Heartburn can be extremely problematical- both painful and fatiguing. People in general suffer from some degree of heartburn. Medical data indicates that most people get occasional heartburn at some time in their life. However many of these heartburn episodes go away by themselves or with the help of a minimum of medication. Severe heartburn is a sign of a more advanced illness known to medical personnel as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Here, conventional medicine is often weak in providing any positive benefit for severe heartburn cases.

What is the real, underlying problem?

The root of the problem is typically the sphincter or one-way muscular valve that shuts off the stomach from the esophagus. The weakening or the instability of this muscle means that stomach juices including acid make their way back into the esophagus. Ulceration of the esophagus then comes about because of the acid corrosion due to the acidic stomach contents. This may even go as far as a pre-cancer condition known to doctors as Barrett’s esophagus, and which requires urgent medical attention.

Other problematical factors of heartburn

It is sometimes incorrectly identified as asthma, which makes the situation that much more, complicated. This is because if the backward reflux of acid contents reaches the upper part of the esophagus, then the result may be fits of wheezing, hoarseness and drive coughing.

Which people are more likely to get heartburn?

There are a is number of medical conditions which will increase the risk of serious heartburn. Diseases of the auto immune system such as Raynaud Phenomenon, CREST syndrome and sceloderma can all make a negative contribution. Other risk factors include hernias and diabetes as well as incorrect eating including too much fast food.

The remedy for heartburn

Because they do not take into consideration the long term causes, and may even have serious drawbacks when they are taken, conventional medicines may even worsen the situation. And as most medications prescribed by physicians target only the symptoms of heartburn, they only really have a role to play in short term relief.

Heartburn victims are recommended to lessen or cut out food that is fatty, caffeine-containing, alcohol containing, made with chocolate, mint or sherbet, as well as the acid-type foods such as tomatoes, oranges, cauliflower, spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. Recent investigations now point to a correct diet, healthy living and holistic protocols with herbs and vitamins supplements as the requirements for permanently banishing serious GERD-related heartburn.