Burning sensation in chest after eating, is it acid reflux

Have you ever felt a burning sensation in your chest or throat after eating a large fatty and spicy meal then you probably know the discomfort of heart burn.

Acid reflux or heart burning

What causes acid reflux or heart burn

Acid reflux or burning sensation in chest is a common symptoms which caused by stomach contents spilling back up into the oesophagus.

Actually stomach has a lining to protect it from acid, [our stomach produces acid to digest the food ] but the oesophagus does not has this protective lining.

There is also suppose to be a valve located where the stomach and oesophagus join called lower oesophageal sphincter.

When this lower oesophageal sphincter does not works properly or is damaged, and it does’nt close properly to keep the content down in the stomach where they belong.

As a result acid comes upward through open sphincter and the person starts to showing up symptoms of acid reflux.

Symptoms of acid reflux:

Chronic acid reflux symptoms includes;

Heartburn ( a sensation of food moving up the throat or in to the mouth)

A bitter or sour taste in the mouth.

Persistent sore throat

Hoarseness

Chronic coughing

Difficult or painful swallowing

Unexplained chest pain

Bad breath

A feeling of lump in the throat.

An uncomfortable feeling of fullness after meal.

In more severe cases permanent damage can occur;

Such as to the teeth, harsh stomach acid erodes tooth enamel.

Damage can also occurs in the oesophagus, larynx, mouth or in part of the upper digestive tract that is regularly exposed to acidic contents.

How can you relieve acid reflux

The good news is that with the proper combination of life style changes and Dietary changes it is possible to manage symptoms and get relief.

Dietary changes:

Fatty or spicy foods, alcohol and caffeine tends to worsen or trigger symptoms of acid reflux, so pay attention to what you eat.

Eliminate fatty meals, Carbonated baverages, Drinks high in caffine and choclates.

If you notice that after eating certain type of food you experiences acid reflux symptoms than you can avoid that particular food.

You should also reduce meal size as smaller and more frequent meals causes less acid reflux than large meals.

Try to eat dinner three to four hour earlier before going to sleep.

You can also take 10 ml of aloe Vera juice in the morning or in evening before taking food as it helps to reduce symptoms of acid reflux.

Lifestyle changes:

Some lifestyle changes can help to ease reflux symptoms;

Maintain a healthy weight.

Avoid smoking.

Try to reduce the amount you eat before bed.

Don’t drink too much water in between eating food or just after finishing food because our stomach is like a boiler which contains enzymes, saliva that helps to digest the food we eats.

If you drinks water just after eating food than enzymes of stomach dilutes with water and loose its concentration that lead to improper digestion.

Take 15 to 30 minutes break after eating and then drink water.

While sleeping use gravity to help Keep stomach by propping up the head of your mattress or bed frame.(Don’t just pile on the pillows though because this can cause neck and back pain.)

So these are some measures that can help anyone to reduce the symptomps of acid reflux and heart burning.