Just about everyone suffers from the symptoms of heartburn at one time or another. Perhaps they ate too much of an enjoyable meal, or chose a food that their digestive system wasn’t happy about, and ended up with an uncomfortable case of heartburn. Heartburn, also known as acid reflux, is a fiery feeling in your throat and chest that’s highly unpleasant. However, heartburn actually has nothing to do with the heart. The term is really a misnomer.

Heartburn affects your esophagus, throat and cardiac sphincter. It might seem like the problem is related to your heart, but in fact it just happens to be occurring nearby. This is how come so many people wonder if there’s something wrong with their heart when they have an episode of heartburn. It can be very alarming to people who experience heartburn for the first time, because it can feel like a problem with the heart.

Heartburn symptoms can be different in every person and even throughout individual episodes. You’ll start to feel the unpleasant symptoms in your chest first, and then they will spread up to the throat. Even though the most typical heartburn symptom is a burning feeling in the chest there are other signs to be aware of. These include trouble swallowing, a painful throat, hoarseness in the throat, or a sensation that there’s some food caught in your throat. Heartburn can also produce a chronic cough or even asthma-like symptoms of wheezing.

Consult with your physician if the problem is chronic or appears to be getting worse. You can get heartburn relief through a variety of different medicinal products. Your doctor will prescribe treatment options that should help to ease your symptoms. This will usually involve antacids of some sort, along with lifestyle changes.

The most effective treatment for heartburn is prevention. If you suffer from this condition on a regular basis, you need to make some changes to your regular habits. For example, following a meal, it’s important to remain erect. As a rule, you need to stay sitting, keep your head up and don’t lie down until your food is fully digested. Another recommendation is to sleep with your head elevated, or even in a seated, upright position. Your goal should be to maintain the entire upper portion of your body in an elevated position, not just your head.

It’s also important that you take a close look at your diet. Pay attention to which foods are the cause of your distress and eliminate them from your diet. The size of your meal is also important. Studies show that chowing down on too much food at one time leads to excessive stomach acids, which in turn results in the symptoms of heartburn. Consuming smaller meals more often will keep your stomach acid levels in line.