After the age of 50, half of French people have this unpleasant burning sensation called heartburn every day.. Most of the time, it looks like acid reflux with an indelicate taste of vinegar. What are the solutions to soothe or avoid these digestive symptoms that we would do without?
Heartburn is usually not serious. They are transient, last from a few minutes to a few hours, and usually occur after eating a meal or at night. They can also intervene in case of stress or when you are very hungry…
What exactly is heartburn?
During digestion, the stomach uses gastric juices to reduce the consistency of food. When we made a too much mealthat the food has not been chewed sufficiently, an excess of acidity can inflame the walls of the stomach and even the esophagus, causing a burn.
This heartburn is the main symptom of gastric reflux (gastroesophageal reflux disease). If we compare the stomach and the esophagus to a bottle, the reflux is the rise of the contents of the bottle towards the neck. Very acidic, it causes burns in the pit of the stomach called pyrosis (from the Greek “pyros” which means fire).
What consequences?
The gastric liquid being acidic, when it goes up, it can damage the wall of the esophagus. Scratches can appear on the lining of the wall and cause esophagitis. This can cause severe painbleeding and even vomiting.
So how to do ?
To avoid heartburn, it is therefore necessary to reduce reflux and avoid positions that promote it. like lying down, especially after a meal. It is advisable to wait at least two hours between meals and bedtime.
Against the appearance of heartburn, it is advisable to review your eating habits:
- eat slowlyin a seated and relaxed position;
- good masticate ;
- take some light meals, especially in the evening, before going to bed. To avoid cravings, you can split your meals;
- favor light cooking;
- avoid carbonated drinks and too greasy products (meals in sauce, fried foods, cold meats, cheeses, pastries, etc.);
- drinks such as coffee, alcohol, citrus or tomato juice, vinegar or lemon should be reduced;
- avoid foods that promote these burns such as chocolate and spicy foods;
- avoid excessive raw vegetables;
- avoid intermittent fasting because hunger can promote heartburn.
Moreover, when we sleep, it is advisable to have head slightly higher than the rest of the body. To do this, raise the feet of the headboard.
And if the heartburn persists, you should see a doctor for drug treatment. If in doubt, he will prescribe an endoscopy because it is the only examination that allows the condition of the mucosa to be observed directly.
