$Unique_ID{BRK01980} $Pretitle{} $Title{Hints for Heartburn Relief} $Subject{hint Hints tip tips Heartburn relieve Relief distress distressed pain painful burn burning sleep sleeping food foods avoid stomach gastric acid acids hydrochloric esophagus gastroesophageal reflux disease diseases GERD tomato tomatoes coffee citrus fruit fruits chili curry pizza muscle muscles sphincter onion onions chocolate fat Alcohol tobacco medicine medicines medication medications asthma bowel spasm antidepressant antidepressants aspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug drugs abdomen symptom symptoms antacid Antacids H2 receptor antagonist antagonists omeprazole side effect effects} $Volume{} $Log{ Anatomy of the Stomach-Esophagus*0008702.scf} Copyright (c) 1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc. Hints for Heartburn Relief ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ QUESTION: I am very careful about what I eat, but of late, I seem to be more distressed with heartburn than ever before. It seems to be worse at night, sometimes interfering with my sleep. Is it true that there are certain foods I should avoid, and if so could you please list them for me? I am sure this information can help me avoid the pain. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ANSWER: Heartburn, which of course has nothing to do with any injury to the heart, is that gnawing pain that attacks in the middle of the body, just below the ribs where the stomach is located. It is usually associated with eating too much, or too well, and in many cases does not depend upon the type of food eaten, merely the quantity. This is because a full stomach is more apt to spill its contents, with its high content of gastric acids (including hydrochloric acid), back up into the lower end of the esophagus, and it is this acidic liquid that causes the burning pain of heartburn. The medical name of this condition is "gastroesophageal reflux disease" also known as GERD. While not always associated with a specific food, there are some foods that are always identified as the "bad ones" for heartburn sufferers, and they include tomatoes, coffee, citrus fruits, chili, curry and pizza. Normally this spill back is prevented by a circular muscle called a sphincter, located between the lower end of the esophagus, and the stomach. When this muscle is contracted, it closes the lower end of the esophagus completely. However there are some foods that can weaken the action of this muscle, and they include onions, chocolate, as well as foods with high fat content. Alcohol, tobacco, some medications used for asthma, bowel spasm and antidepressants can also do the same thing. In addition aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can produce reactions often associated with heartburn. You might be the best judge of the foods or medications that are the cause of your problems. You can identify the culprits by keeping a food diary, noting all the things you eat, and then marking the occasions when heartburn strikes. It won't be long before you will be able to make out the pattern, and you can then drop the offending foods from your diet. There are several other suggestions I can make to help you reduce your discomfort. Additional pressure on the abdomen can cause reflux, so that a tight corset or belt may provoke the symptoms. Even bending over is sufficient to create enough pressure to produce reflux, and the pain, in some people. Since lying down in bed at night puts the esophagus and the stomach on the same level, the juices pass backward more easily, and cause more pain at night. Elevating the head of your bed by putting wood blocks under the legs of the bedposts at the head end, can be helpful in eliminating night time distress. Antacids are also very effective in reducing the occasional discomfort experienced by some individuals. And there are several prescription medications that can reduce the amount of acid secreted by the stomach. This in turn reduces the burning sensation you are experiencing. They all belong to a group of medications called H2 receptor antagonists, and your own physician is the best source of counsel about the one which might be most useful in your case. If all of these measures fail, there is still a new drug available called "omeprazole", which works in a different fashion than the others, but is expensive, with some possible side effects that restricts it use to a small number of patients with extensive inflammation of the esophagus. ---------------- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.