Acid Indigestion and Heartburn
People suffering from heartburn might say that they're having indigestion, and vice versa with people suffering from indigestion, but heartburn and indigestion actually are two different things. The difference between heartburn and indigestion is that indigestion is a general condition, whereas heartburn can sometimes be a symptom of having indigestion. So people who have indigestion and say they're having heartburn may actually be right, but usually people switch it around. Heartburn really doesn't affect the heart at all, but it sure sounds like it does, which is perhaps why people more commonly complain about having indigestion than heartburn.
Heartburn is not burning the heart, but the esophagus. The burning sensation can also travel up to the throat, and often a person suffering from heartburn will throw up gastric acid, a substance that helps digestion in the stomach. Heartburn is usually associated with acid reflux disease, a condition in which the mucus of the esophagus is consistently damaged because the stomach isn't blocked off from the esophagus as much as it should be. The stomach is blocked off from the esophagus with a flap called the lower esophageal sphincter. Occasionally, the flap doesn't close as it should so acid gets out of the stomach and goes up. This causes the burning sensation of heartburn, and if it continues to happen then it becomes a case of acid reflux. Heartburn and acid reflux usually happen from bad eating habits, like eating too much junk food or eating too quickly. Sometimes certain medications can trigger heartburn.
Indigestion is where a person feels bloated and painful in the abdomen, and they might experience heartburn along with the abdominal pain, as well as nausea, burping and flatulence. Indigestion, in turn, can be a symptom of acid reflux and it's what people commonly refer to as an upset stomach. Like heartburn, it's often due to bad eating habits, particularly eating too quickly.
Heartburn and indigestion can generally be treated by getting rest, eating smaller meals and keeping upright so that acid can stay down, but the best way to take care of heartburn and indigestion is to prevent them from happening in the first place. Stay away from unhealthy foods and substances like tobacco, and eat at a normal pace. However, heartburn and indigestion are sometimes signs of a more serious illness, like acid reflux, so in serious cases you should seek medical help.
Heartburn is not burning the heart, but the esophagus. The burning sensation can also travel up to the throat, and often a person suffering from heartburn will throw up gastric acid, a substance that helps digestion in the stomach. Heartburn is usually associated with acid reflux disease, a condition in which the mucus of the esophagus is consistently damaged because the stomach isn't blocked off from the esophagus as much as it should be. The stomach is blocked off from the esophagus with a flap called the lower esophageal sphincter. Occasionally, the flap doesn't close as it should so acid gets out of the stomach and goes up. This causes the burning sensation of heartburn, and if it continues to happen then it becomes a case of acid reflux. Heartburn and acid reflux usually happen from bad eating habits, like eating too much junk food or eating too quickly. Sometimes certain medications can trigger heartburn.
Indigestion is where a person feels bloated and painful in the abdomen, and they might experience heartburn along with the abdominal pain, as well as nausea, burping and flatulence. Indigestion, in turn, can be a symptom of acid reflux and it's what people commonly refer to as an upset stomach. Like heartburn, it's often due to bad eating habits, particularly eating too quickly.
Heartburn and indigestion can generally be treated by getting rest, eating smaller meals and keeping upright so that acid can stay down, but the best way to take care of heartburn and indigestion is to prevent them from happening in the first place. Stay away from unhealthy foods and substances like tobacco, and eat at a normal pace. However, heartburn and indigestion are sometimes signs of a more serious illness, like acid reflux, so in serious cases you should seek medical help.
Indigestion remedies
Find relief for your indigestion and heartburn.
I suffer from indigestion. It really, really sucks - especially because it didn't have to be this way. I didn't have to spend my days searching for indigestion remedies online or at pharmacies. I didn't have to lay up nights trying to swallow back my bile as I waited for my Tums, or Pepcid, or whatever I had taken, to work.
When searching for indigestion remedies, then, it's important first to understand what, exactly, indigestion is. Wikipedia defines it as the following:
Dyspepsia (from the Greek (Dys-)), popularly known as indigestion, meaning hard or difficult digestion, is a medical condition characterized by chronic or recurrent pain in the upper abdomen, upper abdominal fullness and feeling full earlier than expected when eating. It can be accompanied by bloating, belching, nausea or heartburn. Dyspepsia is a common problem, and is frequently due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or gastritis, but in a small minority may be the first symptom of peptic ulcer disease (an ulcer of the stomach or duodenum) and occasionally cancer. Hence, unexplained newly-onset dyspepsia in people over 55 or the presence of other alarm symptoms may require further investigations.
So not all indigestion is the same. Indigestion rememdies and treatments, as recommended by wikipedia, are as follows:
A 2004 meta-analysis, pooling data from three double-blind placebo-controlled studies, found the multiple herbal extract Iberogast to be significantly more effective than placebo (p value = 0.001) at treating patients with functional dyspepsia through the targeting of multiple dyspeptic pathologies. This German-made phytopharmaceutical was found to be equivalent to cisapride and significantly superior to metoclopramide at reducing the symptoms of functional dyspepsia over a four week period. Retrospective surveillance of 40,961 children (12 years and under) found no serious side-effects.
So while traditional medicines have shown to be no better than placebos, there are certain indigestion remedies in the offing that have significant potential to help those of us who suffer from dyspepsia.
Personally, though, the best indigestion remedies are the ones that are common sense. Don't eat late at night, or any time before you're going to bed. Don't eat processed food with a bunch of junk in it that your body's not evolved to digest properly. Don't take aspirin right before you go to bed. And if you know something gives you indigestion, avoid that food. For me that means no aged beef or milk chocolate. Sucks, but that's life, isn't it?
So just use your common sense and be diligent about tracking when you get indigestion and how long at lasts. A clearer picture of your health can only be beneficial when it comes to defeating indigestion.
When searching for indigestion remedies, then, it's important first to understand what, exactly, indigestion is. Wikipedia defines it as the following:
Dyspepsia (from the Greek (Dys-)), popularly known as indigestion, meaning hard or difficult digestion, is a medical condition characterized by chronic or recurrent pain in the upper abdomen, upper abdominal fullness and feeling full earlier than expected when eating. It can be accompanied by bloating, belching, nausea or heartburn. Dyspepsia is a common problem, and is frequently due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or gastritis, but in a small minority may be the first symptom of peptic ulcer disease (an ulcer of the stomach or duodenum) and occasionally cancer. Hence, unexplained newly-onset dyspepsia in people over 55 or the presence of other alarm symptoms may require further investigations.
So not all indigestion is the same. Indigestion rememdies and treatments, as recommended by wikipedia, are as follows:
A 2004 meta-analysis, pooling data from three double-blind placebo-controlled studies, found the multiple herbal extract Iberogast to be significantly more effective than placebo (p value = 0.001) at treating patients with functional dyspepsia through the targeting of multiple dyspeptic pathologies. This German-made phytopharmaceutical was found to be equivalent to cisapride and significantly superior to metoclopramide at reducing the symptoms of functional dyspepsia over a four week period. Retrospective surveillance of 40,961 children (12 years and under) found no serious side-effects.
So while traditional medicines have shown to be no better than placebos, there are certain indigestion remedies in the offing that have significant potential to help those of us who suffer from dyspepsia.
Personally, though, the best indigestion remedies are the ones that are common sense. Don't eat late at night, or any time before you're going to bed. Don't eat processed food with a bunch of junk in it that your body's not evolved to digest properly. Don't take aspirin right before you go to bed. And if you know something gives you indigestion, avoid that food. For me that means no aged beef or milk chocolate. Sucks, but that's life, isn't it?
So just use your common sense and be diligent about tracking when you get indigestion and how long at lasts. A clearer picture of your health can only be beneficial when it comes to defeating indigestion.
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If you are looking for more information on indigestion and heartburn you may want to consider the following.
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For Even More Help go To:
- Acid Reflux Symptoms
- Great articles and information for anyone with acid reflux, indigestion or heartburn.
- Acid Reflux Symptoms
- More information to help with your acid reflux.
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