Heartburn Help

What is heartburn?

Heartburn is the burning and often painful sensation near your heart or the center of your chest that you experience after meals when you lie down or bend over. Your heartburn can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. The term, heartburn, is a misnomer – as the heart itself has nothing to do with heartburn. Instead, your stomach and the esophagus have everything to do with heartburn.

What causes heartburn?

Source When you swallow food or drink, it goes down your esophagus (food tube) and into your stomach. Here, food mixes with stomach acid to help digest your food. The valve between your esophagus and stomach is called the lower esophageal sphincter (often called LES). And it’s the LES’s job to stop food and acid refluxing back into your esophagus.

When to see a doctor about heartburn?

See a doctor immediately if you have severe chest pain, especially if you also have pain in your arm or jaw or have difficulty breathing. Otherwise, see a doctor if you experience heartburn more than twice a week or you are worried about your symptoms.