Heartburn is a burning sensation in the pit of the heart, or feeling a burning pain in the pit of the heart. People often experience a burning sensation in the upper abdomen or lower chest after eating spicy food or drinking alcohol. Because of the location, it is often called heartburn.

In fact, the organ affected by heartburn is not the heart at all, but the stomach. One of the main symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux is heartburn .

Gastroesophageal reflux refers to the reflux of stomach acid and other contents into the esophagus. The incidence of gastroesophageal reflux in Western countries is between 10% and 20%, and the incidence in Asian countries is about 5%.

1. Which organ is the problem with "heartburn"?

After eating all kinds of irritating foods, the stomach is overburdened, and heartburn will occur. If you suffer from gastrointestinal diseases, such as gastritis, gastric ulcer, etc., you will also have heartburn.

Don't think it's okay to have heartburn once in a while, but it can be fatal when it gets serious. If gastroesophageal reflux disease exists for a long time, it will cause mucosal damage, ulcers, and even erosion of the esophagus, erosion of the blood vessels in the esophagus, and symptoms such as hematemesis.

It may also cause repeated episodes of esophageal inflammation, causing tissue proliferation in the esophagus, narrowing of the esophageal wall, bacterial peritonitis, and severe esophageal adenocarcinoma and septic shock.

These five types of people should pay attention to gastroesophageal reflux:

One is middle-aged and elderly people . The incidence of gastroesophageal reflux increases with age. Generally, 40 to 60 years old are high-risk groups of gastroesophageal reflux, especially the middle-aged and elderly people with low immunity. If you have heartburn and acid reflux every day, you should go to the hospital in time.

The second is people who are too stressed. Such people are under a lot of mental stress, their work and rest time is often irregular, they don’t eat slowly, they prefer irritating food, the burden on the gastrointestinal tract will naturally be heavier, and heartburn due to gastroesophageal reflux occurs. Also more likely.

The third is obese people. The intra-abdominal pressure of such people is higher than ordinary people, and they often consume too much fat, which makes food stay in the stomach longer, gastroesophageal reflux occurs, and the possibility of heartburn is also increased.

Fourth, eating before going to bed . Eating before going to bed will cause a heavy burden on the gastrointestinal tract, and if you lie on your back, the food you just eat is more likely to reflux and cause heartburn. Over the long term, digestive dysfunction can lead to increased risk of gastroesophageal reflux.

The fifth is smoking and drinking . People who smoke and drink heavily for a long time, The defense power of the esophageal sphincter will decrease , and if it falls to a certain level, can not stop the food reflux , symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux will appear or aggravate reflux. symptom.

Second, stay away from 5 kinds of food, the stomach will thank you

1. Sweets

Sugar will stimulate the secretion of gastric acid , so when there is too much gastric acid, avoid eating sweets such as cakes and chocolates.

2. Sour food

There are many sour fruits and vegetables, such as lemons, sour dates, etc. Although they are rich in nutrients, eating too much will also cause excessive stomach acid.

3. Strong tea and coffee

The caffeine contained in tea and coffee can reduce the activity of phosphodiesterase , resulting in excessive secretion of gastric acid and aggravating heartburn.

4, fried food,

Fried food is generally high in fat, so it will stay in the stomach for a long time, which will stimulate the secretion of gastric acid. In addition, it can increase the secretion of cholecystokinin, which may cause bile reflux and erode the gastric mucosa. .

5. Spicy food

Eating too much at one time will stimulate the gastric mucosa , the gastric acid will be secreted too much, and even cause local inflammation.

In addition to the above foods, people with excessive stomach acid also need to pay attention to their daily diet When eating, they should eat regularly and regularly, and they should chew slowly and eat less salt.

Gastroesophageal reflux is a common disease, but it should not be underestimated, let alone let it go. People with gastroesophageal reflux should pay attention to it and seek medical attention in time.