What Is Heartburn? What Causes Heartburn?

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Acid Reflux / GERD
Also Included In: GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology
Article Date: 20 Dec 2011 - 17:00 PST

email icon email to a friend   printer icon printer friendly   write icon opinions  

Current Article Ratings:

Patient / Public:3 stars

2.67 (3 votes)

Healthcare Prof:not yet rated

Article Opinions: 7 posts

Heartburn is an uncomfortable warm and burning sensation in the chest, usually just behind the sternum (breastbone) that typically comes in waves. The pain may start in the chest area and make its way up to the neck, throat and jaw. The pain usually gets worse when the patient lies down or bends over, and is more common immediately after eating.

The condition is medically known as pyrosis or acid indigestion.

The word "heartburn" is a popular lay term that has nothing to do with the heart.

Heartburn is usually linked to gastric reflux - the regurgitation of gastric acid; one of the main symptoms of GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease).

As heartburn may also be a symptom of ischemic heart disease, it is important that doctors bear this in mind and do not jump to a GERD diagnosis too rapidly.

Some people use the terms "dyspepsia" and heartburn interchangeably. There is a difference: Dyspepsia is a combination of heart burn and epigastric pain, which is from the sternum to just above the umbilicus (navel, belly-button).

It is common for people to have heartburn occasionally, and it is usually nothing to worry about. With some lifestyle changes, and perhaps an OTC medication you can manage the discomfort without having to seek medical help.

If heartburn symptoms are experienced frequently and start affecting a person's daily routine, they should check with a doctor in case it is a sign of something more serious.

According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary:

Pyrosis (heartburn) is "Substernal pain or burning sensation, usually associated with regurgitation of acid-peptic gastric juice into the esophagus."

What are the signs and symptoms of heartburn?

A symptom is something the sufferer feels and describes, such as a headache or dizziness, while a sign is something other people can detect, such as a rash.

Signs and symptoms of heartburn include: Many of the heartburn symptoms may overlap with those of GERD, simply because heartburn is one of the symptoms of GERD.

What are the causes of heartburn?

Heartburn is the result of gastric acids backing up into the esophagus.

When we swallow, the lower esophageal sphincter relaxes, this allows foods and drinks to make their way to the stomach, after which the sphincter closes again.

If the lower esophageal sphincter does not close properly, gastric acids can seep back up into the esophagus, causing heartburn. When a person bends over or lies down the heartburn sensation may be worse, because the lack of gravity encourages more reflux.



Diagnosing heartburn

Physicians can usually diagnose heartburn by asking the patient to describe his/her symptoms.

A doctor may wish to determine whether the heartburn is a symptom of a wider condition, such as GERD. If so, the following tests may be ordered:

What are the treatment options for heartburn?

There are some steps patients can take themselves to reduce their risk of developing heartburn: Symptoms of heartburn can usually be effectively treated with OTC (over-the-counter) medications. Written by Christian Nordqvist

Original article date: 5 June 2004
Article updated: 20 December 2011
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Visit our acid reflux / gerd section for the latest news on this subject.
Sources: National Health Service, UK, National Institutes of Health, USA
Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA
Christian Nordqvist. "What Is Heartburn? What Causes Heartburn?." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 20 Dec. 2011. Web.
14 Feb. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/9151.php>

APA
Christian Nordqvist. (2011, December 20). "What Is Heartburn? What Causes Heartburn?." Medical News Today. Retrieved from
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/9151.php.

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.


Acid Reflux / GERD

What Is Acid Reflux?

If you suffer from acid reflux the acids from your stomach "flow back" into your esophagus, causing discomfort and pain - this discomfort is known as heartburn. Read more...

What Is Heartburn?

Heartburn is a burning feeling rising from the stomach or lower chest up towards the neck. It is caused by acid from the stomach backing up into the gullet (oesophagus or swallowing pipe). Read more...

Most Popular Articles



Follow Our Acid Reflux News On Twitter

Follow Us On Twitter
Get the latest news for this category delivered straight to your Twitter account. Simply visit our Acid Reflux / GERD Twitter account and select the 'follow' option.



View list of all 'What Is...' articles »