Heartburn Facts

• Heartburn can usually be felt in your chest, around the breastbone area. Your stomach acid is designed to break food down and contains hydrochloric acid. Your stomach has natural protection from the acid; however, your esophagus and its lining do not have the same protection. Your lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is the muscle that acts like a valve to keep gastric juices and acids in your stomach. If your LES relaxes or malfunctions it will allow stomach acid to flow up into the esophagus, which results in irritation and burning. If you have heartburn more than twice a week, you have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
  
  

Effects and Complications

• That back-flow of stomach acid into your esophagus, over a period of time can have a variety of effects on your body. Heartburn and severe acid reflux is associated with conditions like hoarse voice, chronic coughing, asthma, laryngitis and chest pain (non-heart related). Long-term GERD sufferers are also at increased risk of developing Barrett's esophagus--a condition characterized by the mutation of your lower esophageal cells--and esophageal cancer.
  
  

Nighttime Heartburn

• Many heartburn victims have symptoms at night. According to the National Heartburn Alliance, approximately 75 percent of patients with heartburn have reported sleep disturbances related to the condition.
  
  In September 2009, the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) published several studies on the effects of GERD on sleep. With more than 40 percent of the United States population suffering from the disease, heartburn and GERD are common conditions. The AGA studied the effects of sleeping pills on heartburn symptoms and found that medications like Ambien allow heartburn sufferers to sleep through their symptoms, maximizing their esophageal exposure to stomach acid and leading to increased risk of complications.
  
  

Treatment

• If you are experiencing heartburn symptoms, talking to your doctor or pharmacist may help you choose the treatment option that is best for you. Some of the available treatments include antacids, H2 blockers (like famotidine or ranitidine) and proton pump inhibitors (like omeprazole).
  Antacids work by helping to neutralize stomach acids and relieve infrequent, mild heartburn.
  H2 blockers work by blocking acid production and reducing histamine, which stimulates acid emission in your stomach.
  Proton pump inhibitors work by targeting the acid pumps in your stomach and block acid for a full day.
  
  

Prevention

• Certain foods may trigger a bout of heartburn. Coffee, orange juice, alcohol and chocolate can trigger symptoms. Foods like chocolate relax your LES while orange juice and coffee are irritants. Food manufacturers have come out with a variety of low-acid, heartburn-friendly products which may be worth trying.
  
  If you have nighttime heartburn there are several tips for improving your symptoms. Elevate the head of your bed, sleep on your left side--it aids in digestion--and try to eat meals no closer than two or three hours before going to bed.