Heartburn may cause problems with swallowing, burping, nausea, or bloating. These symptoms can sometimes last up to 2 hours or longer. In some people, heartburn symptoms may cause sleep problems, a chronic cough, asthma , wheezing, or choking episodes.
Heartburn usually is worse after eating or made worse by lying down or bending over. It gets better if you sit or stand up. Heartburn occurs more frequently in adults than in children. Many women have heartburn every day when they are pregnant. This is because the growing uterus puts increasing upward pressure on the stomach.
Symptoms of heartburn and symptoms of a heart attack may feel the same. Sometimes your heartburn symptoms may mean a more serious problem and need to be checked by your doctor. Dyspepsia is a medical term that is used to describe a vague feeling of fullness, gnawing, or burning in the chest or upper belly, especially after eating.
A person may describe this feeling as "gas. Causes of dyspepsia can vary from minor to serious. Heartburn occurs when food and stomach juices back up reflux into the esophagus, which is the tube that leads from the throat to the stomach. This process is called gastroesophageal reflux. Common causes of reflux include:. Severe heartburn occurs every day and can cause problems such as trouble swallowing, bleeding, or weight loss.
Heartburn with other symptoms, such as hoarseness, a feeling that food is stuck in your throat, tightness in your throat, a hoarse voice , wheezing, asthma, dental problems, or bad breath, may be caused by a more serious problem, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease GERD.
A persistent inflammation of the lining of the esophagus occurs in GERD and can lead to other health problems. Heartburn may also be related to an infection with Helicobacter pylori H. Persistent heartburn symptoms can be a sign of a more serious medical condition, such as severe inflammation of the esophagus or cancer of the stomach or esophagus.
Almost all babies spit up, especially newborns. Spitting up decreases when the muscles of the esophagus, which is the muscular tube that connects the throat to the stomach, become more coordinated. This process can take as little as 6 months or as long as 1 year. Spitting up is not the same thing as vomiting. Vomiting is forceful and repeated. Spitting up may seem forceful but usually occurs shortly after feeding, is effortless, and causes no discomfort.
Children who vomit frequently after eating during the first 2 years of life have increased chances of having heartburn and reflux problems, such as GERD, later in life. Children with reflux problems also have increased chances of other problems, such as sinusitis , laryngitis, asthma, pneumonia , and dental problems. For more information, see the topic Nausea and Vomiting, Age 11 and Younger. The treatment of heartburn depends on how severe your heartburn is and what other symptoms you have.
Home treatment measures and medicines that you can buy without a prescription usually will relieve mild to moderate heartburn. It is important to see your doctor if heartburn occurs frequently and home treatment does not relieve your symptoms. Check your symptoms to decide if and when you should see a doctor. Many things can affect how your body responds to a symptom and what kind of care you may need. These include:. You have answered all the questions.
Based on your answers, you may be able to take care of this problem at home. For men and women, the most common symptom is chest pain or pressure. But women are somewhat more likely than men to have other symptoms, like shortness of breath, nausea, and back or jaw pain. Based on your answers, you may need care right away. The problem is likely to get worse without medical care. After you call , the operator may tell you to chew 1 adult-strength mg or 2 to 4 low-dose 81 mg aspirin.
Wait for an ambulance. Do not try to drive yourself. Sometimes people don't want to call They may think that their symptoms aren't serious or that they can just get someone else to drive them.
Or they might be concerned about the cost. But based on your answers, the safest and quickest way for you to get the care you need is to call for medical transport to the hospital. Based on your answers, you may need care soon. The problem probably will not get better without medical care.
Home treatment, such as lifestyle changes and nonprescription medicines, may be all that is needed to treat mild to moderate heartburn. But if your symptoms do not get better with home treatment, or if your symptoms occur frequently, see your doctor to find out whether other medical conditions may be causing your symptoms. Keep a record of your heartburn symptoms before and after making lifestyle changes or using nonprescription medicines so you can discuss any improvement with your doctor. See an example of a heartburn symptom record.
If you are pregnant and have heartburn symptoms, be sure to talk to your doctor before you take any heartburn medicines. Some medicines may not be safe to take while you are pregnant. For more information, see the topic Pregnancy-Related Problems. Many people take nonprescription antacids for mild or occasional heartburn.
If you use antacids more than just once in a while, talk with your doctor. Antacids work faster than acid reducers H2 blockers , but their effect does not last more than 1 to 2 hours. H2 blockers can provide relief for up to 12 hours. Antacids do have side effects.
They may cause diarrhea or constipation. Also, antacids can interfere with how your body absorbs other medicines. Be careful when you take over-the-counter antacid medicines. Many of these medicines have aspirin in them. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. Other symptoms of GERD include: a sore, raw throat or hoarse voice a frequent sour taste of acid, especially when lying down a feeling of burping acid into the mouth trouble swallowing a feeling that food is stuck in the throat a feeling of choking that may wake someone up a dry cough bad breath What Causes GERD?
This can happen for different reasons: In some people, the muscle doesn't tighten properly. In others, it doesn't close quickly enough or at the right time, letting stomach contents wash back up.
If a person eats way too much, the stomach may be so stretched the muscle can't work as it should. In many people, these foods bring on symptoms: citrus fruits chocolate drinks or foods with caffeine fatty and fried foods garlic and onions peppermint spicy foods tomato-based foods, like spaghetti sauce, chili, and pizza How Is GERD Diagnosed?
This special X-ray can show liquid backing into the esophagus, irritation or narrowing of the esophagus, and any upper digestive tract problems. For the test, you'll swallow a small amount of a chalky liquid barium.
This liquid appears on the X-ray and shows the swallowing process. Gastric emptying scan milk scan. This test is done either by drinking milk that has a tracer in it or eating scrambled eggs that have a tracer mixed in. Upper endoscopy pronounced: en-DAS-ko-pee.
Doctors look at the esophagus, stomach, and part of the small intestines using a tiny fiber-optic camera. They also may take a small tissue sample a biopsy of the lining of the esophagus to rule out or find other problems. Most patients are given anesthesia and are "asleep" when this procedure is done.
A thin, flexible tube goes through the nose into the esophagus. The tip rests just above the esophageal sphincter for 24 hours to check acid levels in the esophagus and to detect any reflux. Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information.
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