What is Heartburn? Understanding the Basics

Heartburn is really a medical misnomer. Despite of what it is called, the disease has nothing to do with the heart, or any of its condition or diseases. But its symptoms are similar to those of certain heart conditions or diseases. Hence, its name ‘heartburn’.

Heartburn is essentially a condition of the esophagus. It is an irritation caused by the influx of stomach acid in the esophagus.

Normally, what happens is the lower esophageal sphincter, or what we commonly know as LES, keeps what is in the stomach stay within the stomach. The LES is that muscular valve located below the rib cage; it is located right where the stomach meets the esophagus. The LES opens when we take in food or when our body takes air out like in belching. It, then, immediately closes again to prevent stomach acid or any substance from seeping out.

But when a person has a condition known as heartburn, the LES does not function normally. It either does not goes back to its relaxed state (or closes tight enough) or it opens more than it needs to. With this condition, the stomach acid seeps out of the stomach. The acid, then, which does not normally exists outside the stomach, irritates the esophagus and causes a burning sensation. This sensation right in the middle of the chest, where your esophagus is located, is what you feel during heartburn.

What scares most people during or even about heartburn is its symptoms are similar to a heart condition known as angina. Like heartburn, angina is felt as a tightness or pressure in the chest. It comes suddenly and usually lasts for a few minutes.

Angina usually sets in after eating a large meal, when a person is under stress, after exercise, or even during cold, windy days, much like heartburn. But unlike heartburn, angina radiates from the chest to other parts of the body. It usually moves from the chest to the arms, neck, or jaw. Heartburn occurs only as a burning sensation in the middle of the chest; angina, on the other hand, sets in a pain behind the breastbone. However, it may be difficult to distinguish the two conditions without undergoing the tests.

While increasingly frequent angina is usually a predictor of a heart attack, heartburn is not dangerous. In fact, 1 out of 10 Americans experience heartburn every day. And at least 50 percent of pregnant women suffer from severe heartburn, especially during their second or third trimesters.

However, heartburn may be an indicator of a more serious problem and can even progress into a condition known as gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD.

What leads to heartburn is, as we have previously discussed, an underactive LES. But what causes the LES to not function normally can vary.

There are a number of reasons why the LES does not tighten as it should. Two conditions usually determines the existence of heartburn. One, an excess of food in the stomach. Two, pressure on the stomach, such as during pregnancy or when a person is obese. What is common to both is the existence of unnecessary pressure on the stomach, which causes the acid or even food to seep out of the stomach.