You're Fine! It's Just Heartburn

There’s nothing more frightening than casually completing a task, only to stop because you feel your heart start to burn. It seemingly comes out of nowhere and your mind starts to race, trying to think of anything that could have caused the sensation. Depending on how long it lasts, you either wait for it to finish and never find out why you experienced what you did, or you grab your phone and try to figure out what happened.

Well, have no fear!

What you’ve experienced was heartburn, a common and controllable occurrence in the body.

What is Heartburn?

Heartburn happens when the acid in your stomach travels back up into your esophagus. Though it is called heartburn, it doesn’t actually happen in your heart, it only feels like it does.

The burning sensation that happens when you have heartburn is probably why people tend to freak out when they feel it for the first time.

A burning sensation in your heart sounds terrifying. A burning sensation in your esophagus? Way less stressful, way easier to manage.

How Did I Get Heartburn?

There are multiple things that can cause heartburn.

For some, it happens due to their digestive patterns.

For example, it’s because of their intake of spicy food. Think back to what you've eaten in the day. Did you have hot wings? Spicy ramen? Hot chips? This may have caused your heartburn.

Other things like citrus foods, chocolate or fatty/fried foods could have also caused your heartburn, along with alcohol or coffee.

For others, heartburn may occur for other, non-food/drink-related actions. These actions cause the part of your esophagus that protects you from heartburn to weaken, allowing for the acidic components to travel back up.

Inhaling smoke is one action that can cause heartburn, along with having extra pressure on your abdomen through tight clothing or pregnancy. Some get heartburn if they lay down too soon after eating or if gas bubbles in their stomach rise.

Though this sounds like a lot of possible triggers for heartburn, remember that only a few of these may actually be triggering to your digestive system. You may be able to have spicy foods just fine but get heartburn when drinking alcohol or napping after a meal. Everyone is different so it’s important to figure out which actions trigger your heartburn so you can monitor and control those actions.

How To Prevent It

If heartburn is something that only happens to you when you eat certain foods, or do certain actions, it’s best to prevent more heartburn by avoiding all your triggers for it.

If you're prone to heartburn, due to aging, weight, or another health reason, there are small changes you can make in order to decrease the likelihood of heartburn occurring.

Refrain from eating too much in one sitting as it can cause digestive pressure in the stomach that allows for heartburn to happen easier. Try not to lay down on your stomach after you eat or eat before you go to bed as it is another way to put pressure on your abdomen. Remember to eat slowly, and manage your stress since stress can make you more sensitive to pain.

Heartburn is definitely manageable so don’t be afraid to find your triggers and work with your limitations.