How Did Heartburn Get Its Name?

Heartburn is defined by “Merriam Webster Online Dictionary” as: “a burning discomfort behind the lower part of the sternum due especially to spasmodic reflux of acid from the stomach into the esophagus.”

An Odd Name

Oddly enough, heartburn is not connected with your heart. Heartburn’s burning discomfort in your lower chest is connected to a sometimes accompanying sour or bitter taste in the throat and mouth, but your heart is not involved.

So How Did Heartburn Get Its Name?

According to Philip Jaffe, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Yale University School of Medicine, “Heartburn is often sensed as a burning feeling behind the middle of the lower to middle of the chest, giving the sense that it may be coming from the heart.”

In other words, heartburn got its name because it feels as though something in the vicinity of your heart is burning.

Heartburn is Not Uncommon

Heartburn is not uncommon. In the United States, approximately 25 percent of us experience an episode of heartburn at least once a month - 5 percent of us experience it every day.

How Does Heartburn Feel?

Some people who have never experienced heartburn have no idea how it feels. Those who have will tell you that it is a burning sensation that begins in the lower chest. As it progresses, it moves toward the neck. Many times, heartburn’s “burn” is accompanied by a bitter, acid taste in the back of the throat and the mouth.

When Is Heartburn Felt?

The three times heartburn is likely to occur are:

* after eating a large meal
* when bending at the waist
* when lying down soon after eating

What Causes Heartburn?

Many things can cause heartburn. Basically, it is caused by anything that weakens or overpowers the ring of muscle at the esophagus’ lower end, reduces the stomach’s ability to empty, and/or reduces the esophagus’ ability to push food down to the stomach. Among the many causes are these 7:

1. alcohol in excess
2. fatty foods
3. late night snacks
4. medications
5. overweight
6. pregnancy
7. smoking

How Do You Relieve Heartburn?

Heartburn will usually improve soon if you stand upright. If it does not, try eating or drinking a small amount to reduce the acid. Chew a piece of gum to stimulate your natural antacid, or take a man-made antacid.