Nausea and heartburn: causes and rules of treatment, folk recipes

Nausea and heartburn are very unpleasant symptoms, the appearance of which negatively affects both physical and psychological well-being. Discomfort does not allow you to concentrate on important everyday things, worsens overall well-being. Nausea and heartburn rarely occur in healthy people, and therefore these symptoms must be taken very seriously.

Physiological causes

The physiological ones include those reasons that do not depend on the pathologies of the internal organs. Such factors can manifest themselves in an absolutely healthy person. The main difference is the non-systemic manifestation - physiological nausea and heartburn are rare and these symptoms can be clearly correlated with other factors.

1. Eating too fast. The "scourge" of the modern generation is food on the go. Due to insufficient grinding of food in the oral cavity, large pieces of food mass enter the stomach. This leads to mechanical irritation of the walls, reduces the efficiency of enzymes.
   

   Food on the go - the scourge of the modern generation

2. Physical activity after meals. After eating, it is recommended to remain calm for at least 40-60 minutes. Exercise immediately after a meal leads to the ingress of gastric masses into the esophagus, which is accompanied by a feeling of nausea, heartburn and heaviness in the epigastric region.
   

   Physical activity after meals

3. Frequent overeating. Bulky, hearty meals undoubtedly cause a feeling of fullness, but along with it, patients experience heaviness and nausea. These symptoms occur against the background of stretching of the stomach walls and excessive pressure on the diaphragm.
   

   Frequent overeating causes heaviness and nausea

4. Eating fatty foods that are heavy on the stomach. The constant intake of fatty and fried foods leads to an increase in the production of pancreatic juice and bile. As a result, these components enter the stomach, irritating its walls.
   

   Eating fatty foods is fraught with greater production of pancreatic juice and bile and throwing them into the stomach

5. Eating aggressive foods on an empty stomach. Morning sickness and heartburn can occur due to the consumption of foods with high acidity - apples, citrus fruits, fresh vegetables. For breakfast, the best option is porridge, which gently envelops the mucous membrane. Fruits and vegetables consumed on an empty stomach act on the stomach walls, provoking the appearance of unpleasant symptoms.
   

   Eating citrus fruits on an empty stomach is highly irritating to the gastrointestinal tract, causing nausea and heartburn.

6. Toxicosis. Under the influence of progesterone, stomach upsets are observed. Common foods can cause nausea and heartburn. In this case, a correction of the diet is required.
   

   With toxicosis, heartburn is possible.

7. Late pregnancy. During this period, the stomach is displaced by an enlarged uterus, which is why gastric contents can be thrown into the esophagus. Feeling overcrowded and uneven stretching of the walls can provoke nausea and heartburn.
   

   Nausea and heartburn are common in late pregnancy.

8. Smoking and alcohol abuse. Smoking decreases the rate of synthesis of salivary enzymes, which leads to a decrease in pH. Since the alkaline environment of saliva is neutralized in the stomach, smoking abuse leads to the fact that hydrochloric acid is not fully neutralized, causing irritation of the stomach walls. With alcohol abuse, the aggressive effect of alcohol leads to irritation of the mucous membrane, which is accompanied by nausea.
   

   Smoking and alcohol abuse are detrimental to the body

9. Taking drinks high in caffeine on an empty stomach. Caffeine not only invigorates well, but also strongly affects the walls of the stomach. Drinking caffeinated drinks leads to an increase in acidity, which over time begins to manifest itself as nausea and heartburn.
   

   Coffee - a drink with a high caffeine content, provokes an increase in acidity in the stomachs, thereby causing heartburn

10. Taking medications. Some medicines should be drunk only after meals, since the aggressive components in their composition can adversely affect the state of the mucous membrane. For example, acetylsalicylic acid or mefenamic acid can only be drunk at the end of a meal. Otherwise, the acidity of the stomach rises sharply, which can cause heartburn and epigastric pain.
    

    Acetylsalicylic acid - its intake on an empty stomach is fraught with a high increase in the acidity of the environment in the organ and, accordingly, the development of heartburn

Important! It is undesirable to lie down immediately after a meal, as this can provoke a stretching of the walls of the stomach, which is also fraught with the appearance of nausea.

Pathological causes

Pathological causes include those causes of heartburn and nausea that are provoked by diseases in an acute or chronic form, pathogenic microorganisms. Some diseases can be attributed to such violations.

1. Acute and chronic gastritis. The defeat of the gastric mucosa is most often accompanied by heartburn and nausea. Often a concomitant symptom is a feeling of heaviness in the stomach. Heartburn begins to manifest itself almost immediately after eating.
   

   Gastritis

2. Pancreatitis. Inflammation of the pancreas leads to a change in the enzymatic composition of the pancreatic juice. When it enters the stomach, nausea begins to occur, and heartburn appears. Pancreatitis is characterized by the appearance of so-called hunger pains - pronounced painful sensations in the stomach before eating. After eating, patients experience a feeling of heaviness.
   

   Pancreatitis

3. Ulcerative lesion of the stomach and duodenum. When ulcers and erosions occur, the gastric mucosa becomes very sensitive to foods in the diet. Feeling of heaviness, heartburn and nausea begin to appear 1-1.5 hours after the end of the meal. Often, ulcerative lesions are accompanied by pain in the epigastric region.
   

   Stomach and duodenal ulcer

4. Pathology of the gallbladder. With violations of the motor-evacuation function of the gallbladder, bile is often thrown from the duodenum into the stomach. This leads to heartburn, belching, nausea, and vomiting. At the same time, the vomit has a yellow-green color and a bitter taste. Often, patients with impaired gallbladder function have a bitter taste in the mouth.
   

   Symptoms of gallbladder disease

5. Inflammation of the appendix. Inflammation of the appendix is ​​accompanied by pain in the right lower abdomen, nausea, vomiting, heartburn. This condition requires immediate medical attention.
   

   Inflammation of the appendix (appendicitis)

6. Infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. With an infectious lesion of the gastrointestinal tract, in addition to nausea and heartburn, patients experience decreased performance, general weakness, headache, vomiting, stool disorders, and fever. If such symptoms occur, you need to urgently call an ambulance.
   

   Gastrointestinal tract infections

7. Food poisoning. With food poisoning, opportunistic microflora begins to actively multiply in the intestine, which leads to general intoxication of the body. This is accompanied by weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, heartburn, fever, dizziness, and decreased appetite.
   

   Food poisoning

8. Heart pathology. Some disorders of the cardiovascular system can be manifested by nausea and heartburn. Such diseases include hypertensive crisis, heart failure, vegetative-vascular dystonia, myocardial infarction among women.
   

   Hypertensive crisis and its symptoms

9. Helminthic invasions. When parasitic worms multiply, the host organism is severely intoxicated with the waste products of parasites. This is accompanied by disturbances in stool, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, feeling of weakness, dizziness, flatulence, bloating, pain in the intestinal region.
   

   Symptoms of helminthic invasion

Attention! Only a doctor can accurately diagnose after the tests, since many pathologies have similar symptoms.

Possible complications

As such, there can be no complications in vomiting and heartburn, since these are symptoms of disturbances in the normal functioning of internal organs. Constant irritation of the walls of the stomach and esophagus can lead to atrophy of the mucous layer of the gastric wall, which is fraught with ulcers and erosions. Discomfort can also provoke a spasm of the esophagus, and with constant exposure to gastric juice, the likelihood of developing a malignant organ damage increases.

Diagnostic methods

For an accurate diagnosis, the following methods can be used:

• clinical and family history;
• blood test - general and biochemical;
• ultrasound examination of the stomach and abdominal organs;
• fibrogastroscopy and / or fibrogastroduodenoscopy;
• stool analysis.
  

  Stool analysis

After examining and interviewing the patient, the doctor prescribes a number of diagnostic procedures that allow you to get a complete clinical picture and choose an effective treatment.

Drug treatment

Most often, nausea and heartburn can be controlled with traditional medications. Supporters of alternative treatment prefer to do with proven recipes, but in advanced cases, complex therapy may be required, up to surgical intervention.

Below is a list of the drugs that are most commonly used to relieve nausea and heartburn.

Table 1. Antacids

Name	Active substance	Indications for use	Contraindications	Side effects
"Rennie"	Calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate.	Gastroesophageal reflux and gastric acidity. Heartburn, belching, epigastric pain.	Renal dysfunction, hypercalcemia.	Manifestation of an allergic reaction with hypersensitivity.
"Gastal"	Aluminum hydroxide, magnesium carbonate, magnesium oxide.	Increased acidity of the stomach, gastritis, peptic ulcer, food poisoning.	Disorders of the kidneys.	A decrease in the content of phosphorus in the blood, an increase in the level of calcium in the urine with prolonged use.
"Maalox"	Aluminum hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide.	Gastritis, peptic ulcer, heartburn.	Disorders of the kidneys.	Decrease in the level of phosphorus in the blood.

Table 2. Alginate "Gaviscon"

Characteristics	Description
Active substance	Sodium alginate, sodium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate.
Indications for use	Dyspeptic disorders, heartburn, postoperative conditions.
Contraindications	Children under 6 years of age, allergic reaction to alginates and parabens.
Side effects	Allergic reactions: urticaria, itching, bronchospasm, rash, anaphylaxis.

Table 3. Antiemetic

Name	Active substance	Indications for use	Contraindications	Side effects
"Cerucal"	Metoclopramide hydrochloride.	Heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome, vomiting, nausea, functional bowel stenosis.	Pregnancy, childhood, intestinal obstruction, convulsions, epilepsy.	Migraine, dizziness, fatigue, tachycardia, stool disorders, pruritus, urticaria.
"Motilium"	Domperidone.	Dyspeptic symptoms, nausea, vomiting.	Bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, oral administration of ketoconazole preparations.	Amenorrhea, gynecomastia, gastrointestinal disorders, urticaria, rash.
"Mint tablets"	Peppermint oil.	Nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, bitterness in the mouth.	Diabetes mellitus, bronchial asthma, children under 3 years of age.	Allergic reaction, pain in the region of the heart.

Table 4. Enzymatic

Name	Active substance	Indications for use	Contraindications	Side effects
"Mezim forte"	Pancreatin	Pancreatitis, dyspeptic disorders, flatulence, diarrhea.	Pancreatitis in the acute stage.	Allergic reactions, stool disorder.
"Omeprazole"	Omeprazole	Peptic ulcer, gastritis, reflux esophagitis.	During pregnancy and breastfeeding.	Dizziness, stool disorder, muscle pain, urticaria.

Table 5. Histamine receptor blockers

Name	Active substance	Indications for use	Contraindications	Side effects
"Ranitidine"	Ranitidine	Stomach ulcer, dyspeptic symptoms, gastritis, reflux disease.	Renal failure, liver cirrhosis.	Stool disorders, headache, allergic rash.
"Kvamatel"	Famotidine	Stomach ulcer, reflux disease, dyspeptic disorders.	Children under 12 years of age, pregnancy, breastfeeding.	Migraine, dizziness, stool disorders.
"Cimetidine"	Cimetidine	Peptic ulcer, heartburn, gastritis.	Hypersensitivity, childhood, pregnancy, breastfeeding, hepatic and renal failure.	Headache, stool disorders, muscle pain, skin rash.

Attention! The doctor may use several drugs with multidirectional action for treatment. It is undesirable to combine medicines on your own, since there is a possibility of an allergic reaction.

Diet correction

One of the key points in the treatment of gastrointestinal pathologies is diet correction. In the stage of exacerbation of the disease, patients are advised to adhere to dietary table No. 5 according to Pevzner. To prevent relapses, it is enough to adhere to the following recommendations:

• avoiding heavy fatty and fried foods;
• reducing portion sizes;
• fractional meals 4-6 times a day;
• dinner no later than 2 hours before bedtime;
• thorough heat treatment of products;
• limiting physical activity after eating food;
• refusal to drink alcohol;
• limiting the amount of strong tea and coffee, carbonated drinks.
  

  Strong tea and coffee are drinks that should be limited to avoid nausea and heartburn

Attention! There is an opinion that a diet is a limited use of any food, regardless of the state of the body. Therefore, you can often hear that "a little bit is possible." With severe lesions of the digestive tract, peptic ulcer and acute inflammatory processes, such an attitude can cause a sharp deterioration in the state of the whole organism.

Folk remedies

Traditional medicine helps to relieve malaise and quickly restore well-being with minor disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract. But these methods do not address the underlying causes of nausea and heartburn. There are the most commonly used folk remedies.

1. Soda. The baking soda solution helps to quickly neutralize excess hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Therefore, soda is most often used to eliminate the manifestations of heartburn and nausea.
   

   Baking soda

2. Potato juice. Differs in a high content of starch, which has an enveloping effect on the stomach, thereby protecting the mucous membrane from aggressive effects.
   

   Potato juice

3. Mineral water. It acts in the same way as a soda solution, neutralizing excess hydrochloric acid.
   

   Mineral water

4. Milk. It has not only the ability to reduce acidity, but also protects the walls of the stomach from the effects of enzymes.
   

   Milk

5. Mint tea. Remedy for relieving nausea during pregnancy. It has a pronounced sedative effect, and therefore expectant mothers are recommended to drink tea with mint. It is not used during breastfeeding, since it inhibits lactation.
   

   Mint tea

Prevention of occurrence

Preventing nausea and heartburn is easy enough. To do this, you need to monitor the quality of the diet, eat at the same time, in small portions, avoiding overeating. Just a few points help prevent a number of gastrointestinal disorders. It is recommended to finish each meal, which is accompanied by the consumption of meat, with a glass of alkaline mineral water in 35-40 minutes. Such a measure will help keep the acidity of the stomach at a sufficient level.

Video - How to get rid of heartburn