Simultaneous occurrence of heartburn and nausea

Heartburn may well ruin not only your general well-being, but also your mood, especially if it occurs unexpectedly and manifests itself quite strongly. It can develop in any person, regardless of age and gender. Quite often women experience heartburn, but it cannot be said that they have a predisposition to it, with the possible exception of expectant mothers. What can be the causes of heartburn in women?

Causes of heartburn in women

What is heartburn?

Those people who have never experienced heartburn are, one might say, lucky. They do not know what it is, what causes it, and what unpleasant sensations a person may experience in this case. Heartburn got its name for a reason - it is a fairly noticeable burning sensation in the throat or stomach . The reason for its occurrence from a physiological point of view is the active effect of gastric juice on the inner lining of the esophagus. Normally, it should not be inside this organ (only in the stomach), but when natural protection does not work for some reason, the juice is thrown into the esophagus and severely irritates the mucous membrane - a burning sensation appears.

Heartburn - what is it?

On a note! According to statistics, about 40% of people around the world constantly experience heartburn, regardless of age and gender. Only for some this is a temporary phenomenon, while others suffer from it constantly.

Heartburn during pregnancy

As a rule, heartburn appears quite often in people with diseases of the digestive system. However, in some cases it can ruin the life of a completely healthy person.

Causes of discomfort

Heartburn in people without gastrointestinal problems can occur due to reasons such as:

• 
  overeating or undereating

• obesity or sudden weight loss,
• rapid swallowing of food,
• abuse of caffeine and rich, fatty, spicy foods,
• bad habits (alcohol, smoking),
• stress,
• maintaining a sedentary lifestyle,
• wearing tight clothes,
• pregnancy,
• taking certain prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Symptoms

The main symptoms to make sure that we are talking about heartburn are discomfort and burning of varying intensity, a noticeable feeling of heat noted in the sternum and spreading to the upper part of the body, up to the throat area, that is, along the esophagus. Typically, these symptoms can be noted about an hour after eating, when bending over, or during intense physical activity. A person who decides to lie down for a while after eating can also feel the signs.

When does heartburn occur?

Usually, heartburn appears after some specific actions performed by a person, and not every day. But if its symptoms occur weekly and more than 3 times during this time, then the quality of life deteriorates significantly and in this case, identification of the causes and full treatment is required.

Traditional ways to get rid of heartburn

Why does heartburn remind you of itself every day? What to do? People often resort to traditional medicine. These methods cannot replace treatment with drugs, but will help get rid of pain, burning and are an excellent option for prevention and auxiliary therapy for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract:

• Chamomile infusion or chamomile tea. Pour boiling water over a bag of chamomile from the pharmacy, dilute with cold water after 20 minutes and drink. Drink at least three glasses a day.
• Flaxseed also helps fight heartburn and restores the lining of the stomach and esophagus. A teaspoon per glass of boiling water is left overnight and drunk before meals the next day.
• Juice from new potatoes also gives excellent results.

Main causes of heartburn

In general, despite a person’s gender, there are a number of reasons that can trigger heartburn. First of all, it is worth noting that this unpleasant sensation can occur in anyone, even a healthy person, after eating fatty, fried, smoked, spicy and other irritating foods. Also, the main cause is often common overeating or drinking alcohol.

Heartburn can be caused by overeating

As for diseases, most often heartburn is a concomitant symptom or side effect of:

• pancreatitis;
• gastritis;
• diseases of the intestinal tract;
• ulcers;
• cholecystitis;
• operations on the stomach;
• poisoning;
• stomach cancer.

Attention! Most often, heartburn as a concomitant factor is observed in those who suffer from gastritis, cholecystitis, or hiatal hernia. However, if it bothers you constantly, and the person does not know about the presence of these diseases, then it is recommended to undergo an examination, since heartburn can also signal other, more serious pathologies.

Gastritis is an inflammation of the inner mucous membrane of the stomach

Heartburn can often be caused by stress, unstable mental state, heart disease, and exacerbations of other diseases. It can occur at any time of the day or night.

Symptoms depending on location

Poor nutrition is the main factor influencing the appearance of a burning sensation in the chest. This symptom can appear both in the epigastric region and in the pharynx. The general factors remain the same in both women and men. However, additional symptoms appear depending on the location of the burning sensation.

Pharyngeal

Pharyngeal heartburn is accompanied by the following factors:

• sore and sore throat;
• coughing appears;
• the voice becomes hoarse;
• any swallowing causes pain;
• saliva production increases.

In some cases, a lump that appears in the larynx makes it impossible to swallow food.

Epigastric

In the area of ​​the solar plexus, the feeling of heartburn is accompanied by the following factors:

• increasing heat appears in the epigastrium;
• the feeling of hunger disappears, regardless of the time of eating, constant satiety appears;
• heaviness is felt in the epigastric area;
• salivation increases;
• a sour taste or bitterness appears in the mouth;
• the tongue may become white;
• belching occurs;
• Dry mouth bothers me.

Quite often, with epigastric heartburn, an unpleasant odor may appear from the mouth.

Retrosternal

The appearance of a burning sensation in the central part of the chest is characterized by the spread of internal heat in this area. Belching of air with an unpleasant odor appears. This creates a sour taste in the mouth. Pain appears in the chest. This pain can be confused with a symptom of a heart attack.

Heartburn is an annoying feeling that often spoils your mood and prevents you from carrying out normal life activities. A burning sensation that occurs in the chest once is not dangerous. You just need to adjust your diet. However, if it bothers you regularly and is accompanied by pain, then you should consult a doctor as quickly as possible. It is necessary to undergo examination and subsequent treatment. Most often, the previously listed symptoms, indicating a specific disease, occur together with a burning sensation in the chest.

Causes of heartburn in women

The female body is unique and very different from the male body. This applies to the hormonal system, body structure, and a host of psychological aspects. Heartburn in women can occur for a variety of reasons, and it is not always a consequence of overeating or problems with the functioning of the digestive system.

In women, heartburn is not always associated with digestive system problems

Hormonal shifts

They may well cause heartburn, since hormones often have a relaxing effect on the protective valve at the lower end of the esophagus. Excess progesterone, which is often observed during pregnancy, can also cause this unpleasant sensation.

Also, the level of hormones in a woman’s body may change due to the use of oral contraceptives. They contain progesterone and estrogen and also easily provoke heartburn. By the way, such pills are also taken during hormone replacement therapy. Estrogen can increase the level of nitric oxide in the blood, which relaxes the sphincter muscles, and gastric juice enters the esophagus.

Heartburn in a pregnant woman

Overweight and obesity

Women who are prone to obesity often experience heartburn attacks. The fact is that the fatty layers that form around the organs can put strong pressure on the stomach. Moreover, the connection between excess weight and the occurrence of acid reflux in women is more acute than in men.

Attention! Incorrectly selected hormonal medications taken by a woman can cause weight gain.

Excess weight is another possible reason

Excess weight in most cases is formed due to poor nutrition or consumption of certain foods. Some of them can also cause heartburn. These include:

• tea and coffee;
• alcohol;
• dairy products;
• sour juices;
• fatty food;
• carbonated drinks containing sugar.

Sweet carbonated drinks

The stomach takes a long time to digest chocolate and dairy products, alcohol increases the production of stomach acid, and tea and coffee can relax the esophageal valve. The result is an attack of heartburn.

Heartburn during pregnancy

Expectant mothers often suffer from heartburn, especially those who are already pregnant. While carrying a baby, a woman’s body undergoes restructuring, the uterus increases in size and puts strong pressure on all organs, including the stomach. Thus, its contents are pushed towards the esophagus and can enter it.

Pregnancy is often accompanied by heartburn

On a note! In pregnant women, heartburn most often occurs in the third trimester and less often in the first.

Taking medications

In addition to contraceptives, a woman may be forced to take other medications. A number of them can easily provoke the development of heartburn. For example, drugs such as ibuprofen and aspirin can cause it. There are also some medications that are used to treat osteoporosis that allow heartburn to develop.

Some drugs cause heartburn

Stress

A woman, as a rule, is very impressionable and quite often experiences various stresses related to work or family. It is worries, whether well-founded or groundless, that often cause heartburn. Science has already proven the connection between heartburn and stress, but how it works has not yet been figured out.

Stress

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

Heartburn is constantly the most common symptom of gastrointestinal diseases. In medicine, there is a conditional division of diseases into two groups of reasons why heartburn torments every day:

• weakness or dysfunction of the gastric sphincter;
• excess production of hydrochloric acid necessary for digesting food.

Interesting! Do seeds help with heartburn - the positive effect of the treat

This may be a pathology of the intestines or stomach, but the mechanism of occurrence is always based on two factors. Gastroesophageal reflux disease or reflux esophagitis is the most common cause of weakening of the ring between the esophagus and stomach, occurring in an acute or chronic course.

Every day, heartburn with this disease is caused by the contents of the stomach getting into the lining of the esophagus. There are many reasons why such a pathology may occur. These include traumatic injury and the destructive effects of agents of variable etiology: from alcohol to hot and spicy foods, from medications to the constant influence of chemicals.

If heartburn is caused by cancer of the esophagus, a diaphragmatic hernia or cardiospasm, in which persistent spasm of the lower sphincter occurs, then these are pathologies associated with the activity of the esophagus.

The prerequisite for them may be swallowing air while eating, eating junk food, or swallowing insufficiently chewed food, which the muscles of the esophagus are forced to push through with additional effort.

Esophageal dysphagia very often leads to regurgitation, chest pain, belching and heartburn. With pathologies of the esophagus, negative symptoms will periodically torment.

If there is constant heartburn, then the reasons may lie in a peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum or the stage preceding the onset of the disease - gastritis of various etiologies.

Heartburn in these diseases is caused not only by low or high acidity, but also by medications, which many patients use without a doctor’s prescription, not knowing for certain about the nature of the disease, but only assuming its presence.

The appearance of heartburn every day, the causes of which lie in diseases of the gallbladder or pancreas, requires immediate contact with a doctor, who will tell you what it is and how to treat it after appropriate diagnosis and hardware tests.

Polyps in the stomach or oncological pathologies of the digestive organs are always accompanied by a similar symptom. It is better to diagnose the manifestation of this etiological group at an early stage of the disease, while effective help is still possible and time is not lost.

Heartburn bothers me every day, and it’s not clear what to do about it. It is better to immediately consult a doctor and get examined. Whatever the mechanism of occurrence of the unpleasant phenomenon, it still shows that the state of health is either on the verge of a disease or in a state of a progressive negative process.

Interesting! Bitterness in the mouth and nausea: causes and prevention

If the condition continues for several days, and there are no objective and visible reasons for this, this means that the condition of the digestive system requires immediate help.

How to overcome heartburn?

Usually, dealing with heartburn is quite simple - it is recommended to drink some water and take a drug that neutralizes the acidity of the stomach.

Table. Medicines for the treatment of heartburn.

Treatment of heartburn

There are also a number of time-tested folk methods to combat heartburn. To help overcome this symptom:

• seeds;
• a teaspoon of vegetable oil;
• carrots or carrot juice mixed with potato juice in equal proportions and taken before meals;
• chamomile tea (2-3 tbsp per 1 glass of boiling water, then the mixture is infused for 20 minutes and filtered);
• flax seeds steamed with boiling water (1 tsp/0.5 cup of boiling water, infused for 10-12 hours and then brought to a volume of 1 cup with boiled water. The drink is taken daily for 2 weeks on an empty stomach);
• soda solution.

Soda solution

Treatment

The correct treatment to eliminate nausea, heartburn and epigastric discomfort depends on the cause of such symptoms. In most cases, doctors prescribe dietary nutrition to patients, because the functioning of the digestive organs as a whole depends on what a person eats. In addition, if you ignore the rules for eating healthy foods, taking medications for nausea and constant heartburn will not provide a therapeutic effect.

The diet is based on daily receipt of a full portion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, vitamins and beneficial microelements. To reduce stress on the stomach, experts advise eating food that is warm rather than cold or scalding. It is important to avoid snacking on the run. You should also avoid foods that increase stomach acidity, and replace coarse foods with cereals, soups, and purees.

Proper nutrition involves the following measures:

• refusal of fried, spicy, fatty foods;
• fractional meals - in small portions, but up to 5-6 times a day;
• last meal - no later than 2-3 hours before going to bed;
• lack of physical activity after meals;
• Chewing food thoroughly.

Along with following the diet, doctors prescribe medications that restore the condition of the gastrointestinal mucosa.

If heartburn is severe, your doctor may prescribe a specific diet.

Medical assistance

The most common group of pills for nausea and heartburn that doctors prescribe are antacids. Their action is aimed at reducing the level of hydrochloric acid in the stomach and, as a result, getting rid of burning sensation in the esophagus. In some situations, medications for nausea, stomach pain, and heartburn do not help and surgery is required. But it is necessary in advanced cases of pathology.

List of antacids most often recommended by doctors:

• Motilium;
• Rennie;
• Gaviscon;
• Maalox;
• Almagel;
• Laminal;
• Ranitidine;
• Omeprazole.

What else helps with heartburn, nausea and abdominal pain? The drug Phosphalugel has a good effect - it not only fights burning in the esophagus, but also removes toxins and harmful substances from the intestines. It should not be used for stomach ulcers or exacerbation of gastritis, so a doctor should prescribe the medicine.

Traditional medicine methods

For heartburn not caused by gastrointestinal diseases, folk methods of dealing with the unpleasant symptom include:

• drinking baking soda with water;
• taking herbal decoctions - from chamomile flowers, mint, St. John's wort, calendula, gentian roots;
• chewing raw oats and swallowing saliva;
• preparing a paste from fresh aloe or Kalanchoe leaves;
• drinking tincture of valerian or motherwort for heartburn caused by frequent stress;
• drinking 20 ml of raw potato juice three times a day;
• taking anise tincture aged for at least 30 days.

Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and hazelnuts have a good effect against heartburn. It is useful to prepare a tincture from ginger root - the product reduces the level of inflammation, improves immunity, and improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

How to cope with heartburn during pregnancy?

Step 1. It is recommended to change chewing gums - it is better to buy those that do not contain menthol or mint.

Change your chewing gum

Step 2. Meals should be frequent, but not plentiful (about 6 times during the day, caloric content of meals - no more than 400-600 kcal). Products such as chocolate, coffee, strong tea, hot peppers, soda, alcohol, etc. are excluded.

Eat small meals

Step 3. Eating is done slowly and the food is chewed thoroughly. This will make it easier for the stomach to digest it.

Chew your food thoroughly

Step 4. Do not lie down immediately after eating. If it is necessary to lie down, then pillows are placed under the back so that the body is in a semi-sitting position.

Correct body position after eating

Step 5. Pregnancy is not a reason to stay at home. Walks are organized daily and simple exercises are performed.

Walk in the fresh air

Step 6. If you need to bend over or pick something up from the floor, then at the moment of action, bend your knees, not your back. This will avoid putting unnecessary pressure on the stomach.

When bending, bend your knees, not your back

Step 7. The wardrobe also changes. Clothing should be loose and comfortable, not constricting the body.

Clothes should be loose

Step 8. When sleeping or resting, it is recommended to lie only on your left side.

Sleep on your left side

Does heartburn occur after eating?

It must be remembered that it is important not just to eliminate the manifestation of heartburn, but to eliminate the root cause of this disease.

Doctors say that it is necessary to undergo an examination and first pass all the necessary tests. If no obvious manifestations are identified, then the following measures must be taken for the purpose of prevention.

Recommendations:

1. You need to eat in small portions, but often enough. There should be at least 5 meals a day, every 3-4 hours.
2. You need to drink at least 2 liters of water per day. In the summer, you can drink more.
3. After eating, you should not engage in active sports, but taking a horizontal position is not recommended.
4. You need to avoid foods that cause bloating, such as legumes or milk.
5. Food must be chewed very thoroughly. It must turn into a pulp before it goes into the stomach.

You should watch yourself to see which foods cause heartburn for you personally.

If heartburn begins to bother you very often, then certain measures need to be taken very quickly, before this problem causes significant harm to the body.

It is important at this time to normalize the acidity level of gastric juice.