An introduction to acid reflux and heartburn
‘Heartburn’ is a commonly used phrase – if you’ve been in the company of someone having eaten their dinner too fast, or a heavily pregnant woman, you might have heard them complain about heartburn – but what exactly is this? In severe cases, people can even worry that they are having a heart attack as the pain is so extreme. But more often than not, heartburn is a symptom of acid reflux.
Acid reflux is the result of the acidic contents of the stomach travelling backwards and upwards into the oesophagus, normally as the result of the improper functions of our lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS). The LOS is a circular ring of muscle which acts as the gateway between our oesophagus and our stomach. In theory, this muscle should open to allow food into the stomach, but should close in order to prevent food from travelling backwards. However, a number of factors and situations can allow for the improper functioning of this sphincter and we end up with what we call acid reflux.
How does acid reflux cause heartburn?
If the highly acidic contents of our stomach travel into our oesophagus, it is inevitable we are going to experience pain – what we call heartburn.
The reason being, our oesophagus isn’t as prepared as our stomach – in that it doesn’t have a robust mucous layer to help protect it from low pH contents. Our stomach has a pH of around 3-4 by the time our highly acidic stomach acid is diluted slightly by other secretions – but the specialised cells and structures within the stomach are very much equipped to deal with this. Our oesophagus, not so much, and the more delicate lining here will soon come under fire, quite literally.
What can I try at home for heartburn?
There are some steps you can take at home to try and keep symptoms the symptoms of acid reflux, such as heartburn, under control:
- Watch what you eat. Certain foods may exacerbate your symptoms, so, watch out for fatty foods, red meat, spicy foods, or alcohol, to name a few. Keeping a food diary can be useful or try having smaller portions or eliminating problem foods all together to see how you get on
- Consider your stomach acid. If heartburn is a regular issue and not just a one off, supporting your stomach acid could be something to consider. You might be surprised to know that more often than not, a low level of stomach acid instead of too much is often at the root of the problem! Read more on simple home tests you can take to help better understand what might be going on.
- Ginger. This ingredient has been used traditionally to help treat stomach problems including nausea, and many people find it can help to ease the symptoms of heartburn.
How can herbal remedies help me?
There are some herbal remedies which may come in useful for instances of heartburn:
- Herbal bitters. Bitter herbs help support your stomach acid and can help to manage troublesome symptoms. Take them in a little water 3 times daily for best results.
- Silicol Gel. Silicol Gel helps create a protective layer throughout the digestive system as a result of its silicic acid content and can help to reduce the symptoms of acid reflux and heartburn.
How can my doctor help?
If heartburn is recurrent, your doctor of pharmacist should be able to help. Antacid medication may help to address some of the discomfort in the short-term but be prepared to keep an eye on your symptoms longer-term.
