Trigger Points For Heartburn and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Heartburn trigger, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) Heartburn Trigger Checker

Heartburn is a very good indication of more serious problems but only if it is chronic. This means that the heartburn is not a one time incident but one that keeps recurring for at least two times a week for three months.

Heartburn is when acid from your stomach goes to your esophagus area because the ring that is suppose to block it does not close. This is a very simplistic way of explaining how a person gets heartburn.

A heartburn is never about a heart attack or any other kind of heart problem. It is called that mainly because of the location of the pain which is in the chest area and can go all the way up to the neck and jaw. This is a severe pain sometimes and can be hard to handle.

The Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) comes into the picture because it will explain why heartburn is always happening to the patient. It is very important to be able to diagnose this problem because it can become a life-threatening condition if not attended to properly.

This condition can become serious because the acid can cause major damage to the esophagus area, and in some cases have been known to cause cancer in the esophagus.

If you can start to pinpoint the triggers of a heartburn attack, then you can prevent GERD from getting worse. For instance, instead of taking a citrus drink that is known to be acidic like orange juice, why not drink water instead. You should also eliminate products that contain caffeine since it too can contain too much acid.

Other trigger points for heartburn are smoking, eating too much and too often, drinking too much alcoholic drinks, insufficient exercise and taking the wrong position after eating. Basically, you need to avoid food and beverages that cause you personally to have indigestion, and likewise with any other activity or position.

For example, for some people, walking after eating helps them digest better, while for others, it’s eating fruits like pineapple and papaya. It will also help if you avoid tight clothes especially in the middle stomach area because this puts too much undue pressure on the stomach.

Overweight people and pregnant women also have a tendency to experience heartburn. It occurs because of the extra weight and pressure on the abdomen as well as changes in the hormone levels.

Heartburn occurs even with the most careful patients, and in these cases, doctors will recommend a mild antacid, at least initially to treat the acid. The problem with not seeking medical advice even if heartburn continues to persist is that the acid could cause too much damage to your esophagus. This can become a very serious condition, and could require surgery is not taken care of as soon as possible.