Turacos Medical Laboratory

HEALTH NUGGETS TODAY

TOPIC: HEARTBURN

Heartburn has nothing to do with your heart. The problem is with the door between your esophagus and stomach. As you know, your stomach contains powerful acids used to digest foods. When the doorway to the stomach - called the esophageal sphincter - fails to close properly, it lets acid from the stomach back up into your esophagus. While your stomach is designed for digestive acids, your esophagus is not, and the result is a powerful burning sensation.

So how do you get the doorway to close properly? Well, don't do things that will weaken the esophageal sphincter, and those things are:

1. Smoking. Once again, the Demon w**d a.k.a colos, a.k.a loud, a.k.a Colorado finds a way to create trouble in your life. Smoking ci******es weakens the esophageal sphincter considerably. Don't complain about heartburn if you're not trying to curb your smoking. Without stopping, you don't have much chance of booting the problem.

2. No napping. It seems almost natural to take a nap after a big meal, but that makes gravity work against you. Acid will more easily travel upward into your esophagus if you are lying horizontal. Let your food digest a bit before you lie down.

3. No bedtime snacks. Your stomach can produce acid up to seven hours after you eat. If you eat just before you go to bed, you may be setting yourself up for late night acid or heartburn attack that will ruin your sleep, and thus the following day. Skip the bedtime snack if you are prone to heartburn.

4. Avoid Stress. Dr. Akpe Emmanuel will agree with me that number cause of heartburn behind coffee and ci******es is stress and anxiety. Stress, fear and anxiety gets the acid factory in your stomach pumping. Take time out, or a meditation break to calm yourself and your body down.

5. Coffee, chocolate and caffeine. Avoid them all. Make no doubt about it - they are major, I repeat MAJOR, causes of heartburn.

HERE IS 5HE REMEDY (What will help)

(a) Milk, antacids, bicarbonate of soda or soda crackers. All of these are well known counter-agents of heartburn and they usually work, so why not try them?

(b) Lose weight. A common contributor to heartburn is obesity. Losing weight will be good for your total health, so do it for more than easing heartburn.

(c) Eat smaller meals more often. Rather 5hab big honking meals that distend your belly and make you waddle like a duck, easing food into your stomach a little at a time all day will give your stomach a chance to digest, and will not force food upwards to make room in limited space

Persistent heartburn

If your heartburn persist, then you probably should see a doctor.
Remember, frequent heartburn can lead to more serious problems, such as ulcers, gastritis, stomach cancer and other problems. Use your common sense. Deal with it.

We will attend to your questions in the comment section.