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Chronic heartburn is diagnosed if and when the patient suffers from heartburn three or more times a week for a period of two to three weeks. If you are suffering from heartburn take a look at your diet , has it recently altered greatly, has there been an increase in the consumption of alcohol, high stress levels or have you been taking strong medications over this period of time.

If a substantial change has occurred, chronic heartburn is likely to be confirmed, however, if your diet or other aspects of your lifestyle has not changed, it could be a sign of other medical problems. It is important that you be aware of the circumstances as if you are using self-treatment to combat chronic heartburn you may be disguising the symptoms of more serious problems

Heartburn is usually caused by the contents in the stomach being forced back into the esophagus, causing the acid in the stomach to irritate its sensitive lining. There are many causes of this such as: - Gastrointestinal reflux, - a hiatal hernia - or a blockage in the stomach. Therefore, if you suffer from chronic heartburn you should seek a doctor’s diagnosis to ensure you are not suffering from a more serious ailment.

In most cases when a person suffers from heartburn it is usually as a result of a dietary change or they eat or drink something that is high in acidic content, thus causing the digestive system to work overtime producing excessive acid. In most cases and over the counter medication will quel the burning sensation which will soon disappear. However, if chronic heartburn is diagnosed it is likely that it may be treated with prescription medication.

Quenching The Fire In The Belly

Chronic heartburn can lead to developing ulcers in the esophagus as well as in the stomach. Quite often it is the result of the stomach being tricked into thinking more acid is needed to help with the digestive process that exacerbates the situation. It is commonly believed that drinking milk will dilute the acid, however the stomach’s acid pump is likely to produce more owing to the added content in the stomach.

Anybody suffering from chronic heartburn will need to change their lifestyle to help eliminate the problem. This usually requires a change of diet (ie. staying away from rich fatty foods that require a lot of digestion and sticking to more fresh fruit and vegetables that are much easier to digest). If it is determined the heartburn is being caused by prescription medication, the doctor may alter the dosage of the medication or change to another type if one is available. The patient may also be prescribed anti-acid medication until the offending medication is accepted by the patients body and the side effects disappear.

Acid indigestion, another name for heartburn, can be an extremely uncomfortable feeling. Unfortunately, it can also induce similar symptoms to a heart attack, therefore should never be ignored. When you are suffering from chronic heartburn, getting help from a doctor is important to prevent any additional damage to the esophagus or to learn if it is hiding another, potentially more dangerous condition.

It is important to act swiftly to determine what the problem is, what causes the problem and what needs to be done to cure it before it gets worse, but more importantly why suffer at all when with a little thought and preventative action this discomfort can be completely avoided

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Tags: Nutrition