What Are The Symptoms Of Heartburn?

First, it is helpful to understand what heartburn is and what it isn't. First what it isn't. When you have heartburn, your heart is not really burning. It just feels that way. It also has nothing to do with having a heart attack.

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If you are unclear at all if you are experiencing heartburn or a genuine heart attack you should dial 911 immediately. It does not pay to take a chance with your health.

So, what is heartburn? Heartburn is a rather common illness that affects people of all ages and all walks of life. You have probably experienced heartburn it at some point in your life and maybe you did not know what it was called. When you eat, your food passes through your mouth, down your throat, through your esophagus and into your stomach. There is a sphincter (called the lower esophageal sphincter) that is supposed to let the food pass through and keep the liquid (stomach acids) from coming back up. If you eat particularly poorly or if the sphincter is damaged, the stomach acid can return up to your esophagus and throat. This is when heartburn occurs.

So, here are the symptoms of heartburn:

1. In the beginning and if the heartburn is mild, you will only experience excess gas (burping) and mild discomfort in the stomach.

2. The second stage is where heartburn get's its name. Once the stomach acid travels back through the sphincter it will create a burning sensation in the breast bone area (chest).

3. In the third stage, the stomach acid travels all the way up to the throat burning the throat.

4. Lastly, the acid can reach the mouth making the mouth have a burning sensation as well.

These symptoms of heartburn may not seem very drastic and many pass them off as trivial. Left untreated there is a possibility the heartburn can lead to more serious problems such as esophageal cancer.

There are other considerations as well. Heartburn often is indicative of other medical problems such as sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a silent killer. If you consistently experience heartburn through out the night or first thing in the morning you should consult with your physician to explore any possible underlying conditions such as sleep apnea.