Ano ang heartburn? Causes, relief, and red flags

Despite its name, heartburn does not come from the heart. However, chest pain can have serious causes, so new, severe, or unfamiliar discomfort should not automatically be treated as indigestion.

Acid reflux commonly presents with heartburn and may also cause a sour taste, belching, throat irritation, cough, or food coming back up. Symptoms may follow a large meal, bending, or lying flat. Pregnancy, obesity, and a hiatus hernia can make reflux easier to trigger.

Gastritis and peptic ulcer disease more often cause upper abdominal burning or pain, nausea, or fullness, although discomfort can overlap. A clinician uses the exact location, timing, triggers, medicines, swallowing symptoms, and examination to decide what needs investigation.

Notice whether particular meals, late eating, alcohol, smoking, or tight clothing trigger symptoms. Smaller meals and remaining upright after eating can reduce reflux for some people. If symptoms occur at night, raising the head end of the bed may help more than adding pillows alone.

A pharmacist can advise on short-term antacids, alginates, or other acid-reducing medicines and check for interactions. Arrange a medical review if heartburn keeps returning, disrupts sleep, needs frequent medicine, or begins after starting a prescription drug. Do not stop prescribed treatment without advice.

Call emergency services for chest pressure, squeezing, or pain with breathlessness, sweating, faintness, nausea, or discomfort spreading to an arm, shoulder, back, neck, or jaw. Seek emergency help as well for severe chest pain or symptoms that feel distinctly different from previous heartburn.

Prompt assessment is needed for difficulty or pain when swallowing, food sticking, vomiting blood, black stools, persistent vomiting, unexplained weight loss, anaemia, or steadily worsening symptoms. These features may point to bleeding, narrowing, inflammation, or another condition needing investigation.

Record when the burning occurs, what you ate, whether symptoms wake you, and which remedies help. Ask whether acid reflux medication is appropriate, how long to use it, whether another medicine could be contributing, and whether swallowing problems or bleeding signs require tests.