Chronic heartburn: gastroenterologist dispelled the myth of soda and called three remedies for the disease

Chronic heartburn is not just an unpleasant sensation, but a signal of possible disorders in the digestive system. About the causes of the disease, trigger factors and the danger of self-treatment told the doctor-gastroenterologist Olga Panes, the correspondent of the Agency “Minsk-Novosti”.

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In the project of the TV channel “Belarus-1” “It’s healthy to be” the specialist named the conditions that most often lead to chronic heartburn. This is a herniated esophageal opening of the diaphragm, a weak sphincter and increased intra-abdominal pressure.

The doctor explained the mechanism of the problem. The sphincter is a muscular ring between the stomach and esophagus that works as “strong front doors” without letting the contents of the stomach back in. If it weakens, aggressive hydrochloric acid enters the esophagus, which has no protective properties and can be burned.

With a herniated esophageal opening of the diaphragm, part of the stomach moves to the chest, which also weakens the work of the sphincter. Increased intra-abdominal pressure, which occurs, for example, during pregnancy or excess body weight, squeezes the stomach, causing its contents to rise up.

Among the factors that trigger an attack at a particular moment, the doctor called the horizontal position after eating, overeating, trigger foods and work associated with inclinations immediately after eating.

Special attention was paid to the danger of “quenching” heartburn with soda:

- Hydrochloric acid reacts with salt, and soda is salt. The released ions provoke further production of hydrochloric acid, and you just start a pathological process that not only does not help, but also further harms the body.

In the fight against heartburn, the doctor identified three main components: sleep, proper nutrition and medications. She recommended eating small portions, not overeating, eating dinner four hours before bedtime, not lying down or leaning in for two hours after eating. It is also important to sleep with a raised headboard at an angle of 30 degrees - for this there are special wedge-shaped pillows.