A Perpetual Problem: Chronic Heartburn

Chronic heartburn affects many individuals today due to the fast paced lifestyle that so many people lead, in addition to the lack of proper nutritional habits and stressors in individuals' lives. This constant heartburn issue affects the quality of life for these individuals, making mealtime an unpleasant experience, knowing that the pain and nausea are usually coming after every meal. Although there are many different over the counter medications that can help with chronic heartburn, many of these will cause long term problems for those who take them on a regular basis. For instance, many of the antacids contain high amounts of sodium which can lead to high blood pressure in some individuals. Other antacids contain calcium, which can be good in some cases, but for those who are prone to gallstones or kidney stones, these tablets can greatly exacerbate the problem.

Solutions

As with many different health issues, chronic heartburn can be helped through living a life of moderation and taking care of the body that the individual has been given. Heartburn is often caused by eating meals with a lot of fatty foods in it, or meals that have high acidic content, such as with spicy foods. Eating meals on a regular basis that are high in fat is not good for any individual, since it can lead to obesity, high cholesterol and heart conditions. Eating high fat or high acid meals in moderation is the key to helping to reduce chronic heartburn.

Another common cause of chronic heartburn is eating too large of a meal at a time. When this is the case, the acid from the stomach gets pushed up into the esophagus where it does not belong and causes irritation, pain and often nausea. Eating meals until individuals are 'stuffed' is never a good idea since, again, it can lead to obesity and other health issues. For those with chronic heartburn, it is important to reduce meal sizes so that a feeling of satisfaction is reached but never the 'stuffed' feeling. Eating small meals throughout the day is not only healthier, but it helps to boost the metabolism so more calories are burned and the person is less prone to obesity.

Chronic heartburn is also experienced by individuals who are already overweight since the excess fat presses into the stomach and pushes the acid up into the esophagus. This can be the same experience that pregnant women have since the baby puts similar pressure on the stomach. For obese individuals, losing the extra weight through a moderate diet and exercise plan is essential for eliminating chronic heartburn and living a longer and fuller life.