Causes Heartburn

No matter what causes heartburn if you suffer from bad eating habits, or have some deep health issues you will need to do a little more research to find the underlying cause.

What causes Heartburn?

Well do you like spicy foods, do you eat late at night or straight after a workout? These are the first questions you need to ask yourself before digging deeper.

There are some foods that seem to encourage heartburn in many people. Among these are general categories such as spicy, high fat and dairy foods. Chocolate, tomatoes and herbal supplements are also known to bring about heartburn like symptoms, particularly if ingested shortly before bedtime.

If you recognize particular foods that seem to effect heartburn, you may find that eating them in the morning instead of closer to bedtime will alleviate your symptoms of heartburn. When eaten during time of wakefulness and activity, the body is better able to contain stomach acids used to digest the food we have eaten.

Heartburn is not only annoying it can be highly dangerous and may have a detrimental effect on a person's wellbeing. Sometimes the tendency for heartburn may develop into a mucous membrane inflammation in the food pipe, also known as oesophagitis.

In the worst cases, oesophagitis may become complicated with ulcers, which, in rare cases, may bleed or cause chronic anaemia. Occasionally, reflux oesophagitis may become complicated if scars cause a tightening or narrowing (stricture) in the food pipe.

A gullet stricture can prevent swallowing. This is a serious condition, which requires immediate examination and treatment.

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