Heartburn is a burning discomfort starting behind the breastbone and radiating upwards. The hydrochloric acid from the stomach leaks into the esophagus and causes heartburn. Occasional heartburn due to rich food or other lifestyle causes is assessed as mild or episodic. Heartburn occurring twice or more in a week is moderate or frequent. Everyday issues even with a correct diet and lifestyle is serious or chronic. Five to fifteen percent of heartburn sufferers suffer with persistent heartburn.

Chronic heartburn is due to the lower esophagus sphincter muscle tone becoming feeble, or eroded by stomach acid, and the one-way valve isn’t able to seal the acid within the stomach. It can also be caused by other factors like motility problems, high stress, the liner of esophagus becoming sensitive, and constant medicine for other protracted conditions.

In some extreme cases, the mere act of bending down will bring acid into the esophagus. If the protracted condition prevails for long, it may lead to difficult conditions like problem in swallowing, coarseness of the throat, protracted laryngitis, respiration Problems like asthma or pneumonia, grim cough, and others.

Before chronic heartburn is diagnosed it is important to reign out more significant illnesses which cause heartburn only as a symptom. These include hiatal hernia, GERD, peptic ulcer, gall bladder disease, gastritis and a tear in the esophagus. Enquiry for these ailments needs intensive gear and experts.

Prolonged heartburn is treated with strict lifestyle changes, which include modifying eating and sleeping habits, avoiding stress, stopping smoking, reducing weight, avoiding pressure on the belly, and exercising.

Over The Counter medication with antacids, H2 blockers and proton pump inhibitors may be employed as short- and medium-term relief from heartburn. But the major objective of the physician will be to prescribe and manage it in the long term.

Treatment for lingering heartburn involves total commitment from the patient to comply with the physician’s’s recommendation and take the prescribed medication till the doctor stops it. If all else fails to overcome chronic heartburn, surgery may be the final resort. This is done to tighten the LES muscles and prevent acid from dribbling into the esophagus.

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