antacids neutralize stomach acids especially after having a full meal. Alcohol consumption is also a major trigger in rapid stomach acid accumulation and patients are advised to refrain from drinking it.

Heavy use of antacids over a long period may have adverse effect also. There are cases in which taste buds functions have been numbed by constant administration of antacids. However, those who developed this side effect are in the minority and further research is necessary to establish correlation between taste buds and antacid medication. In majority of patients, it has been observed that there are no significant side effects to heavy use of the drug.

Pains from heartburns can be felt in varying degrees by patients who have manifest signs of heartburn acid reflux. It could be a burning pain around the heart area. In other cases, patients felt episodic pains similar to an onset of heart attack. Intense pain with pressure-like sensation can be felt at the middle of the chest and oftentimes difficulty in breathing can be experienced. That is why most people have likened heartburn sensation to angina or heart problems. In some children with infant acid reflux disorders, heartburns may cause episodes of apnea and the child could stop breathing for as along as 8 to 10 seconds. A good temporary solution to prevent heartburn is to refrain from lying down after a full meal. Because acid can travel up the esophagus faster when a person is lying down, it is advisable to keep the chest area higher than the stomach. Babies could be propped up with a pillow to minimize the occurrence of heartburns.

Heartburns occur periodically in most patients. It could be very frequent in one period or can be as infrequent as once a week episodes. The periodic characteristic of heartburns can be clearly seen in patients experiencing the condition frequently but the episodes will suddenly stop and will recur months or even years after the first occurrence. However, as acid reflux disease is a chronic malady, heartburn is also a lifetime illness and will last as long as the reflux disorder remains.