What causes heartburn after eating?

Causes of heartburn after eating are various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Unpleasant sensation of burning in the stomach and esophagus( behind the breastbone) is most often triggered by the ingestion of hydrochloric acid, digestive juices and other contents of the stomach into the esophagus.

In normal operation of the gastrointestinal tract, only undigested food and saliva enter the esophagus, and the mucous membrane of this organ is not adapted to interaction with such caustic acids, therefore a burning sensation arises - evidence of irritation and a burn of the esophageal mucosa.

Heartburn after each meal requires compulsory medical advice.

Causes of burning

A heartburn appears extremely rare in a healthy person. Throwing a small amount of gastric juices into the esophagus can occur, for example, after a plentiful lunch, when in the stomach there is not physically enough room for everything eaten.

A certain product can provoke this unpleasant sensation. In such cases, it is sufficient to take a more careful look at your diet and not overeat.

But if you are constantly tormented by heartburn after eating, it is more likely that there has been a malfunction in the operation of one or more of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract.

The most common reason for heartburn after eating is a disruption of the cardiac sphincter, the valve that separates the esophagus and stomach.

In the normal functioning of the digestive tract, cardia is controlled by an unconditioned reflex: when a person swallows food or liquid, activation of the muscles of the pharynx and esophagus provokes the opening of the cardia.

Immediately after the food has entered the stomach, the valve should close again.

Cardiac insufficiency is a disease characterized by disruption of this mechanism.

In the early stages of development the valve closes, but with a deep breath there is a gap through which the contents of the stomach can get back into the esophagus.

In later stages of the disease, cardia completely loses its ability to close, i.e., there is no septum between the stomach and the esophagus.

Another reason why heartburn after eating is excessive secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach.

There is no need to describe the chemical properties of hydrochloric acid in detail, most understand how destructive the effect of this liquid has on almost any surface.

For mucosal esophagus, contact with hydrochloric acid, especially regular, is fraught not only with irritation or inflammation, but even with the appearance of ulcers, cavities and cancer cells.

Another possible cause of heartburn is the injection of bile into the stomach. As the esophagus is not adapted to interact with gastric juice, so the stomach is not adapted to contact with bile.

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This fluid is involved in the digestive process at a later stage and should not go up the digestive tract.

Disturbance of the circulation of bile in the body provokes various diseases of the liver, gall bladder, duodenum.

If the bile enters the stomach, the burning sensation signals irritation of the mucous membrane and the attempt of the stomach to expel the corrosive liquid.

Heartburn caused by bile is often accompanied by other symptoms: belching, bitterness in the mouth, pain, etc.

The main reason why heartburn after eating is a serious cause for concern is that all of the above deviations can occur at veryDangerous diseases.

The presence of gastric juices in the esophagus itself can provoke its inflammation, the occurrence of ulcers and even cancer cells.

The frequent occurrence of heartburn and belching after eating is only a symptom. Only a doctor will be able to establish real causes and treatment that will save you from this ailment.

What can cause heartburn?

If heartburn does not appear constantly, then you can try to determine the cause of its occurrence on your own.

There are a number of factors that contribute to the occurrence of heartburn even in a healthy person, so first of all, carefully monitor your body.

You may be able to adjust your diet, and heartburn will not appear any more.

Power mode

If you closely monitor your sensations while eating, you know exactly when it's time to stop.

The feeling of satiety and satisfaction from eating depends on many factors, from habits to hormonal background, but each of us directly represents the size of your stomach more or less.

The constant heartburn and frequent heaviness in the stomach after a meal can be triggered by banal overeating, eating too much food, especially greasy.

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Heartburn occurs in overeating due to a very simple mechanism: the pressure in the stomach is increased, and the cardiac sphincter can not completely close, so part of undigested food and gastric juices enter the esophagus.

Burning sensation can occur if you eat and eat often or eat less, but ate too much at a time. That's why nutritionists recommend eating in several receptions in small portions.

Heartburn may occur with active physical activity immediately after eating.

Any exercise inhibits the process of digesting food, but some are particularly damaging to the work of the stomach.

Makhi kicks, slopes, twists, exercises from the prone position and any strain on the press deform the stomach and temporarily increase the intragastric pressure. If cardia does not cope with increased blood pressure, heartburn may occur.

For the same reason( increased pressure on the cardia) heartburn can occur if immediately after eating food lie down.

Sleeping after meals is strongly discouraged, because during sleep, the process of digestion stops, which, together with an increased load on the cardia, often provokes heartburn.

Heartburn products

Each organism is individual and responds differently to different products. A dish that one person causes the strongest heartburn, the other will be digested without any problems.

However, there are products that irritate the gastric mucosa, promote increased release of hydrochloric acid and can trigger a burning sensation.

These include:

• alcoholic beverages, especially red wine and beer, increase the secretion of hydrochloric acid and simultaneously irritate the gastric mucosa;
• sour fruits, citrus fruits and tomatoes contain a large amount of fruit acids and disrupt the acid-base balance in the stomach, especially when used on an empty stomach;
• chocolate and any desserts with a high content of cocoa relax the cardiac sphincter, increasing the risk of gastric juice entering the esophagus;
• caffeine acts similarly to cocoa, so strong green or black tea can cause heartburn;
• burning vegetables( garlic, onion, horseradish, radish) and spices irritate the gastric mucosa;
• fatty foods, especially lard, smoked sausages, fried for a long time to digest, slow down the digestion process, promote increased gas production and the appearance of heartburn;
• carbonated drinks, especially sweet effervescent lemonades, increase the amount of gas in the stomach, increase the intragastric pressure, provoke eructations and heartburn.

The above products cause heartburn not at all - it is more often a question of individual sensitivity of an organism to certain dishes or their components.

In addition, the stomach can respond with heartburn and some other products, so it is not necessary to exclude everything at once.

Note when heartburn occurs and how often pathology is associated with eating certain fruits, vegetables, spices.

First aid for heartburn

Frequent occurrence of heartburn is not only an anxiety symptom arising in the breakdown of the work of the gastrointestinal tract.

Prolonged and regular heartburn can cause quite serious damage to the body: hydrochloric acid gradually corrodes the walls of the esophagus, provoking the formation of ulcers, cavities( diverticulum), scars, and seals.

In the long term, heartburn increases the risk of esophageal cancer and stomach cancer, so before treating this ailment with medications, establish the reasons why heartburn occurs.

If the task is to quickly eliminate discomfort, then antacids will come to the rescue - drugs that chemically neutralize the acid of gastric juice. Antacids are usually divided into two large groups: absorbed and nonabsorbable.

The first group includes drugs such as Andrews antacid, Rennie, Tams, baking soda.

Absorbent is called, because some elements of these drugs or compounds that arise when they interact with gastric juice, dissolve in the blood.

The main advantage of these drugs is a quick action. The main disadvantages are short-term effect and increased secretion of hydrochloric acid immediately after the end of the drug.

Some drugs in this group lead to increased gas formation in the stomach, provoking a belch.

Taking such medications is contraindicated for a long time, since calcium, contained in most of them, can accumulate in the body, provoking the formation of kidney stones.

If the medicine is not at hand and you need to urgently eliminate heartburn, then you can use a baking soda solution, although the effect of this treatment will be short-term.

Soda neutralizes an acidic environment in the stomach, but provokes an increased secretion of hydrochloric acid, so after a short relief, heartburn may return.

Most modern preparations for heartburn are non-absorbent, that is, they are almost completely eliminated from the body.

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This group includes Almagel, Gastal, Gaviscon, Maalox, Relzer and others. They begin to act somewhat later than the absorbed ones, but still fairly quickly( from 10 minutes).The main advantage of the drugs of this group is a long period of action, about 2-3 hours.

To remove an attack of heartburn will help and some folk remedies. Raw almonds can neutralize gastric juice and remove discomfort.

Cover a handful of nuts with boiling water and thoroughly read. Oats and barley grains act in a similar way: they must be chewed slowly, often swallowing saliva.

Diet for pathology

To keep heartburn under control will help the right diet. Eliminate all foods that cause increased formation of digestive juices and irritate the mucous, eat in small fractions( small portions).

Avoid fried, most of the allowed products are consumed in cooked or stewed, more often steamed.

The following products help to get rid of heartburn:

• porridge on water - oatmeal, buckwheat, rice are perfectly absorbed by the body. More coarse cereals( bran, pearl barley) should be excluded;
• lean soups and light fish, beef, chicken broth promote digestion;
• greens - parsley, dill, celery in moderate amounts stimulate peristalsis and accelerate the process of digestion;
• steamed or boiled vegetables - carrots, cucumbers, pumpkin, zucchini, beets do not cause heartburn. Avoid tomatoes and cabbage;
• skimmed milk products - cottage cheese, kefir, natural yoghurt;
• lean white and red meat;
• eggs in any form;
• bananas and apples.

In addition to limiting the diet, for the treatment of heartburn, it is necessary to minimize the use of spices, especially burning, pickles, and smoking.

Replace butter and mayonnaise with unrefined sunflower or olive, which is much more useful for digestion.

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Do not eat fruit, especially citrus, on an empty stomach. Avoid too hot and too cold dishes, it is better to warm cold drinks to room temperature.

In the fight against heartburn you will also benefit from natural mineral water. Prefer to give alkaline water without gas or hold the bottle for a while in an open state to release bubbles. Beneficial to the work of digestion are jelly and compotes of dried fruits.