The main and immediate cause of heartburn or indigestion is reflux of acid contents from the stomach into the esophagus, which the medical practitioners call reflux. The stomach has sufficient mechanisms of protection against aggressive acidic environment, and in the esophagus, this protection is not so strong. Therefore, prolonged and frequent contact with the contents of the stomach lining of the esophagus there is such a symptom as indigestion or heartburn.

Most people, who suffer from heartburn, just go to the pharmacy and buy drugs that are advertised on television. These drugs, as well as soda, chemically inactivated acid, just as opposed to soda have fewer side effects and does not affect the motility of the stomach and intestines. With regular heartburn it is necessary to go to the gastroenterologist. Those who are drawn to a gastroenterologist, usually for many years, should be ready to spend some money.

At the time of the survey they have a severe degree of reflux oesophagitis - inflammation of the esophagus. Proper treatment is required for at least a month taking special medications prescribed by a doctor and it alone can heal esophagitis. But the medication - it's not all. The most important part of treatment doctors believe is diet. The patient with heartburn should not go and take a horizontal position earlier than two hours after meals, load up at night, wear tight belts or eat too much. With heartburn you cannot do any exercise.

What are the causes of indigestion or heartburn? Between the stomach and esophagus is a muscular sphincter. The dysfunction of the circular muscle leads to reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus - the emergence of the so-called reflux disease. In addition, in the prevention of reflux plays the role of the diaphragm, so that diaphragmatic hernia is also a direct cause of heartburn.

Emotional stress, uncertainty in diet - eating a large amount of fatty and spicy foods and banana ketchup are the reasons for heartburn. It is also not ruled out the problems associated with osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic spine, because that part of the nervous regulation proceeds from these segments.

What threatens heartburn?

Regular heartburn cannot be tolerated, because of the scientific evidence that the frequency of episodes of heartburn for more than four a week to sixteen-fold increased the risk of esophageal cancer. First, develop a precancerous condition - Barrett's esophagus, and then adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. So there is a risk of developing life-threatening conditions. It is connected with reflux oesophagitis - swelling of the esophagus and its surface ulcer. There may be bleeding, and deep ulcers may perforate and burst. If the ulcer cures, scar tissue forms. Scar tissue narrows the esophagus and makes swallowing difficult in the passage of food and to treat this situation surgery becomes necessary. And it is a very difficult surgery.

Current recommendations prescribe doing gastroscopy and check the condition of the esophagus to all those who regularly experience heartburn for more than five years. It is during this period, the highest risk for Barrett's esophagus.

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