A Few Facts about Occasional Heartburn
It is very common to get occasional heartburn. Every one in four people in the world experience this symptom at least once in a month. This is usually caused by heavy eating, oily foods, or eating too late past the meal time. There is absolutely nothing wrong experiencing occasional heartburn. However, if the occasional heartburn becomes a constant feature, then it can become a very serious problem.
What is Heartburn and what are the Remedies for it?
Heartburn is the burning sensation that you get when the acid in the stomach escapes in the form of bubbles through the esophagus. Medically speaking, it is known as GERD which is short for gastrointestinal acid reflux disease. As the name indicates, acid reflux means 'acid flowing backwards'.
This symptom is seen occasionally in every human being. It is the result of indigestion which in turn provokes formation of gas in the stomach with high acidity. This is when one feels that the upper part of the alimentary canal or the heart region is burning - hence the common name, heartburn.
People will mostly experience occasional heartburn after a large meal, oily foods (like burgers, french-fries, pork with a lot of fat, etc). It looks like people in the US are more prone to occasional heartburn than people in Asia. This is because in Asia, food is spiced up with the help of ginger which is an herb that soothes indigestion and heartburn.
When this happens, the person usually feels extremely restless and uncomfortable. Doctors usually prescribe products containing calcium carbonate or an alkaline compound to neutralize the acid and give instant relief. Peppermint oil also has been known to be highly efficient in providing fast relief.
The best way to prevent the occurrence of the occasional heartburn is to avoid fatty foods and/or late meals. In case these cannot be avoided, then you should have on hand the required antacids to get instant relief when the occasional heartburn occurs. If this symptom becomes a common feature, then you might have a serious digestion problem and you should seek doctor's advice at the earliest.
Prevent occasional heartburn from turning into a chronic affliction by cutting out the foods that provoke gas, indigestion and acidity. Chronic heartburn can be very painful, besides being a serious health hazard. Therefore, take utmost care to prevent it so that you can live a more carefree life.
