Nighttime Heartburn

Is Thre Any Relief For Nighttme Heartburn?

Chronic heartburn or nighttime heartburn is a condition that seems to be the worst. The attacks are very painful, more than most heartburn, and, as luck would have it, they can last a very long time. You may even think that you are experiencing a heart attack. It's very unpleasant, laying there in bed aware that you are having sharp pains in your chest, and having difficulty catching your breath.

It's hard to determine whether you are having a heart attack or if it's just heartburn, you may want to consult medical attention either way. It is no laughing matter because it is very serious. Extreme pain from a heartburn is your stomach sending an urgent mess age.. If you leave it, go undiagnosed your pain will only get worse and worse.

Heartburn is a burning sensation that you feel in your chest and it is called by spices or heavy meals. This does not all the esophageal sphincter to close and the acids will creep back up.

So much for the unpleasant message, time to hop on your horse and ride off looking for the causes and the answers.

To fully understand nighttime heartburn, you need to know how heartburn occurs, and why. To put it simply, heartburn, or the burning sensation you get in your chest, most times after a heavy, or spicy meal, happens when the lower esophageal sphincter does not close properly, allowing the acids from your stomach to come back up. After awhile your lower esophageal sphincter will become less and less likely to close and you will have a chronic problem that happens at night because you are lying down. You need to consult your doctor immediately because it can cause more serious issues like ulcers.

To help your nighttime heartburn, you should eat small meals and no alcohol or acidic foods before bedtime. You will also want to avoid the caffeine. When you go to bed, make sure that your head is higher then your stomach by using a wedge pillow or lifting that end of the mattress up. This way the acid is less likely to rise.

However, you should go to a doctor and get a proper diagnosis. There are a couple of ways to do this. One way is to insert a probe into the stomach to monitor the acid levels in your stomach for several days or longer. Information which the doctor can use for diagnosing the problem is transmitted to a receiver worn on your belt.

Another, less invasive way to go about gathering data about what's going on in your stomach is to use pH litmus tests several times a day. By recording what you eat and measuring pH levels is a comfortable way to determine acid levels.

Left untreated nighttime heartburn can develop into something more serious. When the acids in your stomach eats away at the lining of the walls, it's possible for an ulcer to develop. You can also find the bacteria (located in the acids) within the intestines. When the acids rise, the bacteria will attack the mucous lining of the stomach and an ulcer is caused. You can treat an ulcer with antacids. You will want to check with your doctor first to make sure that it isn't something else.

make an effort to find out what your acid level is and what foods are causing the problem. A vegetarian diet may be the answer, at least in the short term. There are plant foods like potatoes, that are tolerated by most any stomach. Along a bland starter diet look for a natural remedy that will soothe and repair damaged tissue.